The origins of team-building can be traced back to the Hawthorne studies, a series of behavioural tests done on factory workers in the 1920s and 1930s at the Western Electric Company. Researchers discovered that when workers felt like they were a part of a social, tight-knit team, their cooperation and productivity increased significantly – seemingly a win-win for all involved. And so, the concept of team-building in the workplace was born.
Fast forward to modern day, and staff away days, mandated social outings and colleague bonding activities are common occurrences in most workplaces, with a YouGov poll showing that nearly half of all British workers (42 per cent) have done some form of team-building exercise.
At best, the exercises might provoke an eye-roll or a feeling of dread, but at worst can leave you traumatised or unable to meet colleagues’ eyes the next day. Here, The i Paper speaks to three anonymous workers about their team-building exercises from hell.
I had a panic attack while white water rafting
Sarah*, 40, London
