Staff whip arounds

LegacyUser

Does anyone here get tired of the collection plate that goes around the office for various birthdays, leaving do, new babies or sponsorhips for climbing up and down a mountain?

It's always instigated by a mother hen in the office that likes to know everyones business and is really getting tiresome at this stage. Any ideas how to knock this office culture on the head?

Jayob10

Unregistered wrote: »

Does anyone here get tired of the collection plate that goes around the office for various birthdays, leaving do, new babies or sponsorhips for climbing up and down a mountain?

It's always instigated by a mother hen in the office that likes to know everyones business and is really getting tiresome at this stage. Any ideas how to knock this office culture on the head?

my god that is so annoying. You are right its always the mother hen of the office thinking she is being a really great friend by doing this.

Its very awkward because if its done for one it nearly has to be done for everyone. And if its not then.......well its awkward for the person who doesn't get that treatment. I have often felt myself cringe in the canteen clapping and singing happy birthday to some bloke/girl that I have never had a conversation with.

And even when I have been on the receiving end its still cringeworthy as people are probably saying same about me!!!! Its a very insincere stupid company/corporate bonding thing that drives me up the wall. I'd contribute to a half yearly whip around for this not to happen!

kmart6

Just point out that due to the fact your hours have been cut/wages reduced you can no longer afford this kind of stuff!

Huggles

If it was me, I'd point out that all these whip arounds are getting very expensive so PFO!

theparish

one of the few advantages of being made redundant(no more whip arounds)

Frankiestylee

I'm lucky that my work place tends to have good sense of what is or isn't important, so a randomer who's been there a month doesn't get a leaving do, but someone who's been there longer does etc. Thankfully there's also no real mother hen.

leeroybrown

The can get a tad irksome all right. If you work somewhere with a reasonable staff turnover you can find yourself having to put your hand in your pocket on quite a regular basis.

BaileysComet

Oh yes. I worked in an office that would have a collection every week. On occasion there would be more than one at the same time. I was asked to sign a birthday card for someone a few weeks after my own birthday and I remember being annoyed as I hadn't got a card.

I don't have any suggestions as to how to stop this I'm afraid. The only thing I can think of is to go to HR or management and ask them to have a word with the organiser, that from now on there are to be no more collections. This might not work though as its probably considered nothing to do with management. But if you want to try this, go as a group if at all possible.

chocgirl

This really annoys me too, I'm based in three separate sites so I have the problem multiplied by three at the minute.

Seems crazy throwing 20 to someone nearly every week for a baby I'll never see:mad:

John Mason

I refuse point blank to put money in to these things.

i dont discremination against anyone, i just say no to everything

messrs

always collections goin on in place i work in and its the same girl that organises them all - reagardless, but she doesnt go round with enevlope, she makes everyone come 2 her desk, then she writes down n her note book how much everyone gave and if you dont go to her desk wit money she will come into canteen on lunch and say infront of everyone - oh u havent give me money for collection yet, hpe your not forgetting!! and embarress you in front of everyone !!

the_syco

I make a point of only giving money to for people that I know.

Amalgam

messrs wrote: »

always collections goin on in place i work in and its the same girl that organises them all - reagardless, but she doesnt go round with enevlope, she makes everyone come 2 her desk, then she writes down n her note book how much everyone gave and if you dont go to her desk wit money she will come into canteen on lunch and say infront of everyone - oh u havent give me money for collection yet, hpe your not forgetting!! and embarress you in front of everyone !!

That's someone that needs their behaviour challenged\modified.

mikemac

Goes on in our workplace.

I signed a card for a girl getting married.
But didn't give money, sure why would I?

Not a massive company but with 120 people I only know her name, can't recall ever talking to her and she certainly doesn't know my name.
Sure why am I expected to give money?
And woe betide the cheapstake who gives coins, it's notes only in any collection I've seen :rolleyes:

Gotta agree with the Mother Hen statement, it's always some women who thinks she is doing something positive, in reality she is being a busybody.
And if I got named & shamed in the canteen for not paying, I'm sure a word to HR would stop collections forever!

Chinafoot

In the last place I worked we got paid every two weeks and we threw a fiver each into the "social fund". This was used for any birthdays/weddings/new babies etc with a set amount decided for each. It worked out really well. Paid for our christmas party and we had some cash left over that was split evenly.

On one occasion in a previous job it was someones 40th birthday and one of the women in the office decided everyone had to give €10 towards a present. Ridiculous amount of money. We were all like. "eh, buy a cake and a card and be done with it..."

taram

At my current job we all throw in loose change and the odd euro into our cake fund, if it's someone's birthday, we buy a cake, maybe some ice-cream, no fuss. In another job (200 people) the people on the person's team would sort it amongst themselves, so if you were well liked, you got presents/cake/fuss, if you were barely known you might get a card It worked well.

Mrs OBumble

Best way to stop the behaviour is to organise for collections to yield embarrassingly small amounts: shouldn't be too hard in the current economic times.

