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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Sponsorship requests at work

35 replies

PandaWatch · 27/04/2012 12:45

This morning the boss of my firm started circulating a sponsorship form for a sponsored walk he is doing to raise money for his kids' private school. I have no problem with a discreet email linking to a just giving page or similar but this was literally, in an open plan office, "here's my sponsorship form - sponsor me". Given how none of us here are exactly rolling in it (except him and two others at the top) and it is a very personal cause to him, AIBU in thinking that this was a wholly inappropriate way to go about things?

OP posts:
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 27/04/2012 17:45

It's a bit strange asking colleagues to sponsor anything for your children though, isn't it? Surely people who know THEM will sponsor them?

MagnifyingGlassSearch · 27/04/2012 17:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/04/2012 18:00

I'm feeling waves of rage for you. Angry It's not often I get the rage about class issues having shifted issues to gender issues now any more but since you mentioned your pay reviews are coming up... Angry

quoteunquote · 27/04/2012 18:02

go into your boss's office and ask for a raise, when he asks why state that your expenses have gone up.

GrimmaTheNome · 27/04/2012 18:09

Its very wrong. Nearly as wrong as this sort of thing can be ...

At the company DH used to work for, one of the directors was going on one of those motorbike-across-a-desert type sponsored events. So he came round dunning everyone for money, really wasn't possible to refuse... but get this, it wasn't for the cause itself, it was the preliminary stage to raise money to buy the motorbike. And get this - he got to keep the motorbike. And finally get this - it was a little while after the company had floated and made him a multimillionaire.

MrsTPs suggestion at 16:51:47 is excellent.

skateboarder · 27/04/2012 18:14

Can i ask how much you felt obliged to sponsor him? Im livid on your behalf.

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/04/2012 18:17

Free motorbikes for all company directors! It's only right. They work hard for their millions money. Mr GrimmaTheNome (Masklin?) should have assumed, loudly, in front of everyone, that the director was so very generous to raffle off the motorbike for extra money for the charity after the ride.

Bloody entitled twunts.

misslinnet · 27/04/2012 18:21

YANBU. It's inappropriate for your boss to ask for sponsorship given he's in a position of power - difficult for you to say no, especially when your appraisals coming up.

We get a lot of sponsorship forms at work too. The worst one I saw was from a lady asking for sponsorship to stop smoking. She wanted the money before she tried to quit too. No mention of how long she had to stop for before a lapse meant that she'd have to give the money back Hmm

ImperialBlether · 27/04/2012 18:23

I feel a wave of rage on your behalf!

A grown man wanting to be sponsored for walking? For a private school? That's disgusting.

rookiemater · 27/04/2012 18:28

YANBU. DS goes to a private school where we sometimes get sponsorship forms that we are meant to get people to fill in for DS doing something like a treasure trail at school.

The money goes to a hardship fund for parents who can't temporarily afford the school fees Hmm . A lot of other parents bung £10 into the envelope because they can't bare to ask anyone, I'm afraid I just leave it empty, pay plenty for sending him there already and can think of lots more worthwhile causes to put my charity contribution towards.

IMHO people should be really sensitive about what they ask people to sponsor them for and should do it in a non intrusive way.

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