room sharing

[boyse7en]

I've got a business trip to an exhibition in January.It means three nights staying in a hotel.

Due to a change in policy (ie cost cutting) my company is now saying we have to share a twin room with a colleague.

For obvious reasons I don't want to do this.

Am I being unreasonable? I can't afford to book a room in the hotel that they have booked, so i'm thinking that I will try to find a Premier inn or similar not too far way. It would also mean taking my own transport in order to get to the hotel each night from the venue.

[NNH]

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all! As an example, how would your employer know that you don't have a colostomy or some other personal health issue that requires privacy to manage?

I've had one employer try this for a training trip. I refused to take the trip, and the policy was rescinded - then again, I was the trainer!

Good luck with nipping this in the bud.

[ClaphamGT3]

I always think that this is an absolute no. Have occasional done it on client entertaining trips if too many guests accept or at events like mipim if someone needs to stay in the apartment for one night but normally I would never do it or ask anyone to

[elanfan]

Tell them you are a grown up not a seven year old and you are beyond room sharing. You shouldn't have to put up with someone else's snoring, farting, smelly bathroom, shower scum or even eyes on you whilst changing. Tell them you won't go unless you get a separate room full stop.

[paul.deitch]

Hmmmm. Well if you can put your entertainment/bar bill on their expenses....
Did it a few times. I thought it worked quite well, but the colleagues were a 'larf' too.
Had to put up with all the jibes about how our nights together were though at breakfast.

[StuTheGrouch]

I would refuse to share a room and I would not consider booking a hotel at my own expense. Therefore, I wouldn't go.

It is as simple as that. You are absolutely not being unreasonable.

[megaphone]

Is the boss/manager going? Are they going to share?

[deckster]

Nothing to add except violent agreement.

Business trip = your own room. Very simple and non-negotiable and I can't quite believe that they would even try this on.

[KrazyIvan]

boyse7en said:

For obvious reasons I don't want to do this.

Go to your boss and tell him these obvious reasons.

Personally I would not have an issue, but then again most of the people I have worked with were decent enough.

[hornetrider]

StuTheGrouch said:

I would refuse to share a room and I would not consider booking a hotel at my own expense. Therefore, I wouldn't go.

It is as simple as that. You are absolutely not being unreasonable.

This. The end.

[insurance_jon]

I don't need to book many hotels for staff, but there is a trip coming up where 6 of us need to be there.

So we've booked 6 rooms. Privacy is a human right.

If people want to share, let them, but don't enforce it

[CAPP0]

Ask yourself, would the employer state this if the two employees were of opposite sexes?

[Foliage]

'policy change'... Have you had that in writing? have you had a revised staff handbook? Sounds like someone is making st up to me to justify the stay over and keep the budget in check in order that someone more senior doesn't kill the event due to overspend.

[boyse7en]

Foliage said:

'policy change'... Have you had that in writing? have you had a revised staff handbook? Sounds like someone is making st up to me to justify the stay over and keep the budget in check in order that someone more senior doesn't kill the event due to overspend.

No nothing is in writing. We're a small company, only 9 permanent staff. The directors do all the organising of hotels/travel etc.
There's no option not to go. This is a major event for our company.

[deckster]

boyse7en said:

No nothing is in writing. We're a small company, only 9 permanent staff. The directors do all the organising of hotels/travel etc.
There's no option not to go. This is a major event for our company.

If it's such a major event, then why are they quibbling over a couple of grand on hotel rooms?

[StuTheGrouch]

boyse7en said:

Foliage said:

'policy change'... Have you had that in writing? have you had a revised staff handbook? Sounds like someone is making st up to me to justify the stay over and keep the budget in check in order that someone more senior doesn't kill the event due to overspend.

No nothing is in writing. We're a small company, only 9 permanent staff. The directors do all the organising of hotels/travel etc.
There's no option not to go. This is a major event for our company.

Of course there is an option. "I'm not sharing a room and I'm not paying for a room myself. If you can't afford that hotel, then source something within budget. Over to you".

You can air your concerns more tactfully though if you wish. Personally I would go straight to the point about this, even if it meant them saying "Stu is moaning about sharing rooms" and it created a bad atmosphere at the event. It is a daft situation of their own making.

[StuTheGrouch]

boyse7en said:

No nothing is in writing. We're a small company, only 9 permanent staff. The directors do all the organising of hotels/travel etc.
There's no option not to go. This is a major event for our company.

Are the directors sharing room?

If they are, and I seriously doubt it, then call the hotel and state that they want a double room, not a twin. That'll teach them.

[Evanivitch]

Tell them you want overtime for the entire duration thay you spend in the room with your colleague.

[GCH]

Deal breaker.

I can do some flights in coach if needs be, not every hotel needs to be so high end, and I can deal with sorting transport instead of having drivers (thank you uber). All of these things and many more are flexible, and negotiable to varying degrees.

However, having my own room is absolutely non-negotiable. Its not a f**king episode of the apprentice.

[davepoth]

IANAL but this could well be a breach of the Human Rights Act, since

The Human Rights Act said:

Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.

"Compulsive masturbation" does come under "private life", if you were wondering.

The question is to how to approach this. When you say it's a new policy, has it come down from your immediate boss, or has someone way up the corporate ladder made a decision and your boss isn't happy about it either?

If your boss thinks it's stupid too then your boss would likely be receptive to a grievance if your boss would be the one hearing the grievance.

If not then your options are a little bit more limited. It may be worth having a chat with the person you're supposed to be sharing with (they won't be happy either) to work out whether there's anything you can do there - one of you gets to wear adult nappies or something perhaps.