Can your employer force you to share a hotel room with a (same sex) colleague on a residential course?

It's a week long residential course miles from where most of us live and we have been told we must share rooms. Last time I refused and this was accepted but now (perhaps because a few people refused) they are insisting we share unless we can produce medical evidence that states we need a single room. Any help would be useful.Can your employer force you to share a hotel room with a (same sex) colleague on a residential course?
unfortunately, i think they can; but it really doesn't sound like a good ethical practice. maybe if you are willing to cover the other half of the cost of a room, they will pay for half of one? that way you can still have a private room. oh and if you are same sex, then it is just uncomfortable, but if you are opposite sex, then that isn't appropriate at all and they should be reported. of course, you can always get your doctor to fabricate an excuse for you... maybe you are a terrible snorer??? LOLCan your employer force you to share a hotel room with a (same sex) colleague on a residential course?
Yes, they can in order to control expenses. You can of course pay for your own room if you are not willing to share.
You should be thankful for the job to begin with! Then again be thankful they are paying! Relax....the hotel has areas you can go to get away from your roommate! Good Luck!
I'm in management and this sounds like a reasonable way to control costs to me. If you don't like and it is that important to you, ask them to reimburse you for half the cost of a room and pay the difference yourself.





Legally, yes, they can ask this of you. Not sure about the medical evidence angle, but I am guessing they researched this through HR prior to telling you and the other employees this.
come on, its not like you have to share a bed. To answer your question though, if they are paying for the room, they can make you share rooms. If you want your own room and are willing to pay for it, then their is no way that they can make you share a room. I would tell them that I am a violent sleep walker and that I can't share a room with anyone because I may harm them unknowingly in my sleep.
No is the short answer but you would undoubtedley be expected to pay the difference/single supplement.


Your boss, by paying for your accommodation and offering the course to you, can expect you to either share or cough up.


Your union rep would advise you to approach your boss and ask if it is possible to negotiate a single room but, as noted above, would expect you to pay the difference.
Yes, I have experienced that over the years. I was always able to get out of it except for the last time.


I shared with a stranger. He was a complete jerk. He would go and hide with his computer and try not to talk.





I told him that I snored. He wakes me up in the middle of the night and I have to drag a pillow and bedsheets and go sleep on the couch. Fortunately it was a suite.





If I had to do it again I would decline and demand my own room. If I had to get a note from my Doc, I would go get one that said that I snored and have had previous unpleasant experiences with sharing.





Don't do it. It sucks. I wanted to smack that guy in the morning.
Are they paying for the room? If yes then they can insist. If you don't like it see if you could pay half for your own room. You don't have to share the same bed do you?
i dont see many college freshmen complaining about this, so why are you, as a grown adult, complaining about it?
yea i would say deal with it or pay for your own s*it
if they are paying for it, they probably can, i had to on a business trip once also, you could also pick up part of the costs for a sep. room maybe.





i'm michelle by the way
I would contact your Human resouces department and ask.





Typically they ask staff to do this to save cost. Putting up staff in a hotel plus per diem cost for food cost a lot and in today's economy, companies try to cut as much cost as possible.
that is freakin nasty...i would quit