Team-building trips are usually seen as a time for employees to relax, bond, and reset, often involving a short getaway or group activities.
But one Malaysian company recently sparked public backlash after taking things a step too far.
A viral video showed a woman participating in the company’s team-building activity, which required employees to sit in an ice bucket for 10 minutes to complete the challenge.
Struggling in the ice bath
In the video, the woman appears visibly uncomfortable, where her lips turned visibly purple and her face grew pale with every passing minute as she trembled uncontrollably.
Despite the clear discomfort, she forced herself to push through while shouting motivational lines like, “I must be myself. I need to break through. I’m not afraid of pain or hardship. I’m not afraid to cross this road.”
But once the challenge ended, her condition took a turn for the worse as she was unable to stand on her feet and went limp.
As this point, her colleagues quickly rushed to pull her out from the icy water and tried to massage her muscles in order to keep her awake.
Company responds to online backlash
After the video began circulating widely online and sparked criticism, many netizens questioned the safety and ethics of such an extreme activity, especially in a workplace context.
Some even likened the company’s methods to that of a cult.
In response, the company’s founder broke her silence in a Facebook post, denying the accusations and defending the team-building exercise.
Why do we get criticised? Is it because we’re merely a small and medium enterprise (SME)?”
She also stressed that the ice bath challenge was done under professional supervision, and pointed out that many celebrities have participated in similar challenges.
“We’re not a cult. We’re just a group of women who work hard for our dreams. You can laugh at us and criticise all you want, but we will keep working hard for our dreams.”
Netizens’ reaction
The post has since drawn mixed reactions, with some defending the founder’s intentions, while others continue to question the necessity and safety of such extreme methods in a corporate setting.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be salty, but how does sitting in ice water for 10 minutes count as breaking through your limits? Why not sit in a sewage pool then?”
“So now anyone who wants to be successful just needs to dip in ice (water) to have a breakthrough?”
“They told you to be yourself, not torture yourself.”
Watch the full video here:
