Career Clinic: Skiing or the office... it's a tough call

Have you checked out your company's gifts and entertainments policy? You may not be allowed to go - in which case your question is redundant.

Anonymous -17 Jan 2008 | 14:41

Go! Personally I would think some thing was a little amiss if you didn't.

Anonymous -17 Jan 2008 | 15:23

If you're allowed to, then go. There will be two types of people in the office: people who are disapproving and people who are fine with it. I think you'll find the disapproving people are the ones who don't get asked along to things like this because they're dull/socially inept/unpopular, so don't let them stop you!

Anonymous -17 Jan 2008 | 16:06

If you expect to take time off to go skiing and not take it as part of your holiday allowance then you will definitely look as if you are slacking. If it's in what is effectively your own time, why should you feel bad?

Ex-MC Lawyer -17 Jan 2008 | 16:11

Strikes me that you will become a hostage to fortune to this firm, if you do. You could inform them of the other firm and its being first, before them. Inform your superiors too.

Anonymous -17 Jan 2008 | 16:18

If you would feel beholden to the firm, don't go. If it would improve your working relationship, everyone would benefit. You could suggest they broaden the invitation to include a few of your colleagues if that would make it less awkward.

City partner -17 Jan 2008 | 16:45

Days at the races,football matches, theatre invitations, lunches and cocktail parties seem fairly common. Personally I would be uncomfortable accepting something as lavish as a skiing break, but standards may differ if you are in the City. Why go? It gives you the chance to get to know them, and may be useful in developing your knowledge of their capabilities, but it is really a selling tool for them and unless you are intending to give them business, there's no real excuse for going!

Regional in-house counsel -18 Jan 2008 | 16:14

I'm not sure what your question is. Are you asking whether you should go, or how you should cover it up? If it's the former, it depends on a number of variables, such as: are you an in-houser at a listed company and is it a UK company (there may be relevant corporate governance and/or gifts rules in place), how big is your legal department or are you sole counsel, what is the past practice when someone in your company gets invited like this, do your clients (and your bosses) care that you offer them support or that you are sat at your desk? I think you should be able to decide. If it's the second question, the simple answer is you can't cover it up. This is not some lunch, or even a Saturday afternoon watching football from a firm's hospitality box with lunch and boozing thrown in. Not sure how many days away but the skiing package seems inappropriately lavish if it's all paid for (transportation, hotel, eats, drinks, ski pass etc) especially given you don't do much business with them, if any at all. You might be able to push it if it's just one day, but this seems excessive. M

may -21 Jan 2008 | 22:52

There is only one right answer to this - inform your superiors and tell them you'd like to go but will only do so if it is OK with them. Bear in mind that every member of the law firm in question will have received detailed instructions on how to sell the firm to you every minute you are not actually on the slopes (and maybe while you are on the slopes too). Once you are there you will be a captive audience. So it is really a two-way street.

Another City partner -22 Jan 2008 | 16:17

It depends on what your position is and what you're allowed to do. We take clients skiing at my firm. Another team I know is organising a weekend playing 'ice cricket' (I assume that does exactly what it says on the tin, but sounds like a good excuse for a jolly) and we take clients to major property events as well. Everyone knows what it is for - it is maketing/business development or whatever you want to call it. Our policy for an event like that is that it has to be a key client or a key target that justifies the expenditure. Everyone knows why we're doing it and there are some clients who wouldn't be receptive. The clients that we would approach would be people that we know would be open to it and would be happy to use it as a way of strengthening the relationship.

Associate, top 25 firm -23 Jan 2008 | 15:47

They wouldn't have invited you if they didn't want you to go right? So do YOU want to go skiing or not? Its a no brainer (but don't think about it too long because they're probably starting to wonder why they bothered).

Anonymous -24 Jan 2008 | 08:15

Why would anyone want to spend their time, holiday or otherwise, going skiing with a bunch of lawyers? Is that your view of a fun ski getaway? I'd rather do 12-hour days and then take the well-earned time off with real mates/family!

In-house Europe -29 Jan 2008 | 16:49