Page 2 | Company party piss-take??

AliCatWalk · 2025-11-25T00:00:29+00:00

Hello lovely MNers, What would you make of this email from a "higher-up" about this suggested Christmas Party "charity donation"? 🤔 (PS: O = Owner, OC = Owner's Child ; ...will be keeping an eye out in case there are any clarifying questions that arise 😄)

PollyBell · 25/11/2025 03:20

Why are the mentioning Thanksgiving are the Amercian?

MermaidMummy06 · 25/11/2025 03:15

Someone at our office insists on us all contributing to buying gifts for all three directors. They pay us minimum & earn millions. It really grates on me but it's a small company and its direct deposit so the organiser knows if you don't. You don't have to, but....

We also do secret Santa at the Christmas party. So the one 'free' thank you meal we get we have to buy gifts to attend. It's the stupid steal others gifts type secret Santa so I always end up with crap that gets binned.

Whatsthatsheila · 25/11/2025 03:01

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 02:40

Oooof that must seriously add up over time 😬 and a 21st?!? Come on now!! 🤦🏻‍♀️
You're absolutely right, I was perfectly prepared to pitch in to participate in the gift exchange & plan on still doing so (even though the $ amount is more than what I make in an hour 😅), but the "donation" request is literally insane. We employees are expected to shut the lights out every time we leave our own office, even for a few minutes, don't have basic amenities readily available (you have to go to a specific person to request a new roll of TP or paper towels if the one on hand runs out, & that person has to document where it's going, I don't think kleenex are provided unless you bring your own, etc), and the owner & her son's wealth are constantly thrown in our faces in subtle ways...yes they do host buffet-style holiday parties (to which they invite their personal friends who have no affiliation with the business to partake in as well) and give small quarterly bonuses, but all this is turning out to have been much overhyped from what it was made out to be upon my hiring to compensate for the low pay rate i accepted (that's ultimately on me, i understand, but i had an even worse job before 🙏🏻)...it's very demoralizing when you go on lunch break from your specialized trade and see fast food restaurants offering comparable pay 😅

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It’s honestly crazy - 18ths 21sts 40ths 50ths 60ths - all a collection 🙄

the only ones I feel bad at is the bereavement ones where flowers get sent but I just stick to my guns now.

you do what works for you but don’t let them guilt trip you.

and wtaf about the loo roll? What if have a massive poo and then realise there isn’t enough 😳

Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 02:49

WTFAustraliaThisIsWhatHappensHereNow · 25/11/2025 02:22

Hmmm.. I am confused…

They want money from employees for:
a gift for the owner, and
a gift for the owner’s child.

There is a Christmas Party (who pays for this?).

There will be donations to charities (paid for by the company? Or employees?)

Employees get nothing?

Thank you, & sorry for the confusion! It's a bit of a weird situation but here goes:

The company was founded decades ago by the Original Owner (OO). OO ended up marrying one of his employees, who is now the current owner ("O", as referenced above) and having a Child with her ("OC"). "O" & OC took over when the Original Owner (OO) aged & passed away.

In the company's earlier days there was some sort of tradition of the employees pooling money together to buy the Original Owner a gift, but since he has passed & the company has grown, O & OC apparently "keep the tradition going" by still asking employees to present them with a "donation" that (hopefully?) goes to a charity of some sort 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sorry for the jumbled explanation, trust me, I'm confused too 😆

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Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 02:40

Whatsthatsheila · 25/11/2025 02:22

Wait what?! Santas dead?!?!

on another note - slightly different but every fucking month at my place of work there is at least 3 or 4 collections for something… a birthday… a leaving gift… a retirement gift… a wedding gift… a maternity gift…. This persons leaving buffet…. This occasion buffet … £10 .secret Santa

its never ending. We are often down to the wire with finances (historical debt - getting there but it’s a slog and it takes its toll) and there is just no way - absolutely no way I can afford to give to everything - and after I was guilt tripped by a manager into contributing to a 21st for someone I didn’t even know plus the other two collections in the drawer I got so pissed off - so now I give to no one. Not a bean.

