Office collections

mikemac

Maybe this has been raised before but I don’t remember it

Anyone getting asked to give money for engagements, birthdays, leaving, retirements, etc?
It seems every week someone in this office is handing me a card and an envelope, usually two or three times.

I used to give €5 to everything, even people I probably talked to maybe once or twice in months. Completely different departments even.

Then I used to only do it for people in my department and now, if I wouldn’t normally talk to a person outside work or work night out, I won’t be signing their card and handing over cash. Of course, the dirty looks are certain if I’m not seen putting a note in the envelope. Even putting in coins like a few euro coins is frowned upon.

Any else a cheapskate? Or are you all generous people?

Steve_o

Ah yea, i'd chip in a few quid for an occasion alright... I ain't no cheapskate!!

anniehoo

I too have stopped giving to every collection going in work...my place was getting ridiculous at one point we were giving for leaving/wedding/congrats on exams/havin babies! if i know theres a collection doing the rounds i just say "havent a bean on me at the mo get you later"..the presents normally been given by the time i find a fiver..a week later!:D

Honey-ec

If it's someone leaving the company, I'll throw in a few euro. Collections for birthdays, etc. are ridiculous and I refuse on principle to donate to these.

In my last job there was a collection for someone who was moving team - not even department! She was literally moving 15 feet down the office, and of course, someone decided she should get a "going away" gift!

kittensoft1984

I'll give a couple of quid.

Its something thats new to me I have to say

5starpool

If I don't know them beyond knowing who they are really, or don't particularly like them I don't chip in. If I know/like them I throw a fiver usually into their card. Straightforward enough. Only baby cards and leaving though, no birthdays etc.

phasers

I only give for people I know.

Once, I was asked to donate a fiver to this girl in my year who had a baby. I told them where to stick their collection plate.

Chinafoot

We do a staff kitty type thing and all gifts are taken out of that. We each pay €10 a month and then whatever is left at Christmas gets divided between everyone. Handy for a few pints at the Christmas party.

I've never understood the thinking behind someone is leaving for another job (which would probably be more money) - let's give them money in a card.

Oh, I meant to ninja edit this but howandever: I'll throw in some cash for people going on M/Paternaty leave or that type of thing, and maybe for a wedding. But birthdays - nope.

whiskeyman

Someone in here got a cake (from a whipround) because she failed her driving test!
FFS!!!

I don't mind the collections, as long as it's done right.... just pass them from desk to desk and sign the card / put money in the envelope if you want.

I've had people come up to me asking loud for money for Mr/Ms X who was leaving / getting married who I either didn't know or didn't like, and felt so pressurised into giving money. In such cases, I usually say 'I've no change on me'.
Don't give a f*^k if they think I'm stingy.

Mossy Monk

I give nothing.

I also want nothing.

dade

i hate that ****, I give if they are my friends or in my dept but that's it. one place i was in there was a collection every week. most where form completely different departments that i didn't even know.

oh i give extra if they are in my dept and i hate them too just to make sure they leave

kittensoft1984

When i left my last job they gave me those one for all vouchers instead of money - came in handy when I was buying stuff for my new house

5starpool

whiskeyman wrote: »

I don't mind the collections, as long as it's done right.... just pass them from desk to desk and sign the card / put money in the envelope if you want.

I've had people come up to me asking loud for money for Mr/Ms X who was leaving / getting married who I either didn't know or didn't like, and felt so pressurised into giving money. In such cases, I usually say 'I've no change on me'.
Don't give a f*^k if they think I'm stingy.

Done better where I work, it is on a certain desk and you go and sign it if you want. Much easier to avaoid if you want to.

dade

5starpool wrote: »

Done better where I work, it is on a certain desk and you go and sign it if you want. Much easier to avaoid if you want to.

yeah we had them passing around the phone list with the collection so people could sign off when they contributed. i tend to just sign it and put nothing in

prendy

i also hate this, i think its fine for someone going travelling for a year or something but moving job???

my mate left here a while back and instead of putting money in the envelope a few of us brought him out and got plastered, way better and he appreciated it more!

Sherifu

Nobody managed to escape yet >_>

KBarry

I always used to put something in but it's getting a bit much now. The other week we had two collections, one for somebody's 40th and another for somebody's 30th, on the same day. Given that I've never had a conversation with either of them, in fact barely said hello in the past three years, I gave grudgingly.
Next week a guy I loathe is having his first baby. If there's any collection I won't be putting in anything. I really f****** hate him.

faceman

I dont mind donating if someone is leaving and i know them and they have contributed somewhat to the company either on a work level or social level!

That being said i dont agree with desk to desk collections. Leave an envelope and card at reception or something and send an email around.

