Money Moral Dilemma: Should we roll over absent co-worker's lottery win?

KCK

I couldn’t live with myself if I were the next person to win the “rollover” of £800 lottery winnings (including that poor co-worker’s winnings) next time. 

Pay them the money, minus what they were due. Who knows, maybe their stress started off with money worries. Read this moral dilemma back and imagine YOU were this person off with stress. This gesture alone could do wonders. 

NCC1701-A

Regular occurrence: though for more than £400.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2300091/Lottery-syndicate-winners-DVLA-embroiled-row-divide-cash-members-failed-pay-in.html

https://www.indy100.com/viral/lottery-jackpot-results-euromillions-reddit-b1939539

https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/15818/6/15818_Pawlowski_Lottery Winnings and Syndicates Article (AAM) 2016.pdf

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/312198/62m-US-lotto-winner-vows-I-m-not-paying-my-syndicate

EmmaLouise78

Definitely take out what she owes and give her the money. If you don’t already have rules in place for this situation it should be addressed for the future.

Tim11111000111

Does the lottery have any written Ts&Cs that might cover this situation?

My take on it would be that if the employee in question has not been paying their entry fees, then they should not be considered as having entered. If your "lucky numbers" come up on the National Lottery but you haven't bought a ticket, you don't win just because you'd played those numbers last week.

However, as this is a small lottery just by/for employees, I can understand the desire to help a fellow employee who is struggling. Furthermore, I think you could deviate from the hard line above if the majority of "players" agree to it. As others have said, this employee would almost certainly be very grateful for the income boost. £400 is probably not a life-changing amount of money for the next would-be winner, but could be significant for someone trying to cope on SSP. 

danh10

If the only reason the payments haven’t been made is because she is off on the sick I think it’s rediculous that anyone would suggest not paying out.  Deducting any amount for missed payments doesn’t make any sense whatsoever because she would have won that back anyways.  For however long this has rolled over you have had the chance to remove her from the draw since the first payment was missed but this clearly hasn’t happened.  People take part in these things in good faith and not paying out the winnings because someone hasn’t kept up payments while suffering a mental health issue is not good faith.  Payout the full amount and remove her from the draw moving forward until she decides She wants back in.  Unless this scenario is covered under the initial contract assuming there is one you don’t have a leg to stand on.  The bigger issue for me is how everyone knows this lady is off work on the sick for stress.  That is private and protected information.  If the lady is reading this I would advise her to take this up as a formal grievance alongside her complaint for the full amount of the syndicate. 

Shibey

I say “ Be Kind”. Surely some of you know the circumstances and the person in question, and indeed if they will even go back to work there. And how do the other staff all feel about this (vote?) You really need some rules for the future. 

A quick vote and/or a good judgement call. 

Not a huge amount of money, but might be large enough to create friction with (paid up) others who lose it/could do with it. 

Remember the impact of a kindness on the stressed person too! And  Are they someone who would do the caring thing for a colleague? No rules make it all very personal. I say vote on it. Nothing complicated, just a quick vote.

Then set out future rules.

KxMx

The syndicate management has to take some responsibility for continuing to put her numbers in despite no payments being made.

Giving her the winnings minus the money owed is absolutely the right thing to do.

74jax

Do you definitely have no rules? At all?  The ones I've known all stipulate of you don't pay you aren't in that week's draw.

Say they didn't win - 
* If it's been several weeks, and they come back to work, would they be making up the weeks they missed?
* If someone else won, would you be asking this person for the money to give to the winner?

I don't understand those who say take the money they should have paid and give them the remainder. Where does the money taken out go? Is it then towards the next bonus ball? If so are you taking the next few weeks out too (to cover those weeks) or are you not including them from now on? 

Dazzzzer

Let’s explore options,... In any other instance, if you haven’t paid to join in for the event, then you are not taking part. So why would this be any different. Another stressed colleague that still comes to work to ease the load on the rest of you, but forgets to pay, are they still in it? If yes then it’s a farce, you need some rules. If she hadn’t won and returns to work and you tell them they owe the last 20 or so weeks so pay up, would she  expect to pay for draws already gone? I bet she would want to wiggle out of that one. So no, not paid, not in in it, pick a winner that has paid up to date. Simple.

Ineedaservant

There are lots of sites where you can find advice on setting up a lottery syndicate, complete with printable forms and terms and conditions.  This should be done now before any other problems arise.