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money demanded for retiring colleagues!

  • 28-08-2014 2:26pm
    #1
    ethical
    Registered Users Posts: 719 ✭✭✭


    Most staff rooms have a 'Social Fund' that they contribute a few Euro to at the start of the year so as to send flowers etc to colleagues that may have a bout of illness,the birth of a new baby or a sub moving on or some such occasion. A nice thoughtful idea and one that leads to good spirit and teamwork I think.This following matter crept up in a school recently,the Social Committee 'demanded' quite a large sum of money off the staff in order to give a 'big' present to a retiree! Now some of the staff worked with this person for over 20 years and didn't mind forking out yet the poor unfortunate part timers/Non CIDs staff were pressure into doing same! Bearing in mind that the retiree was getting a handsome lump sum by way of a pension I ask was there a need for this extortion.No blame to the retiree but definitely the Social Committee would want to take a hard ,long look at themselves for such carry-on me thinks. What happens in other schools when someone retires,do you contribute a tenner to a fund ......or do you have to dig deep and hand out 100.00 as in the above case!


Comments

  • #2
    RealJohn
    Registered Users Posts: 2,099 ✭✭✭RealJohn


    100 notes? I can tell you that I wouldn't be giving that much for a colleague's retirement no matter who they were or how long they'd been there. How big a present did they want to give them? A car?

    I don't begrudge giving a reasonable amount but €100 is a ridiculous amount to ask.


  • #3
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    €100 euro... nooooo way, social committee are just getting carried away with themselves.

    normal social contribution just about covers the bottle of wine and flowers for babies/weddings every year. Anything else is envelope in the office at your discretion.

    Ya thats a bit rude alright, just say you're getting the person a present yourself (or have it already!).

    Id love to know what the present is though if theyre looking for about 2 grand or more...it's a lorra carriage clocks.


  • #4
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,103 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    I was scarlet knowing that people were contributing for me. Luckily, it was just the standard tenner or fiver and they bought me vouchers for Aer Lingus and Ryanair which are really useful, but I used to always feel bad knowing maintenance and cleaning staff who were earning much less than some of the senior retirees were putting in relatively large amounts.

    I know the answer I'd give if anyone came to me looking for a hundred euro for a retiree.


  • #5
    ytareh
    Registered Users Posts: 1,107 ✭✭✭ytareh


    Outrageous!


  • #6
    Kathnora
    Registered Users Posts: 198 ✭✭Kathnora


    I'm in a primary school and the most we ever contributed for a retiree was €50 and that was for a Principal and D.P. We never ask temp teachers, long term subs, sna's etc for that amount...they might be asked to give €10 maybe.


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  • #7
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Kathnora wrote: »
    I'm in a primary school and the most we ever contributed for a retiree was €50 and that was for a Principal and D.P. We never ask temp teachers, long term subs, sna's etc for that amount...they might be asked to give €10 maybe.

    It's similar in my school and the amount is reduced when there have been multiple retirements.

    But I'd have to ask the question of the OP: was the matter raised with the social committee that €100 was way too much?


  • #8
    ArthurG
    Registered Users Posts: 1,306 ✭✭✭ArthurG


    rainbowtrout wrote: »
    It's similar in my school and the amount is reduced when there have been multiple retirements.

    But I'd have to ask the question of the OP: was the matter raised with the social committee that €100 was way too much?

    I'd also like to know if you coughed up this extraordinary request, or are you moaning about it post 'contribution'?


  • #9
    Moody_mona
    Registered Users Posts: 1,107 ✭✭✭Moody_mona


    We make anonymous donation via blank envelopes in our pigeon holes.


  • #10
    killbillvol2
    Registered Users Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭killbillvol2


    Kathnora wrote: »
    I'm in a primary school and the most we ever contributed for a retiree was €50 and that was for a Principal and D.P. We never ask temp teachers, long term subs, sna's etc for that amount...they might be asked to give €10 maybe.

    Same here.


  • #11
    solerina
    Registered Users Posts: 2,433 ✭✭✭solerina


    We usually pay 50 euro for weddings or retirements...I thought that was a lot but 100....wow, that's far too much !!


