Avoiding Collections At Work!

justin1972uk

saveaholic68 wrote: »

A kitty is the way to go if you ask me, but it's been suggested at my office, and the miserable sods said no.

I'm going to have to think of counter-arguments in advance. What reasons did they give for rejecting the idea?

The irony of all this is, that the more low-paid the job, the more likely that the staff turnover will be high - equalling more cards and gifts!!!

I had to switch jobs last October as my employer of ten years relocated, so I just took the first job I could get. My wage is £3,500 a year less than it was, this time last year. Since I started, over 350 staff have walked out the door, never to return.

candygirl

Usually at whatever school I have worked at long term, they have an opt in/out option to a general fund, and staff put a £10 in per year.If they don't contribute they don't get anything when they have a special event or leave.I think this is the best idea, I never opted in, cos I didn't want a crappy bunch of flowers when I left anyway :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

orchid-96

Hi, I also agree with others about suggesting a kitty idea, I do think it is soo cheeky to just expect people to put in 'at least £3' to a collection, especially when it seems like week in week out...I would say though that at my last company, I was a bit upset when I went on Maternity leave and didn't even get a card (I was there for 4 years and got on well with everyone - it was a small firm though) and then when my twins were born, I did get a card, but nothing else - I would have just been over the moon with a bunch of flowers or even better some home made yummies !!

I really think it should be up to personal choice and how well you know the person etc. and everywher else I have worked and envelope has gone round with a card and you could put in what you liked and still sign the card - I think in that scenario, you tend to put in what you can a) afford and b) think is the right amount for the person/occasion...

Good luck op with your kitty suggestion....

saveaholic68

justin1972uk wrote: »

I'm going to have to think of counter-arguments in advance. What reasons did they give for rejecting the idea?

They said that it would be too difficult to get everyone to contribute regularly
Also, they said collections are an optional thing, and it wouldn't be fair for those who do not want to contribute :rolleyes: . Perhaps I should have argued that I don't want to contribute to the majority of the never-ending collections, but I am regularly guilt-tripped/embarrased into giving the little money they pay me away:mad:

nicola1982_2

Had the same issue at my place- they just don't seem to stop coming. I've stopped putting in birthday ones unless it's someone I work closely with and asked my team not to send one round for me (said I'd rather just have a box of choccies from the people I actually work closely with), but I don't think they will listen. I just really want to set an example of keeping birthdays within the small immediate team (about 4/5 people) rather than department (30 people) - it ends up costing loads.

mrbadexample

I used to get this where I last worked. Even just a couple of weeks into the job, people were asking me for money for people I'd never even met. Staff turnover was high, so there were regular leaving collections, and then the birthdays, pregnancies etc.

In the end I got the hump and stopped giving to anyone I didn't work with and like. So-and-so's having a baby..."Well I didn't have any input at the conception, so I'm not putting in now!"

Be firm, and politely decline. "No thanks, I don't like them." works well.

shandypants5

I had the same at my last job...
staff turnover was so high there was a collection virtually every week.
sometimes for people who had only worked there a few weeks.!!

On the last occasion I had been persuaded to actually do the rounds with the envelope myself, a task I had avoided for years....
I was half way thru when I recieved confirmation of a job offer at another firm.... Quickly passed the envelope on to someone else,and said.
"your going to need 2 of those"....

Whooo,hoooo, best move I ever made..

redballoon_2

offer to take the envelope around the office to make sure everyone has contributed and then write your name on the list or say you've put in at the same time!

Our office we only do cards now, except when its a special birthday/leaving/pregnancy. it works well

tiamai_d

My last place had an un-official ban on this sorta thing. For the simple reason that it was embarrassing for those who couldn't afford it.

They did allow person to person gift giving, and cards at christmas, but no 'secret santa etc. The company gave us £20 a head for a christmas night out though, and we would have a 'saving scheme', if you were in (everyone put tehir names down anyway, whether or not they were going to get as much as possible!) you handed over £10 day after pay day for 3 months. For those who drank, it meant a meal and a good night out, plus usually shared taxis going home, so they got paid for too)

tomstickland

You don't have to pay into collections. Just say you don't want to.

I don't pay into everything. But when I do I put a minimum of £5 in. When a close colleague got married then I suggested £5 or £10 from a small group of us and then I made up the total to £100 myself.