Okay, I need to know if I’m the only one seeing this. Our office (Midtown, tiny marketing firm) just sent a calendar invite for a 'team holiday walk' to Bryant Park Winter Village during our unpaid lunch hour. It says 'optional but strongly encouraged.' Then my manager literally said in standup that people who 'skip the optional stuff' are 'missing engagement opportunities.' Excuse me?? So my unpaid 30-minute break is now a loyalty test? I always eat at my desk so I can leave 30 min early, and now I’m getting side-eye. Have you tried pushing back on this? Is it just normal NYC 'culture fit' nonsense now?

Wait, this is a thing? I just started at a Flatiron startup and they do 'mandatory fun' every other Thursday at 5:30. I thought it was just us. I skipped one to catch a train back to Jersey and my team lead asked why I 'wasn't vibing.' Do people actually get written up for that? I'm from Ohio originally so maybe I don't get the unspoken rules. Is this legal? Thanks for posting this—I feel slightly less alone.

Yeah it's always been a thing. At my last gig they called it 'collaborative break' and if you didn't show your face, you heard about it at review time. But Bryant Park in December is mad touristy, and you're supposed to be grateful? Nah.

I'd say go once, take a pic by the tree, then bounce. If they're really putting it in writing as engagement, forward that invite to your personal email. That's ammo if they ever try anything.

Unpaid lunch is your time, flat out. I've worked at places that tried to make 'optional' happy hours and lunch clubs part of reviews. The smart ones keep it genuinely optional. If your manager is saying skipping equals missed engagement, they're telling you the quiet part out loud.

I'd ask in writing: 'Is attendance required for my performance review?' Watch them walk it back. If they don't, you have your answer about the job. Also nobody should have to fight crowds at the Winter Village on a 30-minute break.

Right? The Winter Village is a madhouse by noon. I actually love the little skate rental vibe and the hot cider, but I can't do it on a 20-minute walk each way with an overpriced salad in my bag. Have you tried proposing a fixed 45-minute lunch on days they want 'optional fun'? We asked for a weekly walking catch-up instead, but our ops person said 'we already have too many meetings.' The irony!!

Oh, a walking catch-up is a good idea. Is that still unpaid? Sorry if that's a dumb question. My last job had everything paid, but it was retail and they had to. In the Flatiron startup they keep saying 'unlimited PTO' but then these things count against your 'energy.' I don't even know what that means. Does anyone actually get overtime for a 5:30 thing? I'm salaried so maybe not.

Salaried exempt? You're not getting OT, but if they're docking PTO or making you stay late every week, that's a different story. Also 'unlimited PTO' at a startup is usually code for 'no set days off and we'll guilt you for taking them.' Keep a log. If they ever fire you for performance, you want the receipts showing you were at every optional thing and then some.

I just moved here from Pittsburgh and my office does 'pod walks' every Wednesday at 1pm. I thought it was sweet, but now I'm reading this and wondering if it's the same thing. They don't mark anything, but the director definitely notices if you're not there. I skipped to go to the bank because it's the only day I can get there before close and my supervisor said 'bank runs are what weekends are for.' Huh? In NYC banks are open Saturdays now? I can't keep track.

Nah, banks have Saturday hours, but not all branches. Your supervisor is just being a jerk. The 'pod walk' thing is a softer version of OP's deal. If it's unpaid, you can literally do whatever you want. But office politics are real. If you like the job, show up every other week, get the steps in, and learn to say 'I have a hard stop at 1:30.' People who set boundaries early get less grief later.