How Do You Avoid Embarassing Work Situations??????

caeler

surely they should be doing the collection before hand? Or be prepared to absorb the cost. Don't feel pressured to contribute, I think this is a bad situation to put your staff.

rossh70

Aberdeenlass wrote: »

Hi
Im wondering if anyone has any tips on how to diplomatically sidestep the minefield of office collection etc??

Quite recently someone from another part of my department who i do not know personally and have no contact with professionally, got married, and while i wish her all the very best in her new life..... I have just recieved am e-mail from my line manager saying that she bought her a bottle of champagne and passed it on on our behalf and is now looking for contributions...........now i have set myself a very tight budget and believe me every penny counts!!!!

It made me think of all the other collections that must happen in every office at some point, and how can i avoid further embarassment of having to admit I have no cash......Please dont get me wrong i'm no meanie!!!!

Surely not an Aberdonian who doesnt wanna part with their cash!!;)
Seriously i get hammered for fortunes as i work in a room of 70 people. I have reached the stage where i just pass on the envelopes without blinking an eye.
I can't do it its as simple as that. Its embarrassing and it hurts but hey what can you do? Your dinner is slightly more important than auld Bessies retirement decanter aint it?

sammiboo

lynsayjane wrote: »

In best miser tradition though I'm ignoring the birthdays of those that don't contribute to others, thats not fair for them to get but not chip in.

I totally agree!! I used to work for the carphone warehouse and in our department alone we had over 50 people. Collections were non stop. There were a lot of girls in the department and during my time there (over two years) there wasnt a time where there wasnt anyone pregnant. Then Birthdays, then charity collections. Leaving collections. I think by the end of it, they should have just kept all my wages for all the collections.

I wouldnt give to collections for the people that wouldnt give, if the give nothing they should expect nothing.

But collections were a pain - I am glad I work in an office with just two others. They are blokes too, so they arent bothered about getting collection Its great - ive saved a fortune

flybynight

we have a card........ ther is a challenge to produce them. they are always funny relevant ones made by someone in the office....... and then everybody signs it.

Miss_Marple_2

I work in a smalll office (less than 20 people) and we don't do birthdays, but we do births, marriages & leaving, and as we ar small, we all know each other and want to contribute

I tend to offer to buy the card, as my contribution, that way I can either get a good one or a cheap one depending on my finances. As most of the others are blokes, they have no idea about the difference, and are just grateful none of them have to bother getting the card. I normally then volunteer to get the present - it means that I've contributed via my effort rather then in monetary terms, and everyone is just pleased that I've done it rather than them

Lucy1982_2

We only do birthday cards, which we take in turns to buy. The only time we do collections is for leaving, big birthdays and babies.

Other than that it's just cards, death's are a card and then flowers sent by us paid for by the company. Much better way of doing it.

pinkfluffybabe

Aberdeenlass wrote: »

Hi
Im wondering if anyone has any tips on how to diplomatically sidestep the minefield of office collection etc??

Quite recently someone from another part of my department who i do not know personally and have no contact with professionally, got married, and while i wish her all the very best in her new life..... I have just recieved am e-mail from my line manager saying that she bought her a bottle of champagne and passed it on on our behalf and is now looking for contributions...........now i have set myself a very tight budget and believe me every penny counts!!!!

It made me think of all the other collections that must happen in every office at some point, and how can i avoid further embarassment of having to admit I have no cash......Please dont get me wrong i'm no meanie!!!!

I think it is inappropriate for your line manager to put her staff in such a position. She should have asked beforehand what the team wanted to do, and not assumed that everyone was in a position to give.

In our place they put everyones name on the collection envelope and you tick it off, obviously you can tick without putting, but I put something in for someone I know fairly well (or like!).

Our place also does a great deal of charity collections, and this time of year it is heavy with Jeans for Genes, McMillan Coffee, Wear it Pink, Children in Need. I have suggested that we choose two charities per year and donate to that rather than spreading ourselves thinly. Hopefully it will be taken on board. But again, no one wants to be talked about for not donating, but if people were aware of your financial situation, they may understand.

mookybargirl

Just say that "you'd normally chip in, but didn't know them".

I don't miss this. My last office had collections for bloomin everything. Dept size of about 150 people. The big one was £5 for a birthday for my peer group of about 12 people. Then my peer team doubled !:eek: I just said on the collection before mine to leave me out as it was getting too costly and honestly, I'd be more than happy with a card on my birthday. Everyone was fine with that.

If you tell people it's getting too costly for you. Most people will be fine with that and some even grateful you had the guts to speak up so they can follow suit. Obviously when it's only 50p here and there, it's more difficult to complain about the cost as it's such a small amount. Now I travel a lot and my base office has only 1 other person. I can't tell you how much I don't miss the collections. Unfortunately, OH is always getting caught for collections - he was forced into paying £2 for a poppy yesterday and he still has the one for last year still on his desk. I'm not against the cause obviously, but we need to save every penny at the moment.

GettingThingsDone

who i do not know personally and have no contact with professionally

stand your ground - just say no (as zammo did not )

gtd

redpete

lynsayjane wrote: »

I organise birthdays within my dept. There are about 14 of us and 11 chipped in. What I do is get £1 from everyone and it buys a cake, bottle of wine and card. I find this is more than enough for a birthday and £1 isn't too much to part with.

In best miser tradition though I'm ignoring the birthdays of those that don't contribute to others, thats not fair for them to get but not chip in.

Blimey! If I worked with you I'd be one of the 3. The only birthday spending in our office is if the person with a birthday buys a box of doughnuts.

I have no problem in not signing a card (let alone putting money in the collection) for someone that I don't know well.