Personally, my standard is 2-currency-units (I'm from overseas ) for someone I know a little, up to 5 for someone I like, 0.5 for someone I dislike, and nothing for anyone who I've never met. The idea of throwing in 20 horrifies me.

watna

I'm the one that organises collections where I work - because it's part of my job. My company gives $50 for leaving presents, babies and engagements/marriages. We send around a card with a list of staff attached to it, when you sign the card you cross your name off. You contribute only if you want and nobody can see how much you put in the envelope. We add the staff contribution to the company contribution and get something.

For birhtdays and other celebrations, the person in question usually brings in morning tea and sometimes other team members will bring in some scones or little cakes or something. No money is given for birthdays.

Seriously, best way to do it.

Also - I think that the reason it's always the same person that brings around the envelope because they don't want to contribute. They hide that by being the collector!

az2wp0sye65487

The O/H told me today about something like this that just happened in her place.

A staff member is getting married (who she says she got on very well with, always chatting about stuff & friendly with each other etc.), everyone in the place got an invite to the wedding except my O/H & another girl - but they are now expected to put money into the whip-round!

:eek: :eek:

The Big Red Button

I'd generally only give money if it was for someone I'd have bought a present for anyways even if there wasn't a staff collection! Any jobs I've had were only summer work for a couple of months at a time, in massive companies, so I wouldn't even know half the people working there.

Max Power1

pink fluffy bunny wrote: »

I refuse point blank to put money in to these things.

i dont discremination against anyone, i just say no to everything

Yep - my motto exactly!! (well it was my motto, I was let go earlier this year - hopefully the two arent related )

JJJJNR

worked in a place that I hated for 3 years, they were all a bunch of two faced back stabbers. The only time they ever done a whip round was when people left and they made people stand up and do a speech. (we've bitched, moaned to your boss about you, tried to set you up, discredited your work *that was just my supervisor...but thats all water under the bridge now that your leaving) So as pay back I left at lunch time and didnt go back, got loads of voicemails saying "we are waiting for you to come back for your presentation".

LOL I just couldnt go through with standing up there saying how good the place was..

mikemac

In our place you'd get a dirty look if you put coins in the envelope.
Notes only!
Anything less then a fiver makes you look a cheapskate.

And it's always the women who organize these things. You know, some "mother hen" type. I think someone else used that phrase on this thread, so true.

Nowadays I don't contribute ever.
I'll buy you a pint if you're having drinks after work instead.

It's goes too far when you're getting asked to contribute to somebodies wedding collection and you don't even know them
Invite people to work to the afters at least if you're going to hit them up for a collection!

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Unregistered wrote: »

Does anyone here get tired of the collection plate that goes around the office for various birthdays, leaving do, new babies or sponsorhips for climbing up and down a mountain?

It's always instigated by a mother hen in the office that likes to know everyones business and is really getting tiresome at this stage. Any ideas how to knock this office culture on the head?

I never ever pay for anybodies birthdays, babies, etc etc. I was roped into it once, "ah it's only a tenner" they say. Pretty annoying. They are only work mates, I couldn't give a damn if they think I am a scabby bastard or not. I have enough to pay for without paying for other peoples kids and the likes.

My manager used to say "You have not made the direct debit for the food in the canteen", Eg milk, biscuits, etc etc... I told her I don't use any of it and it's cheaper to buy my own than to give them 10 euro a week for a drop of milk for my tea... She didn't like that... :P

SerialComplaint

I usually tell the mother-hen collector to leave the envelope with me, and then I can whip €5 or €10 out of the envelope at my leisure. They have to pay me to get my signature on the card.

doolox

I find a polite refusal works wonders. If it is brought up as a disciplinary issue I'd ask where it is written in the contract, and it won't be 'cos its illegal to take deductions for such things. I am not at work to make friends but to make money and anyway I have myself and my family to look out for.
Between the scabby government taking taxes and levies etc and the cost of getting to and from work and eating out at lunch that is all I can afford.

BC

I usually say i have no change on me!

I'll give money if its someone i know. What i really object to is giving money to people i've never even had a conversation with!

RangeR

Being a contractor at the time, I told them the truth. I was nice about it but assertive.

"When I leave, there won't be a collection, so no." And there wasn't, for ANY contractors in that company. However, we were all required to donate.

Bren1609

Alaina Damp Dreamer wrote: »

I never ever pay for anybodies birthdays, babies, etc etc. I was roped into it once, "ah it's only a tenner" they say. Pretty annoying. They are only work mates, I couldn't give a damn if they think I am a scabby bastard or not. I have enough to pay for without paying for other peoples kids and the likes.

My manager used to say "You have not made the direct debit for the food in the canteen", Eg milk, biscuits, etc etc... I told her I don't use any of it and it's cheaper to buy my own than to give them 10 euro a week for a drop of milk for my tea... She didn't like that... :P

€10 a week is alot. Are you sure it's not €10 a month??

the_syco

This has happened in some of the companies that I've been in, and I've taken no offense to it. In saying that, the companies were all close knit, where we'd all have a laugh. There would be one or two people dislaiked, but they got no money when they were sacked\dismissed\quit.