Re women having baby, i dont contribute unless its someone on my team. (Im a manager) there are never collections for men who's wife is having a baby which is unfair.

newname

I used to work for a company in letterkenny where they banned them sort of collections, they disappeared without a trace so obviously everyone was happy to see the back of them.

Tigger

i used to workl in a place where this was the normal
birthdays
engagements
weddings
leaving
one girl in the space of a year got from me and i'd sa everyone else

20 for an engagement
20 foir a birthday
20 for being pregnant
20 for getting marride
20 for getting a promotion

thats 100 yoyos to one girl

wanna know why
her best mate was the loud one thats always bossing everyone around ; you know the type

i however had a birthda
got promoted
and then left

i got nothing cos may mates wer lads
they don't go round begging

there were 30 in that department so i recon yer wan scored 2 or three grand that year

mad really

pickarooney

Tigger wrote: »

wanna know why

'cause you're a sucker. Twenty quid for her birthday, you were done mate.

In my place, only the birth of a child (father or mother in company) merits a collection and it's an optional, envelope on desk affair.

connundrum

We do a whip round of €1 per person for someone's birthday.

€10 for a wedding whip round.

Nowt if someone's leaving/pregnant/engaged/breathing.

georgem25

I have moved jobs a few times recently and the money seems to get higher each time I move €5-10 2 years ago, €20 in my last job and €30 in this job - luckily you are only expected to give to people in the department!!

PurpleBerry

I used to work in a place like that. There were always collections going on. In the end I decided that my rule would be "If I can't put a face to the name, they're not getting anything."

I remember it was my birthday and some people went down to the cafeteria. About a half an hour after they came back they started talking about how the cafeteria'd had cake that day and wasn't it lovely etc. This was after the cafeteria had closed (It's okay girls, I didn't want any cake, I was planning to celebrate my bday at the weekend :P)

Worse though was two weeks later, someone threw a card at me. It was a birthday card - for me to sign and add money to!! Hey, if no-one gives me anything for my bday, I won't be shelling out for someone (who's face I couldn't put to their name).

I was so desperate to leave that company that I left before having another job lined up.


.

Toots

I work in a bank branch, there's only 15 of us and we'd be pretty close. Even then we only have a whip around if someone's leaving, or if someone's doing something for charity (mini marathon or the like). It's 'give what you can' and nobody's frowned upon if they don't have the funds. We don't have whip arounds for birthdays, we just get a little cake out of tesco and all sign a card, then we all have a sing song. If it's a big birthday, like a 21st or 30th or somthing we'd all throw in a fiver or something and get them a little present, but it's totally optional.

Rb

5starpool wrote: »

If I don't know them beyond knowing who they are really, or don't particularly like them I don't chip in. If I know/like them I throw a fiver usually into their card. Straightforward enough. Only baby cards and leaving though, no birthdays etc.

Likewise.

Zaph

Tigger wrote: »

one girl in the space of a year got from me and i'd sa everyone else

20 for an engagement
20 foir a birthday
20 for being pregnant
20 for getting marride
20 for getting a promotion

thats 100 yoyos to one girl

For starters you're off your feckin' head throwing in €20 every time a collection went round. Secondly, it's really taking the píss having a collection for an engagement and wedding in the same year. In fact it's taking the píss having a collection for an engagement at all. And why did she get a present for getting pregnant? If anything a small present for the baby is the normal limit, and even then only from people in the same department. But the promotion one really takes the biscuit. Congratulations on your promotion Ms. X, enjoy your new higher salary and some money straight from the pockets of those lesser individuals who didn't get promoted. Seriously, wtf???

Where I work collections are limited to leaving collections only, and if you're not there at least two years any collection must be confined to your department. Generally when there's a wedding or baby born there'd be a collection in the department that the person works in. If it's your birthday, you buy the cakes. That way you're not being pestered for a couple of quid every week for someone's birthday. As for my contributions, if it's someone I don't really know that's leaving I might throw in a token €2, or just pass it on. If I know the person then €5 is standard. If they're a good mate or work in my department I'd generally throw in €10-20, but there's only a handful of people that I'd even consider giving that much for.

Abi

Didn't read through the thread, but I'd dodge if I didn't like the leaver. And If I was cornered I'd tell the truth;

"She was a fucking wagon" / "he was a prick" so gtfo.

xOxSinéadxOx

when they ask you and you don't even know the person :rolleyes:

HashSlinging

I worked with a bunch of tossers and left a couple of hours early before they could give me the card and present. Would have been seriously hypocritical of me to accept anything off them.

ejmaztec

HashSlinging wrote: »

I worked with a bunch of tossers and left a couple of hours early before they could give me the card and present. Would have been seriously hypocritical of me to accept anything off them.

You should have stayed and jumped up and down on it, then left.

Naos

I dread leaving my job for this reason. I don't want people to gather around my desk and give me a present. Fcuk that.

I shall be taking a sick day methinks.