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  • #12
    josealdo
    Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭josealdo


    solerina wrote: »
    We usually pay 50 euro for weddings or retirements...I thought that was a lot but 100....wow, that's far too much !!

    100 bit steep . 20 is the usually in our job .


  • #13
    Inspector Coptoor
    Registered Users Posts: 6,818 ✭✭✭Inspector Coptoor


    We give €50 a year.

    80 plus teachers in the school so it's a decent war chest for all the occasions that pop up


  • #14
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    solerina wrote: »
    We usually pay 50 euro for weddings or retirements...I thought that was a lot but 100....wow, that's far too much !!

    Weddings! Wow! If a person is getting married/has a baby they get a bunch of flowers or we have a cake in the staffroom, from the social fund which we give 10-20 per year.


  • #15
    Tigger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,707 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    i'm not a teacher but on my second day working in a job i was told to donate to a fund for someone who was leaving that day
    i had never met them
    i threw in 5 punts (ages ago) and was told the minimum was 20
    have a whip round by all means but let people give what they wish


  • #16
    Pang
    Registered Users Posts: 2,251 ✭✭✭Pang


    We pay 100 a year and there are about 70 of us in total including SNAs.

    When someone gets married or has a baby, they get a cash present. Retiree presents and parties come out of the fund as well.


  • #17
    QueenieB
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭QueenieB


    The Social Committee have lost the run of themselves. It's just a form of bullying to put pressure on people to "contribute" these amounts of money. It happened recently (location will remain unnamed) where a long-time employee was making a collection for another long-term employee just about to retire. She ran wild with grandiose plans of soirees and showers of gifts, imagining everyone else to be equally enthused. She dictated that everyone "contribute" €50 (there has been three other retirements in the last 6 months - other amounts of money contributed to these too). Not only that but names and contributions were being recorded in full view!
    Thankfully, a couple of people with sense, and the patience to deal with stupidity, sorted it out very quickly. They reminded her and her troupe of fanatical collectors that it is a voluntary contribution to be made at a person's discretion, is in no way a requirement and should not be discriminated against in any form or manner if they choose not to contribute. As it should be.


  • #18
    pandoraj09
    Registered Users Posts: 343 ✭✭pandoraj09


    Nobody can "demand" or "tell" an adult to donate/give money...Whether you're new to teaching or in it a while you are an adult. Be assertive. I have never given to collections for anything. If I like the person I get my own personal gift. Otherwise I politely decline. I just don't understand adults posting on the internet saying people are demanding money for people retiring. And no social committee would "demand" 100 euro. They might suggest that amount, though I find it hard to believe, and they certainly wouldn't be putting pressure on new/young teachers to contribute...


  • #19
    RH149
    Registered Users Posts: 349 ✭✭RH149


    That's crazy! We gave €50 for our DP who was retiring but usually its about €30 or maybe less depending on the no. of recent retirements ( we had several for a few years but now its about one a year). I doubt we'd be asked for € 100 even if it was the Principal.....that's just mad when you consider the difference in earnings between staff members and then part time teachers who may have short hours.


    I think you need to elect a new Social Committee or get a Policy on Gifts....sure whats another policy at this stage!!


  • #20
    Pwpane
    Closed Accounts Posts: 457 ✭✭Pwpane


    RH149 wrote: »
    That's crazy! We gave €50 for our DP who was retiring but usually its about €30 or maybe less depending on the no. of recent retirements ( we had several for a few years but now its about one a year). I doubt we'd be asked for € 100 even if it was the Principal.....that's just mad when you consider the difference in earnings between staff members and then part time teachers who may have short hours.


    I think you need to elect a new Social Committee or get a Policy on Gifts....sure whats another policy at this stage!!
    Why would there be a bigger donation for a D P than for an ordinary teacher?


  • #21
    bearhugs
    Registered Users Posts: 269 ✭✭bearhugs


    Wow that's a lot! We have about 50 on staff. The usual is 10 euro each, 5 for the temporary staff. We don't do anything for weddings, babies etc you would give something yourself depending on how well you know the other person. That said we pay 80 a year each for tea and coffee so I'm happy out with no social fund contribution.


