Company Trips with Mandatory Roomate

givemesleep · Post by **givemesleep** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:22 pm

I have a co-worker who generally rooms with me on business trips and just wears earplugs. This time the company has picked our roomates and they don't want to move me. I can't believe that I have to inconvience some poor unsuspecting soul. Am I being unreasonable by trying to get moved?

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:31 pm

Do they know why you're concerned?

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:51 pm

You must work for AT&T them cheap bastards!!

Tell your employer you have a sleep disorder and are known to strangle your roommate during the night

Volcanomom · Post by **Volcanomom** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:39 pm

Are you worried about snoring? Or the noise from the Cpap? My husband says he doesn't even hear mine at night. I know how you feel though - when I was in college and I went on Geology field trips, I had to pitch my tent on the OPPOSITE side of the campground from everyone else. But, I never got eaten. I guess my snoring scared the coyotes & javalinas

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:37 pm

You have a medical reason for requesting a roommate. Talk to HR.

Then, bring a large supply of earplugs, and offer them to the stranger.

Best of luck!!!!!!!!!!!
B.

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:09 pm

Babs, I used to carry earplugs for my roommates. Despite being open and saying that I snored before finding a roommate, some may have been unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

Each got their OWN fresh pair, you know...and even the ones who said, "Oh, I won't need them," usually had them inserted in the morning.

CPAP is EVER so much quieter than snoring ever was/is. I cannot imagine any roommate except the MOST sensitive of sleepers being even a little bit unhappy with your CPAP.

Best wishes,

Karen
Who wishes her Headrest was more

quiet

mymontreal · Post by **mymontreal** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 11:36 pm

"...You have a medical reason for requesting a roommate. Talk to HR..."

Actually I think you have a perfectly valid medical reason for insisting on NO roommate at all - your company would have to be pretty dense to insist that somebody share your room when you have a sleep disorder & require a special breathing machine

I have worked for a couple of companies that insisted on employees sharing rooms for sales meetings etc (thankfully, this is no longer the case) - even so, I cannot imagine that they would have forced me to share if I explained the need to use a CPAP machine every night.

If all else fails, and you get a roommate not of your choosing, crank that sucker up to 20cm pressure for an hour... the roommate will soon complain to HR and be moved out...

ColinP · Post by **ColinP** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:22 am

I've been in the same position - we attend conferences and often end up sharing a room. And sometimes HR gets these weird ideas that it will be "good for the team" to force people to associate with each other by sticking strangers in the same room...

While I was still a snorer it didn't matter much - if there was one who didn't need to share, the others usually voted me of the island and I got my own room. If not, my roommate invariably went to bed early to ensure he got some sleep. I had actually considered offering to pay the difference to upgrade my room myself to avoid the embarrassment.

Since I've been on CPAP, I've had to share a room once, and luckily with a colleague who is also a friend. He knew I was on CPAP and was quite interested in the machine, but was surprised that he could not hear it from his side of the room (I placed it on the floor, with my bed between it and him, to try to muffle the sound as much as possible.) In short, it wasn't an issue at all, certainly far less of an issue than loud snoring was.

I'd mention to them that you are concerned, and try to get a room with someone you are more comfortable sharing with, and failling that just go with the flow - it's their fault not yours if the other guy can't sleep.

ColinP · Post by **ColinP** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:32 am

mymontreal wrote:If all else fails, and you get a roommate not of your choosing, crank that sucker up to 20cm pressure for an hour... the roommate will soon complain to HR and be moved out...

What about a T piece in the hose, and a whistle? Should do the trick...

givemesleep · Post by **givemesleep** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:27 am

You guys are so great. I like the ideas so far. Cranking that bad boy up for an hour is sure to scare them all away. He He.

Joel Adams · Post by **Joel Adams** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:14 am

With the new medical privacy laws, they can not divulge that you have OSA, or use a CPAP. HIPPA laws have very severe penalties for companies that do not comply. I'm sure that HR will INSIST that you be given a single.

roster · Post by **roster** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 2:25 pm

mymontreal wrote:"............

If all else fails, and you get a roommate not of your choosing, crank that sucker up to 20cm pressure for an hour... the roommate will soon complain to HR and be moved out...

Yeah, crank it up to 20 cm, induce a big case of aerophagia and start releasing it in a big way. Bye-bye roommate.

Bearded_One · Post by **Bearded_One** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:05 pm

I have never heard of companies requiring roommates while traveling, sharing a car is bad enough. What do they do if somebody has a really embarrassing or unpleasant medical problem, such as a catheter or colostomy? What if a person is trans-sexual?

givemesleep · Post by **givemesleep** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:11 pm

Is an employer actually a "covered entity" under the HIPPA law?

tomjax2 · Post by **tomjax2** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:23 pm

If you do not like the idea of a roommate, ask him before hand if he has any problem sleeping in the room with a gay person.

This may help.Or whatever.

Company Trips with Mandatory Roomate

Company Trips with Mandatory Roomate

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Medical Privacy Laws

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