Can an employer do this?

scheming_gypsy

When I was at the NHS we paid £5 a month to the tea fund. Dead easy - hand a fiver over and everything is covered.
This contract we all supply our own. I have to bring in my own tea bags, jar of coffee and milk... So I need to buy tea / coffee or top up supplies from home and every Sunday I have to try and remember to buy milk (£1 a week roughly).

Tea fund = hand in pocket once a month
No tea fund = fannying about and costs roughly the same with more hassle.


I can't see why people complain about it.

getmore4less

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

every Sunday I have to try and remember to buy milk (£1 a week roughly).

Buy in bulk and freeze, then you just need to remember to get a bottle out of the freezer, milk seems to last longer as well.

Also you can get milk that has ben reduced to cut costs.

DVardysShadow

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

... I can't see why people complain about it.

Perhaps if the note had less attitude and general cluelessness ....

achtunglady wrote: »

Tea Fund

From the beginning of this half term 31/10/11 - 16/12/11 (7 weeks), all staff are requested to pay £2 into the tea fund per week which is to be paid at the beginning of every half term (£14 for this half term).

If you do not wish to be in the Tea Fund, that is fine, but you will not be able to bring in your own supply and must still contribute 50p per week to the flower fund. If you are paying £2 a week into the tea fund this includes the flower fund.

I would appreciate if you would let me have your £14 tea fund contribution or £3.50 flower fund contribution by Monday 14/11/11 at the latest, so I don't have to chase you individually.

In order to prevent confusion as to whether or not you have paid you will be asked to sign when you pay your contribution.

.... then people might not feel so bolshy.

Years ago, I worked in a place with a proper tealady. Who got the chop when things became tough. They replaced her with some vending machines which produced disgusting drinks. Personnel [this was the days before HR] sent a memo round banning kettles - possibly as part of the vending machine deal. This memo was promptly defied, because the vend drinks were vile. This was despite the fact that they were looking to reduce staff. I suppose these days everyone complies with petty management stupidity and says they don't see what there is to complain about - preferring instead to suffer dehydration rather than rock the boat.

scheming_gypsy

getmore4less wrote: »

Buy in bulk and freeze, then you just need to remember to get a bottle out of the freezer, milk seems to last longer as well.

Also you can get milk that has ben reduced to cut costs.

wash your mouth out, i'd rather drink it black if life got that bad.

Milk should be fresh. I'm not complaining about the cost of milk just having to remember to buy it.

scheming_gypsy

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Perhaps if the note had less attitude and general cluelessness ....

yeah fair enough on that point; although chipping in is a lot easier and cheaper than buying your own.

magenta22

I think £14 is a bit excessive, most tea clubs I have known have been at most £5 per month.

Taking off the £3.50 flower fund, it's £10.50 a month for teaclub. If there are 20 people in this that's £210 - it doesn't cost £210 per month for tea/coffee and milk! They can get the cheap value tea bags.

I think it's ridiculous that you can't take your own tea bags and do they provide for those who drink fruit tea, decaf tea/coffee, hot chocolate?

As for the flower fund! Usually a card goes around and you make a contribution if you know the person. Even if you get a small amount from people you can still get something nice for them, although a lot of companies are nice enough that they will pay for a small bouquet when someone has a baby.

Perhaps have a word with the head teacher who has asked this person to organise a tea club and explain that it has upset the workforce and about how it was worded, it is quite possible that they don't have a clue.

ILW

persa wrote: »

Ok, this sounds a little less unreasonable, I originally thought you were paying for decorations in your office! It's always nice to have an office kitty for this sort of thing, I think the trouble is you've been told you have to contribute - generally, you should be asked, not forced. Perhaps you would have just paid up straight away if you had been asked nicely in the first place.

It cannot be mandatory for you to pay into a tea fund and/or flower fund, but you'll probably find yourself labelled as the [insert derogatory noun of your choice here] who wouldn't cough up for flowers for the nice lady whose only child died unexpectedly in horrific circumstances.

Not worth fighting, IMHO. Although I do think it's petty for employers not to pay for tea and coffee - it's one of those little things that doesn't cost a whole lot, but that creates goodwill among staff.

Why would you want to contribute to flowers if you cannot stand the person getting them?

Badger_Lady

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

When I was at the NHS we paid £5 a month to the tea fund. Dead easy - hand a fiver over and everything is covered.

What if you didn't like what's provided though? Personally I like to drink green tea. I don't have milk or sugar in it - just a green tea bag in some hot water. And that teabag usually lasts the day, making 2-3 cups.

Should I be allowed to bring in my one tea bag a day?

What if I want a Lemsip?

magenta22

Badger_Lady wrote: »

What if you didn't like what's provided though? Personally I like to drink green tea. I don't have milk or sugar in it - just a green tea bag in some hot water. And that teabag usually lasts the day, making 2-3 cups.

Should I be allowed to bring in my one tea bag a day?

What if I want a Lemsip?

I agree, not everyone drinks tea and coffee, even so if they added on hot chocolate and a few fruit teas it still surely wouldn't cost that amount in a month.

scheming_gypsy

Badger_Lady wrote: »

What if you didn't like what's provided though? Personally I like to drink green tea. I don't have milk or sugar in it - just a green tea bag in some hot water. And that teabag usually lasts the day, making 2-3 cups.

Should I be allowed to bring in my one tea bag a day?

What if I want a Lemsip?

They'd buy some green tea out of the kitty and you'd have the pleasure of having a fresh tea bag each cup, instead of being tight.