Work donation demands help ......

Lucie_2

Ah, the joys of working out on the road/from home! I'm very rarely in the office to contribute to these things. In the past 12 months there have been 4 babies born (5 if you count the twins!) and a handful of leavers - they all get a cheery we'll miss you/congratulations email from me, but that's it. In fact someone even kindly paid my £1 world cup sweepstake fee for me (well, not that kind - they picked out Iran ). I did offer to pay it back but never actually found out who it was.

I think it's awful to make donations compulsory; it would probably come under harrassment/bullying in extreme cases. Chuck in a couple of quid if you can spare it, but if not don't be afraid to say no. I think the poundshop gift is a much better idea.

mcfisco

The thinly veiled holidays really p1ss me off

"I doing a sponsored unicycle ride down the strip in Las Vegas for [insert name of any children’s or cancer charity] stopping off at as many casinos as possible - it should take us about a fortnight"
"could you please pay for it for me? - sorry, sponsor me?"

Dr.Shoe_2

It seems to me that leaving is as lucrative as staying! :T :beer:

I wonder how many times you can leave and then return before they notice what you're doing?! You'd probably want to leave a month or so as an interval before returning...

:rotfl:

mrbadexample

Don't feel pressured into paying out. I know it's a difficult position to put yourself in, as you don't want to seem a cheapskate, but you have to politely refuse.

I used to work at a place with a very high staff turnover (because they treated staff rather badly), and someone was coming round with an envelope every few days it seemed. In the first few months of my employment, I was always being asked for cash for people I'd hardly met, didn't work directly with, or just didn't know. It wasn't long before I just started saying "no thanks". It wasn't just people leaving either. "So and so's having a baby" - sorry, I didn't get any input at the conception, I'm not contributing now thank you. Any excuse for a collection! It got to the point where I'd just say "sorry, I don't like them".

As for the person who says you've got to put in, just tell them that you resent being told what you have to spend your money on, and that you don't wish to contribute. They'll get the message.

La_Tristesse_Durera

Don't give mate. It's similar at our place (although luckily it's rare that people leave). However there's five people on my department and we all stick in £5 when it's someone's birthday, which I don't mind too much as it's only 4 times a year. They got me a lot for my 21st, but I'd rather not bother.

Then you're expected to buy cakes if it's your birthday, so looking at up to £10 there I guess. Then yesterday a lady from a different department was doing a charity walk, but I drew the line this time. I got an email from a colleague who sits opposite - yes opposite!! - asking if I wanted to stick £5 in. I just replied saying 'No, I give to charity regulary, so I'm missing this one out'. It was a lie but I don't care... I don't even know the woman to be honest.

Then we have pub lunches regulary which I guess is around £10 a time, and we do this twice a month I would say. That's when I feel pressured to go, as literally everyone on the department goes. OK things are tight, but I can afford it... But, as things are tight, I'd rather spend the £10 going down the pub or ordering a takeaway with my mates, not a bunch of stuck up wannabe middle class muppets

Grrr! Be strong!

bristol_pilot

Regardless of your financial situation, they should not expect a donation from you at all for people you hardly know having worked there such a short time yourself.

I have let it be known at my place that I never sponsor anyone for anything or buy raffle tickets and it has not caused any problems. For leaving gifts, we have the brown envelope & anonymous donation system. I put in five pounds once for a colleague who was leaving after 40 years, of which 10 years was working with me. Otherwise, it's £1 or £2 usually. To have a "compulsory" amount is just plain wrong and I think in your situation I would simply refeuse to donate to anyone leaving, as I do for sponsorships/raffles.

It IS worth having a word with HR. I used to work for a very large company in which sponsoring & raffles (from kids schools etc) had got completely out of hand - there would be someone round asking for money 2 or 3 times a day on average. It got to the point where someone spoke with HR and it was banned throughout the Company.

Iwantmorecash

mcfisco wrote:

The solution to all this is to prohibit the organising of any of these sort of collections by female members of staff - most men would never bother given the chance.
8 of the blokes in our office refused to do 'secret Santa' last year [they wanted £10 pressies] we bought each other beer instead

Seriously though, the charity thing is out of hand at our place so now I just do the monthly donation from my salary to a basket of charities & politely decline to give any more

ok you got it on the nail its a young lady leaving and her mate doing the collection (this time)


THANKS FOR ALL THE RESPONCES I DINT EXPECT THIS MANY i must have hit a nerve with everyone ..........

it looks like the best advice it to JUST SAY NO and take the flack :beer:

La_Tristesse_Durera

Iwantmorecash wrote:

it looks like the best advice it to JUST SAY NO and take the flack :beer:

Take no flack indeed, I tell them now (albiet nicely), that if I'm spending £20 a month on pub lunches, it's going to be with friends / family... tough on em I say!

Likewise if I can only afford £15 for my Mum for her Birthday / Xmas, then there's no chance I'm giving someone I've known for a few years purely through work £5. Priorities!!

Molanole

La_Tristesse_Durera wrote:

Likewise if I can only afford £15 for my Mum for her Birthday / Xmas, then there's no chance I'm giving someone I've known for a few years purely through work £5. Priorities!!

Oh, you are soooooooooo spot on. I really have to budget on gifts for my family and it galls me to have to fork out for people I don't know or don't like at work. I hate being at work why on earth should I have to contribute to people who don't even smile or say hello when I walk through the corridor!!

Dr.Shoe_2

here's a point, have you noticed that it always seem to be women who buy eachother birthday pressies etc?

My mum goes berserk if she doesn't get a card for her birthday, or christmas, or mother's day, or whatever. She asks me how I'd feel. She doesn't believe me when I say that I couldn't give a f&&k!