How many days to pay colleague back?

[feelinginthedark]

I organised the purchase of Christmas gifts from the management team to our staff members - between 5 of us the gifts came to about 500, so they each owe me 100. I bought the gifts as my colleague who had said she would do it at the meeting at which we discussed what to get etc was too busy. The gifts have been delivered, are being distributed, and I sent an email yesterday morning with my account details for people to pay me back for them. Only one person has transferred the money yet - AIBU to be impatiently waiting for my cash??!! What is the acceptable time before I should remind people?? One of them still owes me 50 from a previous wedding gift for a colleague that I organised! I won't be organising gifts from the team again that's for sure but I know that if I leave it until after Christmas they'll forget altogether ...

I would never fork out my own money and agree to get a colleague a present, especially an expensive one, unless all the contributions were in first. If you don't see that extra £50 then get that person to be in charge of the next round of gift buying and deduct that amount from your contribution so he/she has to cover it.

I agree they owe you money but I think it is possible they just haven't got round to it yet.

If they are financially very comfortable (socoulda cept being down £500 easily) or thought you had paid on a credit card they may wrongly assume that there is no great hurry to pay.

I would leave it 48houra then send another chasing email saying you need the money back to save you from financial embarrassment or suchlike.

If you are the least well paid, why are you buying the gifts?

Good point that transfer might take a couple of days. I won't see them all tomorrow so might send the reminder email anyway later tomorrow

No they do not. A transfer will show up in a couple of hours.

Your colleagues are very rude. I booked tickets for a department outing which came to around £400. I used a credit card which gives a bit of breathing space before I had to pay up and allowed a couple of people to reach a pay day before they paid me. 2 out of 11 people had not paid by the time my credit card statement came through and were politely but firmly reminded.

Why should you be buying the management team presents of £100? Is this rescriprocated ?

That's a HR conversation if they don't have the money in your account by Thursday end of day. I'd be asking HR to reimburse me via their payroll at end of month.

I agree it becomes an HR issue if not resolved.

OxCheeks no the op is part of the management team buying for the staff.

Do you have access to your email system now? I wouldn't wait until tomorrow if I could email tonight.

If you all bank with UK banks surely the transfers will be done within minutes, there's no days of waiting anymore

I can't help wondering if people were pressured into agreeing to pay this. I certainly wouldn't be happy to pay this much for colleague presents. Even if they are high earners, perhaps they have other financial commitments and don't have much spare cash. Did they agree through gritted teeth? I think these things would usually be covered by business costs, rather than staff having to pay up. And im not sure Id be thrilled about having to contribute to organised colleague wedding presents either if it was £50 each.

Can you say that as you need the money, you'll take the money from petty cash / office funds / something work-y and that they can owe petty cash / office funds / etc the money.

Particularly effective if they're not supposed to owe it money for personal type spending so will get chased up by the finance department or similar for it. And means that you won't be the one out of pocket.

. It's notorious as the communication form least likely to get a prompt response.
Not so for email where I work, I think the 'I don't really do email' angle is a bit outdated now, and email has the advantage that there is proof they had all the info (no 'I don't remember you asking me', which can happen with just a verbal reminder...).

You can pop by an hour or so after sending, just to make sure they have all the info straight, and to see if they wanted to pay by cash or cheque instead (tho really to make it more awkward for them not to cough up!).

Not so for email where I work, I think the 'I don't really do email' angle is a bit outdated now

It's not so much not having seen it as people leaving things hanging around their inboxes for ages waiting to be dealt with. Especially if it's in an email chain. And things which are more urgent business wise coming in and pushing them down. It's really easy to look at something and think 'I'll do that later' and then forget until you give your inbox a spring clean. Especially round robin type stuff this might get mixed up with as it's internal.

A pp said by Friday, that's too late, demand money today by lunchtime. Friday gives people chance to go off for Christmas and 'forget.' Also def go with another email and verbal follow up after. Good luck OP

They are massively taking the piss, tell them you need that money back today, and don't ever organise something like this again without cash upfront

I can't help wondering if people were pressured into agreeing to pay this. I certainly wouldn't be happy to pay this much for colleague presents.

This may be the case but is not the OP'a problem. They are senior managers so can either say no beforehand or pay up.

Elisandra's email is the way to go. And no Friday deadline. The email can always be followed up in person but as PP says there is room for them to "forget".

feelinginthedark

I know I'm just rubbish at asking for money! So awkward!

So don't offer to do stuff like this !

I would email and say you be round Thursday at lunchtime for the cash.That way theres no excuse of the bank being slow.They can take the cash out and have it there

So I sent around an email an hour or so ago as per suggestions here... sitting here waiting for the money to come rolling in

Ah, I was about to ask for an update, OP. Definitely not to soon to send the email reminder! And if you work in the same building, I'd follow it up with popping into their offices tomorrow (or paper note under the door if you can't get to see them):

'Hi there, just checking you saw my email, I know messages can get lost in the pre-Christmas rush. Have you done the bank transfer yet? No? In that case could you do it asap because I need it the money in my account today [and remember to add in the £50 you still owe me from before].'

Hope you’re flooded with £££££ soon!

Just give them a time you need it by, I wouldn't let this go on until Friday or you'll never get it. I wouldn't skirt around the issue sugar coating with politeness either. They've been rude to to give you the money before now.

to not *

So cheeky.

This is why, when I was organising a stag do for 30 blokes (only about 10 of whom I knew) I used a company to set up the main activity. Think it cost each of us about £10 more than if I’d done it myself but it meant that if it wasn’t paid by a certain date they missed out. Then all I had to do was send chaser emails to those who hadn’t paid a week before. There were a few who didn’t come despite saying they were in, and that would’ve been money out of my pocket.

Next time keep your eyes down when they’re asking for someone to organise it.