Boss took over chris kindle and gave other peoples' gifts away

LegacyUser

Hi, in our office we (the staff) arranged a chris kindle thing together for those staff who wished to participate.

We all decided we would place the gifts under the tree and that everyone would go find their gift and find out who it was from.

I got my team leader in the name thing, and so I got her a really nice gift because she's my team leader!

I found out that the higher manager told everyone to go and take a random gift from under the tree, and to ignore the names that were on them. To my dismay some of them actually did, and they took gifts that weren't meant for them.

So someone else got the gift I got for my team leader and i'm fuming. Why would someone involved in higher management get involved in a staff thing and tell them what to do?

I want to confront her and tell her off for what she did. That's an abuse of power and unprofessional in my eyes. This is my first "real" job and I have never seen anything like this in any other job I've held (mostly services sector).

Advice please anyone?

Eoin

Honestly, it sounds like a bit of a non-issue (albeit an annoying one for you) that isn't worth confronting senior management about.

tenchi-fan

She sounds like a stupid bitch. And whoever took the gifts were also idiots. I'd hate to work where-ever you work.

However, not worth coming to management's attention.

Buy a small gift for your direct manager.

Pablo Sanchez

Username54 wrote: »

I want to confront her and tell her off for what she did. That's an abuse of power and unprofessional in my eyes. This is my first "real" job and I have never seen anything like this in any other job I've held (mostly services sector).

Advice please anyone?

Yeah its annoying maybe, but nothing to get upset about. Leave it as is, no point persuing it, you will end up the worse for it undoubtably.

Mrs OBumble

Of course managers have to get involved with staff things in the workplace -that's their job. Or else "bullying" etc would be ok, provided it was done by staff too staff. Don't kid yourself: social clubs, staff outings, etc only ever happen with management approval, and there are times when management need to clearly direct how things will happen.

There may have been some problems with people getting people who they didn't like, and putting "non-present" items in - perhaps the manager found out about it, and it was a way of getting around a problem.

You need to get over it, on the scale of things it's not a biggie. And if you want to curry favour with the TL, do it directly.

not even wrong

Username54 wrote: »

I got my team leader in the name thing, and so I got her a really nice gift because she's my team leader!

So what you're saying is, you're annoyed because your attempt to kiss ass failed?

Batgurl

Wow, people here are mean! I understand your predicament OP. U put alot of thought into your gift and that was trod on by some idiot staff member. People here are saying blame the people who took the presents but they were just doing what they're senior management told them to do. I think you should go and ask the manager who's idea it was to grab random gifts. don't accuse or get agressive, ask it curiously and within earshot of other colleagues...trust me it'll help ur anger just to hear their weak pathetic response!

Bubblefett

not even wrong wrote: »

So what you're saying is, you're annoyed because your attempt to kiss ass failed?

That is the stupidest responce I have ever heard.


OP I understand why you're annoyed. You put a lot of time and effort into selecting the gift to show your appriciation for your team leader and now they won't know.

But I can tell you this isn't worth starting a fight with higher management about. If you go and complain/give out you'll just make them think of you negatively in future. The point is not worth the risks in my opionion.

Take pride in the fact that your lovely gift has made someone else in the office happy. Your boss was wrong. You're right to be upset. But it's not right to act on it. In time this will become a small matter and in future you'll have another chance to make you team leader feel appriciated.

Eoin

not even wrong wrote: »

So what you're saying is, you're annoyed because your attempt to kiss ass failed?

That's not helpful, please don't post on this thread again.

I think you should go and ask the manager who's idea it was to grab random gifts. don't accuse or get agressive, ask it curiously and within earshot of other colleagues

I don't. I think you should pick your battles, and these doesn't sound like one of them that's worth getting stressed about.