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kelkel09
Love my twins!!!
Member since 6/10 5183 total posts
Name:
K
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Collecting Money at Work
So at my job, we have frequent parties. Every week it is another person's birthday, last day, wedding, etc etc. So every week it is another cake/party. They are constantly collecting money from everyone to chip in for the cake or food and also for a gift. It's not even like they are asking people to chip in, they are just telling us that we all owe $10 here or $5 there by a certain date.
Now, I am by no means cheap and I am definitely happy to help celebrate these occassions for people. However, it just seems like a bit much when it is really every week. It is just assumed everyone has $10 to give every week for someone else's party. They don't even give you the option.
I don't know why, but this irks me. Does anyone else have an office like this? Am I wrong for feeling like it is way to much to be asking of people?
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Posted 4/20/11 9:10 AM  |
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maybebaby
LIF Adult
Member since 11/05 6870 total posts
Name:
Maureen
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
It is DEFINITELY asking too much of people.
We are charitable people..we give in any way we can to things when we have money. But DH's work does this constantly...either "you all owe $10 for marys baby shower gift" or "$10 due by friday for the company luncheon" (he works for the government and they never pick up the tab, lol).
It's ok when you have money to spare. But there have been weeks where we are seriously paycheck to paycheck..just how it's been at times. And he did what he had to do, gave the money, but vented to me that he thought it wasn't really right they they are doing this ALL the time.
WAY different if they were asking here and there for a few bucks to chip in..this was a mandatory thing and he would never say no and look cheap. But, its not right. I totally agree with you!
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| Posted 4/20/11 9:14 AM |
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acm1899
LIF Adult
Member since 1/11 1085 total posts
Name:
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
Mandatory? That's crazy. There has to be some sort of opt-out. They may as well just garnish your wages every week for 'party fees'. That's crazy. Or if the employer wants to be so festive, why don't they pay for it? At least they get to expense it for business purposes.
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| Posted 4/20/11 9:18 AM |
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kelkel09
Love my twins!!!
Member since 6/10 5183 total posts
Name:
K
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
Posted by maybebaby
It is DEFINITELY asking too much of people.
We are charitable people..we give in any way we can to things when we have money. But DH's work does this constantly...either "you all owe $10 for marys baby shower gift" or "$10 due by friday for the company luncheon" (he works for the government and they never pick up the tab, lol).
It's ok when you have money to spare. But there have been weeks where we are seriously paycheck to paycheck..just how it's been at times. And he did what he had to do, gave the money, but vented to me that he thought it wasn't really right they they are doing this ALL the time.
WAY different if they were asking here and there for a few bucks to chip in..this was a mandatory thing and he would never say no and look cheap. But, its not right. I totally agree with you!
yeah same situation. i work for a government run hospital so there is no budget for us to have these parties. they expect us all to chip in for everything!
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| Posted 4/20/11 9:20 AM |
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MySunshine
In love with my Baby Boy
Member since 3/11 2783 total posts
Name:
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
That really blows! Can you suggest that the celebrate all the month's birthdays once a month? That way everyone still gets a cake but it's $10 a month instead of $10 a week.
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| Posted 4/20/11 9:22 AM |
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racheK
Hudson's Momma
Member since 10/10 2853 total posts
Name:
Rachel
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
We have monthly birthday celebration that takes care of everyone with a birthday that month. An email goes out to with a list of everyones birthday that falls during the month (we just did April birthdays last Friday) and we celebrate with cupcakes, cake, etc. in the boardroom. We do have an actual budget for these parties but we have a large company---maybe it would be something that you can take turns baking for? As in, you can sign up to make birthday cupcakes for a certain month?
Message edited 4/20/2011 9:26:28 AM.
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| Posted 4/20/11 9:25 AM |
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annoyedTTCer
LIF Adult
Member since 4/09 3272 total posts
Name:
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
We do monthly celebrations, all the April birthdays get celebrated at once.
Easier to organize and cheaper than doing something every week.
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| Posted 4/20/11 9:33 AM |
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jilliibabii
Mrs. O'Connor
Member since 6/10 12821 total posts
Name:
Jillian
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
Posted by annoyedTTCer
We do monthly celebrations, all the April birthdays get celebrated at once.
Easier to organize and cheaper than doing something every week.
This sounds like a better plan. One party, one cake a month. Geez, how do you guys get anything done at work with all your partying? 
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| Posted 4/20/11 9:40 AM |
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summerBaby10
let's be nice
Member since 9/07 10208 total posts
Name:
Wifey
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
Posted by annoyedTTCer
We do monthly celebrations, all the April birthdays get celebrated at once.
Easier to organize and cheaper than doing something every week.
This is what we did too.
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| Posted 4/20/11 9:42 AM |
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Bearcat
Love my little girls!!! <3
Member since 6/10 10818 total posts
Name:
E
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
wowzers. i think that's very unreasonable. the only time contributions are asked for is when someone is getting married, having a baby, retiring, or celebrating a milestone birthday. and it's to get the person a gift. AND it's voluntary. always.
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| Posted 4/20/11 9:47 AM |
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kimmaymb20
a year of surprise
Member since 7/09 1119 total posts
Name:
Kimberly
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
This year its been crazy with all the weddings in our office. But in our dept they wanted to change the way we do birthdays to bring our own cake in. At that point I'd rather not celebrate bithdays lol but we usually take things out of petty cash for partys
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| Posted 4/20/11 9:54 AM |
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nrthshgrl
It goes fast. Pay attention.
