# Collections at work



## liaconn (15 Jul 2010)

Does anyone else think that some people are a bit too  over zealous in starting collections in work. I didn't mind up to a year or so ago, but now I just don't have enough money to be giving every week to so and so down the corridor's new baby present, or someone I don't work directly with's  40th birthday or a tenner for somebody who's moving from one room to another (seriously! People just moving up stairs). The going rate where I work is usually a tenner a time and it can really add up. I have no problem with a collection for someone who's moving on to a new job, or who is getting married or retiring or something major like that, but not all these trivial 'lets do a collection for him' type things over nothing much. I know I can refuse to contribute, but that can be really awkward.


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## Bill Struth (15 Jul 2010)

We have a fund in our office in which everyone donates a fiver a month. If there's a birthday ending in '0', or a marriage, retirement or someone leaving, then they get a wee tea party and a few euro in an envelope. 

It seems better than having the same people contribute every time and the same people not giving a penny but stuffing their faces with cake and unashamedly signing the card!


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## Latrade (15 Jul 2010)

It did get so bad in here that the management had to step in and ask people to ease off the whole collection thing. Generally, across a floor we'll only do a collection for someone who's leaving and even then only if they put in a bit of a decent length of service. Otherwise it's just meeting up at the pub on the last day.

We'll still do other collections, babies etc, but it's kept among a close-knit group rather than going around for everyone, so it's not too onerous and it's only someone you actually like that way.


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## fizzelina (15 Jul 2010)

We have an envelope that goes around for collections and it's private so €2 would be as common to put in as €10. I totally agree a tenner a week is way excessive. We have a very big office but not many collections and when there is one I don't give a tenner. We also limit collections to that person's team / direct work colleagues usually.


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## mathepac (15 Jul 2010)

If this kind of (inappropriate IMHO) carry-on is putting people under pressure either by embarrassing them into contributing to collections for people they don't know or into giving more than can afford, then it needs to stop, immediately. In some places I worked I saw this practice as akin to bullying.

In my last two businesses we handled this "collections" stuff by having an optional sports and social club which looked after cards, flowers, masses and pressies during the year for births, marriages and deaths, paid for at least one staff night out per year and the balance went into a kitty towards the Christmas party.

We allowed no collections on any of the premises for charity walks or events, (the businesses made fixed contributions to two charities per year as nominated by the staff) no collections for lotto syndicates or for anything else and no signing of petitions or 'surveys'.


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## micmclo (15 Jul 2010)

Ah, every office has a mother hen and some have several.

I don't mind paying for somebody leaving, that's fine.
And if you're doing a marathon that's cool and takes months of training so I'll contribute. Due Respect 
And I mean a real marathon not some quick run called a "mini marathon", who are you kidding?

"Send me to trek the Andes"
"Send me to boat down the Amazon"
It might be organized by a charity but no way am I paying for your trip of a lifetime.


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## DB74 (15 Jul 2010)

liaconn said:


> a tenner for somebody who's moving from one room to another (seriously! People just moving up stairs)


 
Do they not get redundancy for that sort of move?


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## JP1234 (15 Jul 2010)

Absolutely agree that the whole collection thing is out of hand, I worked in a place  where myself and another moved to another department, about 20 feet away, and was mortified when they presented me with a card and a small gift.

Only on one occasion have I refused to contribute, for someone who left the company a week or so after I joined who I had maybe spoken to once and was huffily told I wasn't allowed to sign the card!


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## Leper (15 Jul 2010)

Yes, when I used to work in the Public Service the collection caper got out of hand.  It was alright at first retirements, marriages.  Then the birthday presents crept in followed by Christmas presents.  Then came the births, sister-in-law doing a walk in the Andes for whatever (one wonders why she could not walk up O'Connell St for the same charity).  Then people wanted sponsorship for their holidays in Malaysia on the point that the holiday was for charity.  In short, the whole matter got out of hand.

I left the Public Service to set up my own company and we have a few employees.  Guess what - No collections, no matter what, my rule.  It works. I pay bonus, productivity payments, unsocial hours along with a few more.  But, collections are a No-No.


