Sharing hotel rooms with coworkers?

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I've worked for 7 companies over the last 40 years and sharing a room with a same gender co-worker has always been standard procedure, as was flying coach.
Assignments for travel are always paired based on gender. A female reporter will always be assigned a female photographer for a trip, and a male reporter, a male photographer.

What if one of them were homosexual? Or transgender?

Would you be willing to share a room with someone that felt like your gender, but had the parts of another?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Now, sharing a car I think is a totally reasonable requirement as long as you don't have conflicting schedules or previous bad experience with a terrible driver.

When I started traveling to Mexico, my boss got the car. But, he would never drive across the border. We'd catch a ride with the plant manager who was a HORRIBLE driver. We're talking 90+ MPH, cell phone in left hand, digging through his briefcase with his right hand, steering with his knee. One day, he was going 80 through a 35 zone, and passed a dump truck on the left as the dump truck was signaling and making a left turn. Later that day, there was nobody available to take me to the airport. The job was eventually delegated several times down until it landed on a guy who spoke no English, didn't know where he was supposed to take me, couldn't drive a stick shift (which is all they had), and who immediately got lost leaving the factory he had worked at for over a year. I got my own car from then on

 

[mom2rtk]

What if one of them were homosexual? Or transgender?

Would you be willing to share a room with someone that felt like your gender, but had the parts of another?

I guess if we are supposed to have high school kids share a locker room in situations like this, then sharing a hotel room shouldn't matter.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I was on international travel last year with my boss and while we had separate rooms, the rooms were next to each other. I even thought that was too close!

I spend all day with these people and I really want a place to decompress and take a deep breath - in my own space and environment I create for myself.

We had a VP of Operations who was notorious for confiscating everyone's plane tickets, then going to the counter to exchange them for seats together so everyone could discuss work on the flight. Yeah, no. I was planning to sleep.

 

[NHdisneylover]

What if one of them were homosexual? Or transgender?

Would you be willing to share a room with someone that felt like your gender, but had the parts of another?

OK, now someone is going there.

To the extent that I am willing to share a room at all, these things would not play into it at all. Nor would someone's skin color, etc---not relevant IMO

 

[BadgerGirl84]

This is a big NOPE to me. I used to travel for work 50-70% of the time before I had kids and I can't imagine sharing a room. If I was traveling, I was typically "on" all day and definitely needed some quiet downtime once I was back in my room. I also often worked late at night on my laptop prepping for the next day or keeping tabs on my other clients--it wouldn't have been a fun sleeping environment for someone else!

I think that for anyone who travels as part of a job regularly, their are few employees who would require room sharing, but I could see it done for a one-off trip for a role that doesn't often travel. For example, my mom used to work in a GM car factory and went on like 2 work trips in 30 years--I remember her sharing a room.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Now, sharing a car I think is a totally reasonable requirement as long as you don't have conflicting schedules or previous bad experience with a terrible driver.

I have been surprised by all the comments against sharing a car on this thread! I agree that is reasonable---in DH's company it is common practice and as much for environmental reasons as cost. Commuting time is not really your "own" time anyway, nor is it particularly productive otherwise--so there is no need to have a quiet, space for just one person.

(now, a driver who is unsafe, etc is another matter---no one should ever be forced to be a passenger with an unsafe driver)

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I guess if we are supposed to have high school kids share a locker room in situations like this, then sharing a hotel room shouldn't matter.

Shouldn't, but for me? It would.

Of course, I would also refuse to share a room with a co-worker, regardless of their gender.

 

[mom2rtk]

I can definitely see being against this for someone who travels regularly. You have to give up time with family to travel, and the hotel is like your home away from home. But I think anyone can handle it for a short time. It's not like you have to change out in the open. There is a nice private bathroom.

I've been to many training sessions (typically a week each time) and on several other week long work trips through the years. And I had to share a room each time (for probably 4 or 5 different companies through the years). Given the choice, I would have preferred a room to myself. But it really was a great way to get to know coworkers from across the country. I made some very close friends that way. It just wasn't a big deal.

 

[mom2rtk]

Shouldn't, but for me? It would.

Of course, I would also refuse to share a room with a co-worker, regardless of their gender.

I suppose this varies a lot by company. Refusing to share a room would have definitely been frowned upon in the companies I worked for. It's just not the hill I would choose to die on. Although I do understand the preference most would have for a private room, it's just not a choice some have.

 

[Magpie]

What if one of them were homosexual? Or transgender?

Would you be willing to share a room with someone that felt like your gender, but had the parts of another?

Personally, I wouldn't care. But then again, it's not like I think all people with boy bits are molesters. As long as no one's parading around in their altogether, who cares?

 

[kamik86]

I suppose this varies a lot by company. Refusing to share a room would have definitely been frowned upon in the companies I worked for. It's just not the hill I would choose to die on. Although I do understand the preference most would have for a private room, it's just not a choice some have.

Honestly for me it would be enough to give up a job I otherwise like doing for a lesser one that either had another policy or didn't involve travel.

I shared a room for 2 years in dorm situations. I hated it. Even in that situation some things were less of an issue though, there wasn't one bathroom shared between two, there were 2 bathrooms with 3-4 stalls and 3-4 showers shared by probably 15 girls (in my dorm it was a bit worse for the boys as their where more of them on the floor). Who were all on different schedules so the chances of say conflicting shower times was minimal (where sharing with a coworker going to the same place means at least one of you has to get up really early to shower).

 

[cabanafrau]

I was in the Army Reserve - on maneuvers, we sometimes slept in a pile, like puppies, male and female all together. Then some idiot of a superior officer decided this was unseemly, and started making me - the lone female - pitch a tent out in the bushes all by myself, where no one could see me. I did NOT feel safer. Also, I got poison ivy.

I've slept on floors. On couches. In all sorts of interesting places. The presence of other human beings always helps me sleep sounder.

All of which is to say, I really don't understand some folks' disgusted reactions to this. It's not like there isn't a bathroom to change in. Separate beds. Everyone can wear flannel pjs. No one's forced to sleep together. And why on God's green Earth would I care if my roommate is transgendered??? It's not like they're making me to look at them naked!

I do suppose if you're the sort of person who is horrified at the idea of anyone seeing you without your "face" on, then sharing a hotel room might present a problem. Or perhaps you require hours and hours in the bathroom. In which case, pay for your own, and save your company some money.

Still cannot wrap my brain around the idea that it's a stranger concept to want your own personal sleep space than it is to feel the need to sleep in a pile like puppies.

Wanting your own personal sleep and grooming space isn't an introvert/extrovert concept in my mind. Sleep is becoming a more and more difficult process the older I get, I sure as heck don't need to deal with coworkers in addition to doing whatever I can to get some sleep.

 

[Poohforyou]

What if one of them were homosexual? Or transgender?

Would you be willing to share a room with someone that felt like your gender, but had the parts of another?

Wow, I don't want to share a room with anyone but if I had to for some reason I wouldn't care about that. Honestly it isn't any of my business. To me it's like asking if I'd have an issue if the person was a different race or religion. Just wow.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Personally, I wouldn't care. But then again, it's not like I think all people with boy bits are molesters. As long as no one's parading around in their altogether, who cares?

And I somehow indicated that I thought all people with boy bits are molesters??? Please quote where I said that, because I missed it.

Also, you might want to know that there are genetic females that claim male as their gender.

 

[nkereina]

I travel frequently for work and would NEVER share a hotel room with a co-worker. I usually travel alone but even when I don't, we arrive, make our work stop for a few hours, and are usually back at the hotel by 5 or 6pm. All I want to do at that point after traveling and working all day is shower and order room service. The last thing I want to do is hang out with my co-worker who I just spent all day with.

 

[Magpie]

Still cannot wrap my brain around the idea that it's a stranger concept to want your own personal sleep space than it is to feel the need to sleep in a pile like puppies.

Wanting your own personal sleep and grooming space isn't an introvert/extrovert concept in my mind. Sleep is becoming a more and more difficult process the older I get, I sure as heck don't need to deal with coworkers in addition to doing whatever I can to get some sleep.

You have your own personal sleep space - it's a bed! And you have a private grooming space - a bathroom with a locking door.

What you're asking for instead is solitude. A place to refresh and recharge without the presence of other human beings.

That's essentially an introvert trait. Nothing wrong with it! Introverts recharge by being alone, while extroverts draw their energy from being around others. An classic introvert says, "I've been around these people all day. I need a break!" A classic extrovert says, "Yay, it's a slumber party!"

It doesn't mean you're solidly one thing or another - we all have introverted and extroverted tendencies, mixed in different proportions.

As for the sleeping in a pile like puppies... it was cold, and wet, and no one had slept in the past 24 hours. So very logical under the circumstances! And an extreme example, I agree. I just thought it was cruel to stick me out alone in the cold, just because I was a girl.

 

[Magpie]

And I somehow indicated that I thought all people with boy bits are molesters??? Please quote where I said that, because I missed it.

Also, you might want to know that there are genetic females that claim male as their gender.

No, I said it's not as if I think that. I never said you thought that. It was the only objection I could think of, off the top of my head.

So... DO you have an objection to sharing with a gay or trans person? And if so, please do articulate it for us. I'm very curious to know.

And if you don't, do you care to speculate what possible objection someone could have to sharing a room with a gay or trans person, that they wouldn't also have to a straight person of their own gender? Because I'm out of ideas here.

 

[HM]

I've done it. When our business goes to a convention, we take quite a few people. Two people have to room together. It's not all that bad. It's like being in college again.....at a much older age.

 

[Christine]

I travel, not frequently, but it happens. There is no way I would share a hotel room with another coworker. Sleeping is a very "private" thing for me. So is what I look like in my robe/PJs, headband, and face moisturizer. It's just all very personal. I would share a 2 room suite or an apartment. No problem. But sharing a hotel room is too intimate IMO.