Member since 7/05 57538 total posts
Name:
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
We no longer do office birthdays. We have an occasion lunch on the company but nothing major.
I think you should suggest the monthly celebration thing. I'm sure you are not the only one that is dreading that envelope being passed.
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| Posted 4/20/11 10:03 AM |
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
Our office pays for the cakes. We don't do presents. They did do 1 wedding shower and 2 baby showers. Everyone was asked to put in what they wanted - no judgement. Only catch, if you didn't put any money in, you didn't get to sign the card - big deal.
I think $5-10/week is a lot. I'd feel your co-workers out to see how they feel about stopping it or just setting a lower limit.
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| Posted 4/20/11 10:16 AM |
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NASP09
...
Member since 6/05 6030 total posts
Name:
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
At my job the last person whose birthday it was buys the cake for the next birthday person. There is a master birthday list so everyone knows when they have to buy a cake.
As far as weddings, babies or sympathy gifts, etc, we are asked to chip in, but its whatever you want to donate.
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| Posted 4/20/11 10:19 AM |
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EsquireFish
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 1259 total posts
Name:
G
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
Can you suggest that they hold a monthly party to celebrate ALL occasions? And the company should pay for it, not the employees. It is one thing if you work in a small group with 5 people, but another if there are dozens of people -- the company can pay $50-100 a month to cover the cost of a cake, soda, chips, etc. and everyone gets celebrated all at once.
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| Posted 4/20/11 10:50 AM |
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kelkel09
Love my twins!!!
Member since 6/10 5183 total posts
Name:
K
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
yeah doing the montly birthday parties definitely makes sense. it just comes down to the other occassions where they are not asking ppl to chip in but rather just telling us how much we owe that drives me nuts.
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| Posted 4/20/11 11:13 AM |
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Mrs213
????????
Member since 2/09 18986 total posts
Name:
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
This is why we don't do birthdays at work, it was getting to be too much. We just do major events
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| Posted 4/20/11 11:23 AM |
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GioiaMia
Let's Go Rangers!
Member since 1/07 14818 total posts
Name:
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
I can't believe you guys do birthdays at work! LOL I had no idea!
For baby showers, bridal showers, promotion parties, retirement parties,major holidays - a flyer goes out by email that says
$5 for gift
$10 for party AND gift
with a contact person.
if you want to go, you find the person and pay. If you do not pay, you do not attend that's the end of it!
I would put an end to the birthday parties LOL I never work on my birthday anyway - tell people to take off
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| Posted 4/20/11 12:43 PM |
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BriBri2u
L'amore vince sempre
Member since 5/05 9320 total posts
Name:
Mrs. B
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
In my old department they would do one cake for all the people born in that month.
In my current department they do everyone individually, but the department picks up the tab for the cake.
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| Posted 4/20/11 12:57 PM |
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Jennifer
Happy
Member since 5/05 4230 total posts
Name:
.
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
I used to be in this situation at my old job. At this office... We get lunch and cake delivered on the first Tuesday of the month to celebrate that months birthday.
The company pays for it and we don't have to chip in.
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| Posted 4/20/11 1:12 PM |
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JP826
=)
Member since 9/06 10903 total posts
Name:
Me!! All about ME!
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
Posted by annoyedTTCer
We do monthly celebrations, all the April birthdays get celebrated at once.
Easier to organize and cheaper than doing something every week.
We do the same here.
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| Posted 4/20/11 1:26 PM |
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ali120206
2 Boys
Member since 7/06 17792 total posts
Name:
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
We just cut back from monthly b-day celebrations to quarterly because of budget cuts. The company foots the bill for this.
Everyone is entitled to one wedding and one baby shower. The company pays for the cake and people can contribute whatever they wish towards a gift.
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| Posted 4/20/11 1:31 PM |
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LoveMyHubby605
Our April Baby is here!
Member since 4/11 2418 total posts
Name:
A
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
omg...I HATE THIS!!! Our office has over 100 employees so when they do "collections" it is an all day affair that would be dumped on one of the admins. I hate, hate, hate asking for money so I was always horrible at it  but one admin would take the job too seriously and have a list of all employees and check them off as they donated. It was ridiculous and intimidating.
What's worse is that I was 23 when I started at this office and making probably the least and IM contributing to all these seniors with babies, weddings, even funerals that make 2x, 3x, 4x as much as me???
I think if you are close with a coworker, it is your perogative to gather some of THEIR close friends at work and chip in for a cake. No need to harass everyone who probably doesn't even know the person.
I'm office manager now and I have made it known (before I even got this position) that I REFUSEEEE to go around with cards. If I 'm close with a person at work, I will get them a personal card, gift when there is an occasion for it and I encourage everyone to do the same.
I grew a stronger backbone since my early 20s.
Sorry for the long post, this really irks me.
OHHH one more thing. One of the admins got married and they collected almost 1k for her (most people didn't even LIKE her but was so harassed for the money). Then she ended up not even coming back after she got married  That really left a bad taste in my mouth 
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| Posted 4/20/11 2:15 PM |
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smdl
I love Gary too..on a plate!
Member since 5/06 32461 total posts
Name:
me
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Re: Collecting Money at Work
Telling, not asking? Now that's some nerve.
I would stop giving unless you are directly know, working with those people.
At some point, in a 100 size office, we did a combined birthday cake for the birthday of the months. It was getting nuts.
But asking every week is out of control.
I would be the odd man but I would say I don't want to participate anymore.
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| Posted 4/20/11 2:23 PM |
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