The place I work at has a company-wide function four times a year and one of those is an overnight stay in a different location or city. As well as that each team will have two to three social functions a year including an overnight stay as well.
I’m introverted so dread these things because the company events are 200+ people in a room being talked at all day and then dinner, a band, tons of drinking and socialising all night long. The next day there’s a choice of four activities like yoga, exercise or some other hellish things to do. It’s mandatory and if you don’t want to go you have to take annual leave for the two days. I’ve gotten so stressed out about the thought of going that I’ve woken up sick the day of and my manager told me that I needed a doctors certificate to prove that I genuinely was sick.
They organise buses or flights to the overnight destination, which is thoughtful, but it’s exhausting. The other annoying thing is that we don’t get told where any event is until maybe a week before. They like surprising us
The company employs a lot of young people but doesn’t seem to realise that not everyone is in their 20’s or 30’s and not everyone loves socialising. To be promoted you need to network your butt off so people who don’t always have the technical skill are promoted.
There are other good reasons for staying with the company so it’s not all bad but from this time of year onwards it’s party central. Plus everyone wants to make up for missing out on the events during 2020 and 2021.