Forced to dress as 'Batman' on Halloween at work

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I have a new boss, who is less understanding about my challenges in the workplace than my old boss who was promoted to a higher post.

Yesterday, on Halloween, my boss called me first thing in the morning and asked me to come to his office. I was then shocked to see this 50's something man in a Batman costume. Two of the other staff members in my department were also dressed as Batman. (With fake plastic bats hanging from the ceiling).

To my shock and alarm, my boss then handed me a Batman mask and cape and told me to wear it for Halloween. I said 'No', in no uncertain terms, but another co-worker piped in that 'We're building team spirit in our department!' My boss then added, 'As my Dad used to say when I asked him 'why', he'd say; 'Because I told you to!'.
With that I dressed as Batman all day at work yesterday. I was overwhelmed with feelings of embarassment. (no one outside of our department had dressed up for Halloween- other than a few younger people just out of high school) Out of a staff of 300. By the end of the day I had a full migraine headache, repleat with blurred vision and dizzyness.

Someone out there please explain to me why I was forced to dress as Batman at work- A hazing ritual?? I didn't feel any 'Team building spirit' from dressing like an idiot all day yesterday. Someone please tell me what I'm missing here. (my new boss and my co-workers were less than impressed by my unwillingness to join in).

I would not use the word hazing, because I've seen real hazing.

I will say that it was inappropriate for your boss to force you to do it. Things like that should be encouraged but optional.

It's supposed to be fun. Many people love an excuse to dress up like that. He probably thought you said no because you were "Stuffy" or something. Lots of people think that if a stuffy person is forced to do something fun, they will eventually like it.

Personally, I would love to dress up as Batman! I would do it even if it wasn't Halloween lol.

You could have said, "Well, since all ya'll are Batman, I'll be Bruce Wayne. My costume is regular clothes"

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I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
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The worst part of it all is the nasty last-minute surprise of it all... yecch. "Team-building" my ass...

That is a prime example of "team building". Or put another way - "feeling a sense of togetherness by joining in mindlessly with some stupid idea thought up by someone who has a degree of control over the others".

If you can look it this from a comical perspective, it might help relieve some bad feelings over it. Think about it, if this were a tv show, you were the sane one among crazy people? You were the main character in a silly situation. Walking into your boss' office, and he and another dude are dressed as batman??! And he forces you to also dress as batman too? Re-dickulous lol

At the end of the show, you grab a beer with some friends, and everyone in the bar is dressed like batman, and you just shrug your shoulders at this crazy world.

This really is a funny story, and I absolutely commend you for making through. Your boss is reduck-u-lous. This isn't on you at all.

Maybe your new boss has a jokester sense of humor and pulled a prank on you. If that's the case, be sure before you get him back.

If he isn't the jokester type, he may just be trying to reach out to you in his own way. You may be the first autistic person he has met and had to deal with and may not know how. (This is why I don't tell people.) Either if it's a prank or anything else, just go along with it. He's trying to encourage fun in the workplace which is a good idea because it helps lower stress levels. Try to have fun with whatever happens like this next time. Maybe you could pretend to show up the Joker next year? Who knows.