MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you put £10 in Kitty's birthday kitty?

JayD

I'd say
"Sorry, I'm really broke and I've not even been paid yet. I owe money for lots of bills too, so I can't help out this time round. However, I'd be happy to pop a quid in to help things along a little bit and at the next collection I will willingly contribute the same as everyone else."

Ebenezer_Screwj

There is no way that I would participate in this kind of extortion.

Mr_Matey

What a bunch of MoneySavers we all are.
:beer:
I wouldn't want to chip in that much for someone that I just met either.

Alisondoc

No . I would explain to the person collecting that as I had only just started the job I had no money as I had not been paid yet:cool:

askew116

cornishsongbird wrote: »

Hi in our office (10 people) I am the one who always buys the card and gets people to sign it for birthdays, leavers etc. I also buy a small present, wine or flowers, usually about £20. Some people ask if they can contribute and give me a couple of pounds, but others never do - just accept the thanks of the person whose birthday it is! I'm quite happy about this as it's my choice - BUT last month I was quite hurt as no-one remembered my birthday, so no card - consequently I didnt buy any cakes either.

This happened to me too! Through the year I put in an average of £2 per birthday (in a team of a dozen) Then on my birthday not only did I not get anything but was actually told 'we did not get you anything this year - sorry'. As previous people have said, it's not the fact that I did not get anything in itself, but they had acknowledged that, and when I asked why, was told, 'No one wanted to be responsible for buying card and present. Charming!

On another occasion, quite a fierce falling out developed within our team when I was collecting for the Team Leaders' birthday but no one contributed anything, so I spent about £15 on a card and gift, and not one team member thanked me, and the team leader thanked the whole team!

Apart from this, I work at a great office - honest!

dave2

I'd put in, it's just not worth being The Guy Everyone Dislikes.

£10 is bloody steep though, unless there's only like 5 people. Birthday and leaving presents should total around £50; maybe £100 for retirements, weddings & births.

In my office these things are coming around all the time. But, birthday cards only go around the local area i.e. the folks who know each other well. Leavers, weddings and births go around everyone but you put what you like in and it's only expected to be a couple of quid. There must be a policy on sponsorship forms because they all seem to be kept at reception now, though reception badger you to put in a fiver if the challenge actually is impressive (and usually it's someone giving something back to a charity they've had experience of).

And recipients of cards usually bring something in, cake or chocolates or whatever.

kimosabe

Certainly not
£10 would go a long way in my household
Why.........

jenniewb

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

Here's this week's hypothetical situation for you to cogitate on:

Would you put £10 in Kitty's birthday kitty?

You started a new job a fortnight ago, it's one of your new colleagues, Kitty's, 50th birthday and everyone's been asked to put £10 in Kitty's birthday kitty for the present. Yet you're not flushed with cash not having been paid yet, and you hardly know her. What would you do?

No, I wouldn't,

1. I don't know Kitty, and she doesn't know me: if the tables were turned and it was my birthday, I would feel slighly embarrassed if people I didn't even know were putting in as much as 310 for a gift for me-( regardless of their financial situation which would then make me feel worse).

2. Its likely to result in something going wrong in the future- if I were to put in the £10, I would feel it- it would impact on me. So I would be feeling slighly annoyed, at Kitty, even though it wasn't Kitties fault. As she didn't know me, I doubt very much she would suddenly decide to befriend me (and if she did, those are v.odd ground for a friendship) so then you get a build-up of resentment which is never good, in any situation. Jobs or not.

3. I would not expect anyone else to do this even if I knew them well if they had just started a job (and in fact not expect it at all unless they actually wanted to give anything) if it were me. So I don't think Kitty would either- (unless she really has never experienced starting a new job and having no money) and if she did hold it against me, she is not the type of person I would even want to be friends with anyway.

I would not be afraid of it having any repercussions in my new job as with any job I have had, its me they employ, its my skills and my experience, I do not get employed to be friends and thats it. And if Kitty was that upset with me, and it did affect my position at work, then maybe its best I left anyway.

We used to have a rule in my last job in regards to collections for gifts and cards: no part timers had to give anything, and if you were new, you were not either for the first month expected to put in anything. When it did come to the point where it was expected, not everyone did and this was acceptable. What kind of job forces you to contribute to a gift?! its a GIFT- its not an enforced law!!

weemonkey

I agree with everything that's been said! Like a lot of others, and also having worked for large companies, I've been expected to 'donate' money towards unknown collegues. I used to try to be polite with the rejection - even went as far as to 'pretend' by throwing in a few coppers (like some kind of insane magic trick - divert the person's attention, rattle the coins in hand, chuck in envelope - actual coins unseen). Now I'm older and wiser and can't be bothered to be nice

Anyway - what I've always wondered is why don't the MD's/CEO's etc buy the gifts?! They earn enough!!! Would then take the pressure off the barely-get-paid-enough-to-eat employees!!

freebird65

Oh how I used to hate office collections......always felt pressured to put in the same as the high earners around me (SO not fair - and then they didn't even bother doing a collection when I left).

One of them had a snidey trick - used to sign the card and then say she had no money on her and would get some at lunchtime....but never did.

I think collections hould be banned for all but major events - it's like cards for every little thing - there's far too many of them!