Do you put in for coworker's presents?

boldasbrass

I work in a high school - 100 or so staff. We have a staff fund into which we each contribute £10 once a year to pay for gifts. The great thing is, when you leave/retire, you get a gift worth £10 for every year you've worked, ie you get your money back! Of course, as it's voluntary, some don't take part, so there's always the dilemma about whether or not to give when these people have a special occasion, but it's so much better than the old system in which pupils were sent round with an envelope and a tick list.

brightonman123

markja55 wrote: »

our cleaner left, due to illness, 6 months ago, i bought the card and flowers for her. no one offered to pay anything, not even the company.

today i found out one of my colleagues was leaving as his wife is v. ill. nothing had been done by anyone. and i was off last week so knew nothing about it. i got a card, flowers (for wife) and small pack of chocolates. everyone said great idea & wanted to sign the card, but no one paid anything again.
seems like i work with a bunch of tight wads!

next time i'll go to the cake shop and get myself a cream bun. no card, no chocs & no flowers.

i bet when i leave i'll get sod all!

best to get contributions first, before spending own money!

ycy0116

LutonGirl wrote: »

Where I worked years ago, when it was a more formal working environment, the dreaded envelope would come around with a list stapled to the front where you were obliged to put your initials and an indication of how much money you'd put in. I refused to say how much I'd put in each time and others soon followed suit.

At another job, in a much larger place, we used to say "I don't like [insert name] but I'll give you 10p if I can sign the card!

the envelope----were your working for NHS??;).

Indie_Kid

I've been asked to put in once. I used to volunteer and the lady whose birthday it was, I'd volunteer with on a Tuesday. I wouldn't like doing it for someone I didn't know at all though.

sazaccount

I work in a team of 7 we all decided at the end of last year that we would do something for peoples birthdays so we each put in £4, its enough to get a gift card and a card. This was everyone's choice and if anyone didn't want to put in that was fine but they then didn't/don't get anything for there birthday

end of feb beginning of march was bit of an expensive one with 3 of us having birthdays within 2 weeks :eek: but now there isn't anything until August :rotfl:

We try to meet up as well, as we are a 24/7 business we have had birthday breakfasts, lunches or dinners.

xx

C_Mababejive

I guess the thing is that someone has to start the collection as otherwise, it often just doesnt happen. If one of my colleagues is leaving then sure i will put in. If its a manager/supervisor then no i wouldnt. My workplace is unfortunately very polarised.

Bella73

Depends...if I like the person then yes if I don't then no. I also haven't gone to leaving parties if I don't like them.

snapping_crocodile

There's only about 12 of us in our office and we are all really good friends too, socialise outside of work by choice etc We've got a kitty and we all put in £2 a month and then from that we buy birthday presents etc. works well for us

Sally22_2

When I worked in an office and it was a birthday, the person whose birthday it was had to get the cakes in for everyone!

I only got a gift on my 18th / 21st. Weddings and Babies we put in for and leaving do's. But not birthdays.

Turtle

In our team we do a card for people's birthday, they get a present as well if it ends in '0' but it's only a couple of pounds a time and I actually like the people I work with so it's not an issue. I happily socialise with them as well, but this is probably only 3 times a year and if you can't go (or don't want to) it's no biggie.

If it's a wedding or baby, we do a collection with an envelope round the department and you cross your name off once it's been to you, regardless of whether you've put in or not. There's no pressure to do so.

We bring in cakes just for our team when it's your own birthday so it's just once a year and probably no more than a fiver.

Stick to your guns and I think it's admirable that you're able to save so much. Much better than resenting wasting your money on things you don't want to spend it on.