Left job after 25 years, all I got was flowers 🫣

Because people get paid for the job they do.
Why would I give my money to buy them a present when they leave?
It's ridiculous that I'm expected to use my money from the job that I get paid to do to buy a present for some who is leaving that same job.
Utterly bizarre.

Why? It seems a bizarre rule to enforce so strictly.

Tell that to the Heads who order in expensive deli lunches for meetings with external people from their pet projects. Or take them out to lunch. And loads of other non-child related perks.

We’ve done collections when colleagues retire or go on maternity leave… I think if you’re leaving a company to pursue a career with a different company though, then a bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates is reasonable…
Companies thank us for our work by paying us, giving us extra A/L days etc for long service.. companies don’t in my experience give a gift when leave to work elsewhere.

Why do people expect gifts when abandoning their workplace lol

I retired from civil service job after 43 years, helped train multiple colleagues, took on difficult cases others couldn't do, thought I was supportive colleague.... I didn't even get a card, let alone a gift! It was just around end of covid and last manager was new to the job and a lazy so and so... he didn't even arrange the civil service official gift we are due... I can't just blame him though colleagues didn't even organise anything eventhough we were in office one day a week. He also should have sorted civil service medal re long service but didn't 🙄.
I got a job in completely different type of private co after, stayed couple of years and had wonderful leaving card, cakes and gift from colleagues on site and further afield. This made up for it a bit 😊

Am sure this will be a comforting message.

I worked at a supermarket from the age of 15 to 25. I did a lot of different roles and managed to work my way up a decent amount. When I got a new job my boss tried to convince me to stay and said he needed me, but I was leaving for a better work life balance. Turned out he was quite resentful about this. I got a card shoved in my hand off a college who mumbled that shed been told not to get me anything. No one else got me a thing and I walked out of there on my last day without so much as a goodbye. Needless to say it was the right decision! 😅

I love flowers and would be happy to receive them but I'll probably get some rubbish tat I don't want. I'm not expecting anything and will be glad to see the back of them after 23 years 🤣😂 Don't take it personally and just move on without a backward glance. ❤️

When I retired from the NHS as a nurse after nearly 40 years I had a lovely bracelet and some flowers from my immediate colleagues however I had diddly squat from management, not even a farewell e-mail and on my last day as I was about to leave my line manager's parting words were ' I need your ID badge' ( never did like the bitch!)

Depends on a lot of factors. I left during a huge restructure and got nothing.

After 36 yrs in the nhs after years of contributing to others I didn’t even get a card! I had been wfh as I was immunosuppressed half way through 2nd covid

I’m really confused by this. I’ve worked in the public sector and the company/org would never buy a leaving gift! If you’ve worked with a good team who like you, then they might take you out for drinks, or there might be a whip round if you’ve been there for 10+ years.

I need to know the circs before I say if YABU! I definitely wouldn’t have had a gift from ‘the company’ or would have been overjoyed with flowers, so is that not the norm where you are?

How did you move past that? I'd have been so cross.

I worked 12 hour shifts for a company, often doing extra because they were short staffed, so some weeks 72/84 hour weeks.
I discovered I had cancer, and told the boss that, as I didn't know what would happen, I ought to leave, then take stock again later if it was cured (didn't qualify for sick pay)
All I got was moaned at because the boss didn't know how he was going to fill the rosters! I did give the required notice, and he did know I was getting more ill 🙄
OP... it would have been nice to feel appreciated, but more and more these days, people are just out for themselves I'm afraid 😥

@Washingbasquait it is relative. But it is pretty usual in teams I work in (public sector) for people to chuck in for a present and agree to order in a nice lunch or more usually have a fuddle (northern thing- due to public sector cuts I had a week of lunches that were fuddles a few years back). It is usually quite an awkward affair where there are not enough seats, some people make an effort to bring nice sharing food but lots of people bring in some crisps and beige food. There are never enough plates or cups and if you are very unlucky you find yourself perched next to a member of senior management making small talk.

I’m not sure what you expected, especially as you’re quitting this job for another. It’s nice getting something from colleagues who care to organise a gift but the company owes you nothing.

I do get it OP, worked for years in a Frontline child protection team for 20 years, by default I and a lovely social assistant organised all send offs and gifts because everyone wanted lovely gifts (agreed by the team this was a thing including for students there for 3 months). The day I left ( because the office shut and I did not move with the team) no one was even in. I had a weeks AL booked after my leaving date and no one clocked on. They knew they fucked up, but it bloody hurt at the time. I find it quite funny now, I was always the amazing gift organizer (even though I did not necessarily want to be). Was not going to organise my own gift/send off!

I’m a bit confused about what people want when they leave - a ticker tape parade?

I think flowers and a thank you, along with the gifts received from individual employees, is absolutely fine.

As for the company, the overwhelming majority of us are completely replaceable, however well we do the job. I wouldn’t expect the wider company to give a shit really.

It's a job, they owe you nothing and vice versa. No one is appreciated in jobs like this!

Thats crap.
just left a job in a small organisation. Been there a few years.
From the collection I received over £100 vouchers for a store of my choice and flowers.
Also they paid for my meal out.
I was pretty happy with that. Will be keeping in touch with a few people.

I know. I do admit it's bad.
I think I'm unusual in my attitude compared to other people.
I just feel like...... it's a paid job, you know?
You get paid 1/12 of your salary every month in return for working there.
You didn't work there for free.
Why are the rest of us, who are still working there, doing a collection for a leaving present for someone who has decided to go and work elsewhere?
I honestly just don't get it.

Thanks for getting it! So true, the mutual applaud and it's all so fake! Dare I say a lot to do with nepotism, the relatives of an academy CEO/diocese who have climbed/ gone straight into the ranks to SLT though being very poor and inadequate at actual teaching yet judging others. So a genuine self achieved HT who has them planted as his management team to be accountable to their parents is in a tough situation and they don't last long till one of them takes their place.

I may sound cynical, that's because the way I have become after experiencing it in my own school and those of others.

Oh that intervention we created was so wonderful 😍 Rest of the staff...ffs not another stupid whim which takes up more time than planning and marking to then be replaced by another one for a clap on the back for incorporating 7 hats into lessons which they have no significance for.

Oops have vented a bit more than I expected to lol 😆

Why would you want a present from the company or anyone else? That's really weird!

When I left work (medically retired) my team where really sweet (worked with them for between 5yrs and 20yrs). We were a small team with about 20 people and they got me flowers, wine, a bracelet and some charms. We also went out for lunch and food was provided.