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## AgathaC (15 Jul 2010)

They just don't happen anymore where I work. Without anything being said, they just became a thing of the past when pay freezes etc etc came along.


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## PyritePete (15 Jul 2010)

JP1234 said:


> Absolutely agree that the whole collection thing is out of hand


 
I remember someone who called a radio station (think it was the late G Ryan show) who had paid out something like 1500 quid between himself & herself - leaving presents, special birthdays etc...all within the first three months of the year


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## fizzelina (16 Jul 2010)

And actually the whole "Irish Grand National / huge bumper lotto / world cup / Cheltenham, other sport lot of people are not interested in" syndicate really annoys me too. Like they need 30 people to run a grand national sweep where you pay a tenner, get some crap horse just so someone else can win the pot!! And you feel so obliged to participate as otherwise they won't have the numbers to do it. Even though outside of that you never gamble or spend money on horses. Actually I feel next time I'm asked I will tell them I don't gamble outside work so not going to do it in work.


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## corkgal (16 Jul 2010)

I stopped paying into mine when 5 people left in the one month. I agree that HR should get involved to stop it if it looks like its getting out of control.


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## Complainer (16 Jul 2010)

We brought in some rules that;

a) Any collections/gifts should only be done in agreement with the 'target', as some people don't want to celebrate.
b) Collections would be done by notifying people that an envelope is available at reception - opt-in instead of opt-out
c) The only event supported by the company is retirement
d) Any time involved in arranging collections and any presentations are done on personal time.


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## truthseeker (16 Jul 2010)

I am often approached with the collection envelope and asked to pass it round my department (i am approachable but more likely as Im the only female in mine), I announce the envelope to the office, leave it on a shelf for the rest of the day and return it next day. On occasion it goes back empty - I make no apology for that when I hand it back - its anonymous as far as Im concerned, left on a shelf to be donated to if you please.

We have also had people personally approach each member of staff with an envelope but they are usually given short shrift.


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## Ciaraella (16 Jul 2010)

We had a ridiculous amount of collections going on at one point for early retirements, i would always have given something but decided that unless i knew the person well i was giving up contributing, i think sometimes people just can't say no and that's what we need to get good at!


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## TarfHead (16 Jul 2010)

fizzelina said:


> We have an envelope that goes around for collections and it's private so €2 would be as common to put in as €10.


 
+1
Also, if I don't know someone, I've no qualms about not contributing.

I'm a bit of a Grinch when it comes to adults looking for a fuss in work to be made for their birthday. If it's a 'milestone' birthday, fair enough, otherwise leave it at home.


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## liaconn (16 Jul 2010)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds this annoying. I think it's important, if someone is retiring or resigning after a long time with the company, that the event, the friends the person has made, and the contribution they have made to the organisation is acknowledged. However, I see no reason why everybody on the corridor has to cram into a room, making small talk and eating victoria sponge, while someone is being congratulated on reaching the fantastic age of 30. I always feel sorry for the boss who has to make the presentation on these occasions.What's he supposed to say? 'It seems like no time since we were bringing Johnny home from the hospital, and look at him now....'
I mean, for crying out loud.


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## AgathaC (16 Jul 2010)

liaconn said:


> However, I see no reason why everybody on the corridor has to cram into a room, making small talk and eating victoria sponge, while someone is being congratulated on reaching the fantastic age of 30. I always feel sorry for the boss who has to make the presentation on these occasions.What's he supposed to say? 'It seems like no time since we were bringing Johnny home from the hospital, and look at him now....'
> I mean, for crying out loud.


  Absolutely agree, thankfully anywhere I have worked, this hasnt featured.


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## ophelia (16 Jul 2010)

Last Winter I went to a VEC art class - a short course of ten, two hour sessions.
I paid a fee of course, but as usual there is always one character who feels we should 'buy teacher a present' at the end of the course. 
I and some others felt it did not necessitiate buying a present, particularly as the course was by no means fantastic. However, some still went ahead and passed the envelope around - I think it is a silly practice which needs to be reviewed in the present state of peoples finances.


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## JP1234 (16 Jul 2010)

ophelia said:


> Last Winter I went to a VEC art class - a short course of ten, two hour sessions.
> I paid a fee of course, but as usual there is always one character who feels we should 'buy teacher a present' at the end of the course.
> I and some others felt it did not necessitiate buying a present, particularly as the course was by no means fantastic. However, some still went ahead and passed the envelope around - I think it is a silly practice which needs to be reviewed in the present state of peoples finances.



Seriously! That is just wrong, I don't get the mentality of people who would do that, it's not like the teacher was doing the job for free!

Going slightly OT, it's the same with parents buying school teachers a gift "from the child". Wholly inappropriate and was thankfully banned when my son was at Primary.


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## cork (16 Jul 2010)

It is crazy the amount of coolections, birthdays, for newborns, weedings etc.

Another thing that I find annoying is charity collections for trips to 3rd  world countries.


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## liaconn (16 Jul 2010)

I also hate when someone specifies that they _*don't*_ want a collection and they *don't* want a presentation and people just ignore them and go ahead anyway. It caused major embarassment where I work a while ago when a collection had to be dismantled and handed back to the donors because the subject of the collection was furious his request had been ignored.


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## Yorrick (16 Jul 2010)

The trick is to hold on to some of that useless foreign currency from east europeasia where a paper note may be worth only 10 cents.
When the envelope is going around toss it in. No one will notice.
Job done !! 

Pizza vouchers also work


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## DB74 (16 Jul 2010)

Yorrick said:


> The trick is to hold on to some of that useless foreign currency from east europeasia where a paper note may be worth only 10 cents.


 
Funnily enough I got a Latvian LAT2 coin last week as change somewhere. It is the spitting image of a €2 coin - same size and weight. I was suspicious because it was dated 1999 and the EURO didn't come into circulation until 2002, not to mention the fact that Latvia aren't actually in the EUROzone. I presumed that it would be worth about 5c or something so was planning to dump it into a car park somewhere but actually it is worth €2.85

[broken link removed]


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## Leper (16 Jul 2010)

For once, I think we are all in agreement.  Don't contribute. Forget about putting pizza vouchers in an envelope (that's downright schadenfreude).  You only have to say 'No' once.  If you keep saying 'Yes' well it will cost you.  Stand up and have your contribution not counted.


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## WaterWater (17 Jul 2010)

ophelia said:


> Last Winter I went to a VEC art class - a short course of ten, two hour sessions.
> I paid a fee of course, but as usual there is always one character who feels we should 'buy teacher a present' at the end of the course.
> I and some others felt it did not necessitiate buying a present, particularly as the course was by no means fantastic. However, some still went ahead and passed the envelope around - I think it is a silly practice which needs to be reviewed in the present state of peoples finances.


 
I might be able to top this one.

We were on a weeks trip with the Travel Department in Italy a few years back. During the trip it was someone's wedding anniversary. Someone who became a drinking buddy of theirs during the trip decided to have a collection for the anniversary couple. I couldn't believe it when we were approached for a donation for a present. As we were only on a few days nodding aquaintance to these people we declined.
Needless to say we were blackballed for the rest of the trip. Didn't bother us as were were there to see the sights and not to spend the day inside the local pub.


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## MandaC (17 Jul 2010)

The office (betty stash , ie petty cash) pays for a cake when it is somebodys birthday.  Just your own floor, not the whole office.  They get a cake with candles, some little buns, sometimes fruit at tea break usually around half past four.  Everyone usually takes 10-15 minutes from their day to have a chat, tea, etc and to be honest I enjoy it.

There is a collection when there is a landmark birthday, or a wedding or a birth of a baby, but it is limited just to our own floor.  There is no pressure on anybody to contribute, the envelope is passed around.

If I am starving, I have been known to visit another floor to see if there is any leftover cake or biccies from a bday!


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