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

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  • Taffybiker
    Taffybiker Posts: 927 Forumite
    Not for a birthday, sorry. In our neck of the woods it is up to the birthday person to provide - not receive. I would be looking forward to those doughnuts!
    Try saying "I have under-a-pound in my wallet" and listen to people react!
  • geri1965_2
    geri1965_2 Posts: 8,736 Forumite
    I probably would, but it would annoy me greatly and I would be whingeing about it for days at home!

    I used to work in a place like this - it was £2 for a normal birthday, £5 for a special birthday (18 or 21 say) then there was money for leaving presents, money for flowers for someone whose mum had died etc.

    Where I work now we don't normally bother for birthdays, but if someone is leaving an envelope gets sent around and we put in whatever we want.
  • dollystork
    dollystork Posts: 1 Newbie
    edited 20 May 2009 at 7:30AM
    No, I wouldn't put £10 in. Maybe £2, but that's all.

    We do seem to collect for everything ever where I work. If it's a 'normal' birthday, we're suppose to put £2 in, but I quite often only put £1 in. They've now started something where you pay in advance for everyone's birthday in the office, & then when somebody's birthday comes round, you've already given, bu I've declined from this & will continue to give what I feel appropriate as & when.
  • Susan_Frost
    Susan_Frost Posts: 416 Forumite
    Surely most workplaces would not even ask a new employee for £10 even if others are giving this amount. Where I worked they would probably have said what was happening with an option to give what/if you wished, with no obligation and no recriminations. I would probably give £2. The only time I have been asked for a set amount was just between a few very close colleagues for a special event and it was agreed between us what to give. Considering everyone's financial position. On that level, I guess I worked with some quite understanding people really.
  • tallgirld
    tallgirld Posts: 484 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    £10 in a collection that's taking the mick!!!

    There was a collection at work the other day and do you know how much I put in? A grand total of 50 PENCE!!! YES 50 PENCE!!! I am sick of collections at work. In future that is the MAXIMUM I will contribute. 50 PENCE!!! After all my salary has been frozen and we are in credit crunch ;-)
  • ThinkingOfLinking
    ThinkingOfLinking Posts: 11,828 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    Definitely not. It's like restaurants adding mandatory service charges to your bill. I object completely to being made to feel awkward if I want to opt out of such things, in the hope I'll just pay up. I'd also feel awkward if people bought me things for my birthday etc so I wouldn't be paying out in this case either. I'd explain it's nothing personal. If I want to buy a present for someone, I'll buy it for them personally.
  • purplegaily
    purplegaily Posts: 49 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    Our office bung in £3 for normal birthdays, and £5 for special ones (the birthday kitty extends to 10-11 people). Cakes are usually bought out of the 'present', by the lucky birthday boy/girl - a trip to the cake shop in the rain if you're unlucky.

    It's done more as a bit a bit of a laugh than anything majorly serious, and we'd all understand if someone chose to back out. We've recently asked the last few birthday people to save their birthday cash, and just get a packet of biscuits.

    If I'd only just started, I'd sign the card when it came around, and put a pound or 2 into the envelope, but would not contribute the full £10.

    We just do an envelope where you cross your name off the list and put as much or as little in as you like. This caused great hilarity as one envelope came back for one chap who was retiring - noone looks at the contents, but out of the whole office of about 30 people, there was a lot less than even a £2 donation each!!
    Always on the look out for a bargain. :smileyhea Thanks if you've helped me bag one.
  • Holty
    Holty Posts: 2 Newbie
    If i had been at the company longer, then yes i would contribute. But since i am a newbie, unfortunately no.
  • I've made it a rule I never enter into these things. She should understand, if she doesn't she isn't worth it anyway. pipesy
  • spudz_2
    spudz_2 Posts: 17 Forumite
    Because I was new to the organisation and didn't know the person I wouldn't fee comfortable putting so much money in - especially if I was skint. I would like to think that my new colleagues wouldn't even ask me to do so and instead would say that if I wanted to put a couple of pound in I could or not and they wouldn't think any worse of me.
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