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  • #22
    J.R.
    Registered Users Posts: 2,333 ✭✭✭J.R.


    As a general rule of thumb in our school for retirements we donate €2 for each year we have worked in the school with the person..e,g, work beside him / her for 12 years then donation is €24.

    People who work beside a colleague for a long time can end up donating €50 or more whereas new teachers may only be expected to donate €2 - €4

    All staff are happy with this arrangement and consider it fair.


  • #23
    TheDriver
    Registered Users Posts: 12,387 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    I find it strange too that DP gets more than a teacher......
    20 a head sounds reasonable with reduction for newer or pt staff and obviously zero for brand new staff.....


  • #24
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    J.R. wrote: »
    As a general rule of thumb in our school for retirements we donate €2 for each year we have worked in the school with the person..e,g, work beside him / her for 12 years then donation is €24.

    People who work beside a colleague for a long time can end up donating €50 or more whereas new teachers may only be expected to donate €2 - €4

    All staff are happy with this arrangement and consider it fair.

    Ya that seems fair enough, ...sounds like ye must really love doing the nitty gritty on policy meetings id say.


  • #25
    implausible
    Registered Users Posts: 3,937 ✭✭✭implausible


    Social committee in our place covers flowers/gift/vouchers for marriages, births and illnesses, €30 per year, unless the money runs out. As retirements are few and far between and some people may not know the retiree very well, that's done via a voluntary contribution.

    I think it works well.


  • #26
    RH149
    Registered Users Posts: 349 ✭✭RH149


    I think we just wanted to get her something extra special as she had been in the school so long as a teacher and then DP- I think it was more the people who had worked with her for a lot of years paid that and the newer staff paid a lesser amount (not sure how much, the social committee is pretty good at doing things discreetly). I think most of us were happy to pay that as otherwise if the staff gift had been smaller many of us would have bought individual gifts too.


  • #27
    Pwpane
    Closed Accounts Posts: 457 ✭✭Pwpane


    RH149 wrote: »
    I think we just wanted to get her something extra special as she had been in the school so long as a teacher and then DP- I think it was more the people who had worked with her for a lot of years paid that and the newer staff paid a lesser amount (not sure how much, the social committee is pretty good at doing things discreetly). I think most of us were happy to pay that as otherwise if the staff gift had been smaller many of us would have bought individual gifts too.
    It's nice that you wanted to get her something special. Not so sure about the 'extra' special though?

    She already has an extra special salary and will be getting an extra special lump sum. It seems to be a case of 'to those who have more, more will be given'. I don't think I ever agreed with that philosophy.

    Principals and deputies interact with more of the staff more often than do subject teachers. They're more visible. I don't however think that they are more valuable than the teacher who actually improves the learning and life prospects of the students.

    I don't think that staff should be engaged in judging the value of the retiree and matching their contribution to that judgement. If you have a particularly good relationship with a retiree, or a particularly good value judgement on them, then feel free to give extra. But it shouldn't be asked for.


  • #28
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    Pwpane wrote: »
    It's nice that you wanted to get her something special. Not so sure about the 'extra' special though?

    She already has an extra special salary and will be getting an extra special lump sum. It seems to be a case of 'to those who have more, more will be given'. I don't think I ever agreed with that philosophy.

    Principals and deputies interact with more of the staff more often than do subject teachers. They're more visible. I don't however think that they are more valuable than the teacher who actually improves the learning and life prospects of the students.

    I don't think that staff should be engaged in judging the value of the retiree and matching their contribution to that judgement. If you have a particularly good relationship with a retiree, or a particularly good value judgement on them, then feel free to give extra. But it shouldn't be asked for.

    I think RH149 was implying that the fact that the person was DP was extraneous to the size of the gift. I wonder though would the €2 per year served idea (from another poster here) have worked out the same. Seems like a good idea.


  • #29
    dutopia
    Registered Users Posts: 583 ✭✭✭dutopia


    €100 from everyone for someone retiring? No feckin' way. Tell the committee to get real.


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