Workplace collections for births, weddings, etc...

Barebear

Our department is split over quite a large geographical area and it is often difficult to get everybody's contribution, even if they are very willing to give.

Is there a suitable online way of doing this?

Cheers
BB :money:

FattyBettyBoo

Paypal?

I'm glad you didn't say birthdays .. in my work all 11 of us give £5 10 times a year and get a £50 voucher on our birthdays. Completely pointless!

Regshoe

FattyBettyBoo wrote: »

Paypal?

.... Completely pointless!

Not for the company whose vouchers you are buying

Paypal seems an obvious choice I suppose.

MsHoarder

Decide not to do it!!

It breeds ill-will to be forced to contribute money, even more so when there's a paper trail of how much money individuals have to contribute. Just send a card around in the internal mail.

Horace

Don't have collections - people shouldnt have to feel obliged to put money into the pot. As someone else has suggested, you could just send a card around via the internal mail for everyone to sign. Instead of buying a useless present why not ask people to donate to charity?

Savvy_Sue

But if people are WILLING to give, it seems a shame not to do so for births, weddings etc - note it's not for every single birthday!

don't know how you'd organise it though, we find it hard enough to get everyone to sign a card ...

hcb42

we always did the birthday thing in my last office, but contribution was not stipulated, normally £2-5

COOLTRIKERCHICK

when i worked in factories before they used to do this.

In all honesty i used to struggle sometimes as sometimes i didnt have enough money for my weekly bills/food etc let alone give money because it was someone's birthday etc...I used to find it embarressing, and to save face, i used to have to go without, buy less food etc...

I personally think in these financial climates collections like these shouldnt be done, as it could add more stress etc to someone who is allready struggling...I know its only a few pounds, but depending on how many people are involved with this type of thing, then it can mount up to a serious amount of money... I know with me it was the same amount of approx 2 weeks shopping per year:eek:

Rummer

We give approx £20 a year to the social fund and although I have often been short of money I have always contributed however ours is for flowers for illness or family funerals and gifts for special occasions and big birthdays not just general birthdays. We then have approx another £10 a year for gifts at xmas and year end for people who help us. These amounts are managable and just collected on site.

Barebear

This collection thing seems to be happening every month now and it's often for people who I have no idea who they are. One well meaning person seems to revel in collecting for everybody if the situation arises, they send out emails and follow up "reminder" emails that are, frankly, threatening. But with a smiley winkey face on the end!!! I work remotely and I don't see most of the team from month to month, I often don't actually meet a new member for three or four months after they start. I also get the team emails to say that there are cakes in the kitchen, please help yourself.

If there was an online way of contributing then there would be one email to introduce the collection, then one reminder, "silent" donations, that would be good.