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AIBU?

To not chip in for £120 pen

46 replies

Jackfruitburger · 14/09/2018 23:23

I work for a small business that only opened last year. The owners are a husband and wife team and the wife is the manager. As it's coming up to our one year anniversary the husband has suggested that we all chip in to buy a present for the manager for all her hard work and dedication.
Now let me just start by saying that I like my manager and she does work bloody hard. I see the times she replies to emails, 2am, 6am etc. But it is her business and it is the first year, she should be working hard to make it succeed!
I wouldn't mind putting in a tenner but he has suggested £20 as he wants to get her a £120 pen and a £70 notepad! I wouldn't pay this out of principle that it is a ridiculous amount of money. Three other staff members have said no and two have coughed up. I'm not against getting her a gift but I'm against the present suggestion. I feel that he thinks he should get her something (as she does all the work) and we all have to pay for it!

OP posts:

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Bighouseinthesticks · 14/09/2018 23:27

Eh no, her reward is a successful business.

NeverTwerkNaked · 14/09/2018 23:28

Yanbu. . That’s a ridiculous idea. They should be sorting a thank you to all of you (if anything) not the other waunroind

NancyDonahue · 14/09/2018 23:29

I dont agree with that at all. You're a team. You should ALL get something, like a meal, to celebrate the first year in business. If the owner wants to treat the manager then HE should foot the bill. The cheek!

SpoonBlender · 14/09/2018 23:30

No, as per bighouse. Her husband is a thoughtless dick who'll probably turn up in a sports car at some point and say "things are going downhill, we need to sack four of you".

altiara · 14/09/2018 23:30

YANBU! If he wants to celebrate his wife working hard for THEIR business, then HE should reward her! What are you employees getting?

SimplyPut · 14/09/2018 23:30

If she is decent she will be mortified!

Her husband getting her a gift makes sense, but would assume either privately or a treat for you all!

Purpleartichoke · 14/09/2018 23:31

You never gift up in the workplace.

Chickychoccyegg · 14/09/2018 23:32

haha, he's taking the piss, the owner's should be treating the staff to celebrate, not the staff buying a ridiculously priced gift for an owner/manager, I wouldn't put in anything I were you

ChangChang · 14/09/2018 23:33

Seems odd to me. I'd think a more normal scenario would be the owner / manager paying a token gift to their staff, if anything - or laying on a celebratory lunch, etc. As PP said, the manager's 'reward' is success in the business they wanted to establish - a gift from husband to wife is a sweet (personal) gesture that the staff shouldn't have to chip in for...

TownHall · 14/09/2018 23:33

I'd politely decline then I'd probably laugh.

PermanentlyFrizzyHairBall · 14/09/2018 23:34

YANBU. He should buy his wife a present not her employees. She's working hard in her own interests to make herself a successful business not as a charitable venture fir her employees!

Jackfruitburger · 14/09/2018 23:35

To be fair they did take us all out for a meal and she did get us a little gift. I'm not against getting her something but it's the price that's being quoted and that he is telling us what to get!
I've worked for many a small business and I've never bought the owner a gift. Actually I bought one manager a bottle of wine as he wrote me a nice reference. Generally they're all so well off that they don't need my scabby Next Reed diffusers.

OP posts:

Anastassiabeaverhausen · 14/09/2018 23:35

He should be paying for it, the right bastard. And they should be treating you guys, not the other way around.

Anastassiabeaverhausen · 14/09/2018 23:36

*tight bastard

Victoria2018 · 14/09/2018 23:37

They should be buying there staff something as they are the ones that keep a business going. Yes she reply’s to your emails etc (I thought that’s what managers do) but don’t you play some part in the business being still around.

Pigeonpost · 14/09/2018 23:39

This is batshit! I set up my own business last year. I celebrated a successful first year by taking my team out for dinner. I did not make them pay!!!

ScreamingValenta · 14/09/2018 23:42

This would fall into my £2 donation category. Or possibly the pretend not to have seen the email category

lexer · 14/09/2018 23:48

So wrong. You don't buy the owner of a company a gift. They are your employers. The husband sounds like a wally.

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 14/09/2018 23:49

This is incredibly cheeky. A GF of the worst type.

I ran my own business for 15 years. It would never have occurred to me that my employees should buy me a present. WTAF?

Sure your manager works long hours. But it's her business so that's what you'd expect.

I'd refuse and say something along the lines of: Your wife's hard work and dedication goes to make the business you both own a success. It's only natural that she puts in all those hours. But it's not clear why her staff should be shelling out for an expensive pen when she's only acting in her own interests.

Actually I'd be too chicken to say that, but I'd be thinking it

HollowTalk · 14/09/2018 23:56

No, you don't pay for a present for your boss. Not an expensive present like that, anyway. Are you paid much above minimum wage? That could be three hours' pay for you.

MyBambi · 15/09/2018 00:13

That's sad that he only sees his wife doing a good job.Without the staff his business would of failed...I would of been pissed off.What a way to motivate people to work hard.

Rebecca36 · 15/09/2018 00:13

No, it's a bit much really. You could all go out to dinner to celebrate the success of the business. A gift like that is more suitable as a leaving gift and I presume she's not leaving.

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Gersemi · 15/09/2018 00:23

That's ridiculous. I was involved in the start-up of a successful business once, I don't think anyone even noticed the first anniversary. Really, staggering through to the one year mark isn't a big deal. It might merit a celebration if or when the business makes ten years, but again in my experience in that situation the business owners pay for anything that's done to mark the anniversary, they don't expect employees to give them presents.

cheesemongery · 15/09/2018 00:28

Nope. I work for a small business - we all work incredibly hard to make the business a success. If anything our boss thanks us with a bonus or suchlike, he definitely wouldn't expect a gift from us.

Yes she's worked hard, but so she should as it's her business. Her husband can buy something nice for her as a congratulations. He shouldn't be funding his 'proud' gift from staff.

Duck90 · 15/09/2018 00:35

TBF they have taken staff out and given them gifts. He obviously thinks that the business is like family to everyone, hence thinking the staff would be delighted to chip in.

However, it is totally misguided assumption on his part.

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