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» babble   » walking the talk   » labour and consumption   » 'Tis the season to give...or else

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Author Topic: 'Tis the season to give...or else
angrymonkey
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 5769

posted 02 December 2004 05:45 AM      Profile for angrymonkey     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Has anyone experienced a gift shakedown from a manager in a company? ie- we're all getting a gift for the owner/president/ceo and would you like to give(specific amount here)in cash or have it deducted from your paycheque? And no need for gift ideas, it's already been selected. And to top it off,its one of these opulence flaunting gifts that only rich people buy, you know, like a solid gold letter opener.
From: the cold | Registered: May 2004  |  IP: Logged
lagatta
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2534

posted 02 December 2004 07:46 AM      Profile for lagatta     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
You folks have a union?

You could always pretend to be a Jehovah's witness, or some other creed that forbids celebration of Christmas...

We followers of Bastet only give gifts to our cats.


From: Se non ora, quando? | Registered: Apr 2002  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560

posted 02 December 2004 08:18 AM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
That's obnoxious!

I mean, if a colleague is having a baby, often the hat will be passed to get them something, but an amount is never specified, and no one is pressured to give - in fact, I think the way it's usually done in my office is that an envelope is passed from one mailbox to the next, so usually no one knows who gave what, and then everyone signs the card. Yeah, that means that one might, if they wanted to, give nothing and then sign the card as though they did give something. But that sort of thing isn't worried about so much.

But no, I haven't worked somewhere that everyone is expected to give cash in order to buy the person who earns the most money in the organization an expensive gift for Christmas. That's really obnoxious.

[ 02 December 2004: Message edited by: Michelle ]


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Debra
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 117

posted 02 December 2004 08:46 AM      Profile for Debra   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure that it used to be considered a breach of etiquette to buy for "higher ups" .

Gift giving was to be done from the top down, hence the tradition of employees receiving a turkey from the company.

Interesting how in our corporate ruled society that both traditions have gone by the wayside and now those that have plenty are receiving gifts from those that may not.


From: The only difference between graffiti & philosophy is the word fuck... | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
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Babbler # 560

posted 02 December 2004 08:53 AM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
No kidding, Deb. Most places I've worked have had a Holiday dinner party, either in the evening, or for a very long extended lunch (the latter where I am now), where the company/boss picks up the tab.
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
skdadl
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Babbler # 478

posted 02 December 2004 09:11 AM      Profile for skdadl     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
The last time I was on staff anywhere, the only standard gift-giving was farewell gifts, usually given to long-serving staff at a pleasant party for everyone.

Traditionally, because those gifts were supposed to represent the company's gratitude to someone who had contributed much, the company shelled out for both the gifts, usually substantial and useful things, too (a fax machine for an employee turning freelancer, eg), and the party.

It was a real marker of a nasty change in regime, I thought, when suddenly people trying to organize yet another of those affairs, for a very long-serving worker, were informed that we had to raise the money ourselves for everything from the retiring workers' colleagues. We did as well as we could, but I still remember the obvious shock on her face when she unwrapped the token we'd been able to afford and saw the mingy refreshments.


Hers was the first party to be "right-sized," as we were only learning to say at the time (late 80s). In a few years, it would be a lot more than parties that got that treatment.


From: gone | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Mr. Magoo
guilty-pleasure
Babbler # 3469

posted 02 December 2004 10:18 AM      Profile for Mr. Magoo   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
All of our parties, gifts, etc., come out of employee pockets. I asked about this once and was told it's just a matter of optics. We aren't given any base funding by the university proper, but since we still carry the name it just doesn't look so good if our employer is paying for a party, or our employer is footing the bill for a going-away gift. People would talk, etc.

Meanwhile, we do it much like Michelle's office: pass around the envelope and the card, write what you wish, give what you wish. Nobody stands there watching.


From: ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø, | Registered: Dec 2002  |  IP: Logged
angrymonkey
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posted 02 December 2004 03:59 PM      Profile for angrymonkey     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Yeah, it is obnoxious. It might just be a management type wanting to brownnose by presenting a fancy gift I suppose.

I used to work in a small company that got bigger, downsized and then went bankcrupt.(over 10 years). Every birthday was met with a birthday cake-then just a card and then the last few years nothing. Yet upper management was getting new vehicles and custom designed houses right up to the bitter end. Of course by then the management that had started the company had been forced out.

It's just the people. Either you're generous or you're not. Our parties were great- but they were planned by a fellow employee. Management didn't really care- when she left the parties were pretty crappy.

Example- I'm vegetarian. Everyone knew(because they kidded me about it). One X-mas party at a very nice restaurant I was not given the pre-arranged veggie meal. The employee organizer noticed this and immediately went to the restaurant liason and got me my meal.
Years later, I was sitting right next to the top management person who organized the x-mas dinner in this mini-mall chinese restaurant. There were about 8 dishes- I could only eat 2. The standard dish of veggies and the rice bowl. It was so obvious that I wasn't eating anything while my table was porking down that one fellow I worked with was uncomfortable eating infront of me. He didn't eat much rice so I could have more of it. This was one reason I declined to go to the party the next year even though I was heavily pressured to do so.
Oh well, it's a good thing I'm getting all this humbug out of my system before the holidays start.


From: the cold | Registered: May 2004  |  IP: Logged

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