I mentioned this in another thread but I’d like to get more opinions. I work on a team of 6 and they have started doing a weekly weigh-in. They get the scales out in the middle of the office and all stand on them while someone reads out the weight and makes a note of it. There’s at least 20 other people sat around us too who over hear it all. They’re all a healthy weight, they just want a fun way of trying to lose a few pounds after Christmas.

They keep asking me to join in and every time I reuse. There’s another guy in my team who has refused but they immediately accepted it and left him alone – but me they keep pressuring. The reason I’ve given is that my weight is private and I’m not sharing it with the rest of the office. They won’t accept that as a good enough excuse.

Would you do this? Am I being too uptight and need chill out about it or are they being unreasonable? Most people have said there’s no way they’d do it, but I’m curious to see if anyone doesn’t think it’s a big deal at all.

I’m in the UK by the way.

I’ll get a hard time again come Wednesday when they push me to do it again. I don’t partake in the team football pools either because I don’t enjoy gambling and it took a couple of months for the pestering to stop – but I’m sure they still resent me for it.

I know in the States you get these employee wellness programs where you have to get on the scales at work to try and get lower insurance premiums. In the UK I could understand an invitation on a notice board to join a supportive after work ‘biggest loser’ competition, but not asking people in the office to join in and giving them a hard time when they don’t.

I think there are people joining in to get an easy life. We’ve also got people from other teams joining in, because they want to join in the fun…. but people on my team still feel they then have to pass comment on the number on the scales!

HappyNow – well they seem to enjoy it! They’ve been working together for decades whereas I’ve only been here 18 months and they’ve done it in previous years apparently. So they’re all very comfortable with stepping on the scales in front of each other – whereas I’d find it a bit undignified.

As for harrassment/bullying – well of course it is, but as far as they’re concerned it’s just banter 😉 one of the very overweight guys in the office also appears to have a reasonable amount of self confidence and is a talented martial artist, so they do joke to him about his weight. But there’s an overweight lady in the office who they wouldn’t dream of saying anything to her face but they’re viscous about her behind her back.

A friend of mine thought it sounded all a bit egotistical…. there’s definitely an exhibitionist element to it. The thing is I’d wipe the floor with all of them as I have the lowest BMI already and am on a fabulous diet 🙂 but I’m not prepared to make a spectacle of myself when it isn’t necessary.

Hey coldpizza, you found my other rant 😉 On my team of 6 there are 2 problem people, both I mentioned in the other thread. the two others are quiet but nice, one just follows everyone else and the other just doesn’t join in and they leave him alone. Lastly is the boss who is happy to follow along, knows i get a hard time but doesn’t want the conflict involved with solving the problem.

I do a very specific niche job and there are rarely opportunities for employment elsewhere. but the minute I manage to get a job elsewhere I’m out of here!