And I don’t care. It’s actually quite liberating.

anyway - back to the OP - that’s cheeky as fuck. I assume it’s not contractual so just give what you want or give nothing at all. You are not obliged to do anything

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Oooof that must seriously add up over time 😬 and a 21st?!? Come on now!! 🤦🏻‍♀️
You're absolutely right, I was perfectly prepared to pitch in to participate in the gift exchange & plan on still doing so (even though the $ amount is more than what I make in an hour 😅), but the "donation" request is literally insane. We employees are expected to shut the lights out every time we leave our own office, even for a few minutes, don't have basic amenities readily available (you have to go to a specific person to request a new roll of TP or paper towels if the one on hand runs out, & that person has to document where it's going, I don't think kleenex are provided unless you bring your own, etc), and the owner & her son's wealth are constantly thrown in our faces in subtle ways...yes they do host buffet-style holiday parties (to which they invite their personal friends who have no affiliation with the business to partake in as well) and give small quarterly bonuses, but all this is turning out to have been much overhyped from what it was made out to be upon my hiring to compensate for the low pay rate i accepted (that's ultimately on me, i understand, but i had an even worse job before 🙏🏻)...it's very demoralizing when you go on lunch break from your specialized trade and see fast food restaurants offering comparable pay 😅

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LivingTheDreamish · 25/11/2025 02:37

The only contribution an employer can expect from us is our labour, and how they treat us will to some degree, impact on the level of effort and dedication we employ in our labour. In return we receive our salary and customary gifts and bonuses.

We don't buy them gifts. We don't contribute to charities of their choosing. Fuck all that.

WTFAustraliaThisIsWhatHappensHereNow · 25/11/2025 02:22

Hmmm.. I am confused…

They want money from employees for:
a gift for the owner, and
a gift for the owner’s child.

There is a Christmas Party (who pays for this?).

There will be donations to charities (paid for by the company? Or employees?)

Employees get nothing?

Whatsthatsheila · 25/11/2025 02:22

ChristmasCrumblings · 25/11/2025 00:14

Well, it looks like it is not addressed to you (or any other human beings) but to elves who are kind of known to be happy to be exploited.

Wait what?! Santas dead?!?!

on another note - slightly different but every fucking month at my place of work there is at least 3 or 4 collections for something… a birthday… a leaving gift… a retirement gift… a wedding gift… a maternity gift…. This persons leaving buffet…. This occasion buffet … £10 .secret Santa

its never ending. We are often down to the wire with finances (historical debt - getting there but it’s a slog and it takes its toll) and there is just no way - absolutely no way I can afford to give to everything - and after I was guilt tripped by a manager into contributing to a 21st for someone I didn’t even know plus the other two collections in the drawer I got so pissed off - so now I give to no one. Not a bean.

And I don’t care. It’s actually quite liberating.

anyway - back to the OP - that’s cheeky as fuck. I assume it’s not contractual so just give what you want or give nothing at all. You are not obliged to do anything

Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 02:20

coxesorangepippin · 25/11/2025 02:14

Who do they think you are??

An elf apparently 🧝‍♀️

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coxesorangepippin · 25/11/2025 02:14

Who do they think you are??

Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 02:09

ReadingSoManyThreads · 25/11/2025 02:01

What even is a Yankee swap gift? Is it a secret Santa?

I'd honestly just ignore their unreasonable demands wants.

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It's a number-draw gift swap, I think essentially a "white elephant" or "christmas trading places"? The gifts aren't necessarily meant to be particularly humorous but since that wasn't specified I'm sure there will be a few who go down that route 😅 can't say I'm not tempted to do so myself the way things are shaping up...😇

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ReadingSoManyThreads · 25/11/2025 02:01

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 01:50

I already signed up about a week ago with my DH listed as my guest (he is also expected encouraged to bring a $25 Yankee swap gift 🫣)

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What even is a Yankee swap gift? Is it a secret Santa?

I'd honestly just ignore their unreasonable demands wants.

Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 01:50

ReadingSoManyThreads · 25/11/2025 01:44

I'd either ignore it, or if pressed, respond that you cannot afford to contribute (to any of this shitshow).

Utter cheeky fuckers.

I already signed up about a week ago with my DH listed as my guest (he is also expected encouraged to bring a $25 Yankee swap gift 🫣)

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ReadingSoManyThreads · 25/11/2025 01:44

I'd either ignore it, or if pressed, respond that you cannot afford to contribute (to any of this shitshow).

Utter cheeky fuckers.

Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 01:40

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 01:37

😂 I am tempted to dress in creepy elf attire & play "fun" little impish pranks throughout the upcoming holiday season

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@Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService whoops meant to quote you here! 🧝‍♀️i blame the keyboard goblins & internet elves for wreaking this mischief!

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Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 01:37

ExperiencedContractor · 25/11/2025 01:29

If I understand correctly, it’s summarised as this:
Thanks for making our business a raging success! To thank you for your commitment and hard work, you can buy us (your employers) a gift.

Sod that.

Edited

😂 I am tempted to dress in creepy elf attire & play "fun" little impish pranks throughout the upcoming holiday season

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Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 01:32

DPotter · 25/11/2025 01:19

When I'm asked to donate a piece of my art work to charity raffles and I don't want to, I tell them I already have 3 favourite charities that I support, (and I really have) so I'm sorry I can't support every charity

Agreed 100%! My DH & I do already independently allocate a portion of all our $ to go towards charities that we've researched to make sure are legit & not actually harmful (so grim that this is necessary nowadays 🤦🏻‍♀️). In this case there is no specified cause or organization for the money to go to, apparently the money collection is a leftover tradition from when employees pitched in together to get a gift for the original owner/company founder

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ExperiencedContractor · 25/11/2025 01:29

If I understand correctly, it’s summarised as this:
Thanks for making our business a raging success! To thank you for your commitment and hard work, you can buy us (your employers) a gift.

Sod that.

DPotter · 25/11/2025 01:19

When I'm asked to donate a piece of my art work to charity raffles and I don't want to, I tell them I already have 3 favourite charities that I support, (and I really have) so I'm sorry I can't support every charity

Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService · 25/11/2025 01:12

murasaki · 25/11/2025 00:19

Yep, the elves thing is massively insulting.

Pop a bag of dandruff in the collection and label it 'magic pixie dust'.

Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 00:32

WellThatsAlrightThen · 25/11/2025 00:26

Does the owner buy all employees a present or give a christmas bonus and who pays for the party?

The owner does give quarterly bonuses to (I think) all employees based on performance (from what I'm told). There's a lot of cagey-ness about this bonus and it is used as a bargaining chip to get employees to sign on for a lower starting wage. In my experience the quarterly bonus works out to be an extra weekly paycheck or so (~$600US in my case)

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WellThatsAlrightThen · 25/11/2025 00:26

Does the owner buy all employees a present or give a christmas bonus and who pays for the party?

Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 00:26

Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService · 25/11/2025 00:07

So are they saying that the money is going to their choice of charity, but being presented to them by Owner and Owner's Child - thus they get the glory for money that the staff have been expected to give?

Surely your contribution has already been what has made the company successful - so now, as they have a successful company of longstanding, the company could afford to give some of their profits to the charity without expecting the staff to dip into their pockets?

When I got hired & was discussing wages the person who hired me literally said "O has more money than God" 🙈

Also apologies to everyone if I've worded anything poorly thus far, this is a cluster of a situation as you can tell 😅

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murasaki · 25/11/2025 00:19

Yep, the elves thing is massively insulting.

Original poster

AliCatWalk · 25/11/2025 00:18

ChristmasCrumblings · 25/11/2025 00:14

Well, it looks like it is not addressed to you (or any other human beings) but to elves who are kind of known to be happy to be exploited.

The reference to us lowly production employees as "elves" did indeed add some extra pizzazz to the insult/injury!! You've got to laugh to keep from crying, they say...

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