Expected Donation to Bosses Xmas Fund!!!!

LisaPapakis

I'm with the 'homemade cake' school of thought. I don't think anyone with kids should be expected to fork out 45 pounds for anyone else's present. And I have had lots of jobs over 20 years working and I have NEVER heard such a weird arrangement. If they're that nice then they'll understand. If you give a homemade cake, with a card made by you and child, then that will focus thoughts firmly on WHY you can't afford to throw money around at Christmas.

Spend the 45 on something nice for your child. Good luck.

Snuggles

Ok, I read the OP's first post with my chin on the floor thinking OMG never in a million years would I contribute £45 to buying presents for my bosses!! It does seem absoulutely ridiculous and I've never heard of anything like it. But...

Then I read the OP's subsequent posts about the bonuses she receives at Xmas (and I very much doubt they are part of salary - more likely to be discretionary), and even more importantly, how well she is treated by her employers, who pay her when she needs time off when her child is ill. IMHO understanding, flexible employers are worth their weight in gold.

So, contrary to my intitial reaction, if I were the OP I would either bite my tongue and contribute the £45, or I would speak to everyone else and say I'm happy to contribute but could we think about reducing the amount to something more manageable as funds are a bit tight for me. OP I think you should try to view it as an investment to help maintain the happy and co-operative working environment you currently enjoy.

sassyblue

It is a fair bit of money but so is what they give to you in generosity of paying you when your off if your daughter is ill - l know you shouldn't give to receive but in this case l would give it some serious thought..... especially if you don't hand over the £45 and you think they may turn around and deny you future generosity.....

If you seriously can't afford it and they wouldn't mind then l'd tell those collecting that you are strapped for cash and will do your own present this year.

I'm an employer and l'd love to be given a home-made Christmas cake because l struggle to find the time to do my own. I also wouldn't expect that anyone donated £45 for my Christmas present (nice though that would be!) but gave what they could afford. I don't pay anyone if they're off with their kids or hand over big bonuses though.

Hope that helps.

**curlywurly**

IMHO this is the weirdest Christmas present situation I have ever known. Employees buying presents for bosses very odd indeed. However, I think Snuggles has hit the nail on the head:

Snuggles wrote: »

OP I think you should try to view it as an investment to help maintain the happy and co-operative working environment you currently enjoy.

OP, you need to decide whether to pay the £45 and keep the peace, or to risk upsetting the applecart for the sake of £45.

Only you can decide what it means to you. For me? As much as I would be disgruntled, I would pay the £45 because I love my job and would not wish to upset the traditions.

SandC

I think it's ridiculous and I don't think the bosses should allow it. It's lovely to get bonuses and so on but that just tells you how much of a nice profit the company is making!

However, the time to question these sorts of things is when you are first party to them - so you've paid in for 7 years and only now have a problem with it. If it's gone up significantly then ask the organiser to reconsider or tell them you're struggling and you'll bake some cakes instead for this year.

GracieP

SandC wrote: »

I think it's ridiculous and I don't think the bosses should allow it. It's lovely to get bonuses and so on but that just tells you how much of a nice profit the company is making!

It doesn't necessarily. I know a number of small business owners who are desperately struggling but still give their staff everything they always did. People who are not taking any salary and using their own savings to keep their staff in jobs that they no longer have to work to justify because they are hoping they can get things back on track and don't want their staff to suffer because they care about them.

moromir

Just to throw another view in here...

I also work in a very small 'oldschool' company and we also contribute towards a present for the boss. Because its a small company, everyone knows everyone else's personality... quirks.

Our boss isn't stupid, he knows the woman who organises it expects us to put in and would be bristly if we didn't, he also knows perfectly well how much is being put in the kitty and spent on him and he makes allowances for that in how much Christmas bonus we get.
(by knows how much, I mean as a total, he isn't going round policing who put in what amount)

moromir

Yikes sorry double post somehow, can this be removed?

C_Mababejive

It would be a cold day in hell before i paid £45 toward my managers Xmas prezzy.

Tell them to FOAD.

Sambucus_Nigra

C_Mababejive wrote: »

It would be a cold day in hell before i paid £45 toward my managers Xmas prezzy.

Tell them to FOAD.

And what then if you found out that all staff had lost their bonus as a result?

It's all about playing the game, you get a bonus but out of that a certain 'donation' back up the line; keeps money in everyone's pockets and everyone's a winner....