To say nope I'm not doing it

[PinkButterfly12]

Every time a birthday rolls round at work, I am expected to contribute £3. It may not seem a lot but there are about 60 people overall.

The collector writes our names in the birthday card once we have handed over the £££, and sends emails asking for the money until I give it.

By my calculations, 60 x 3 = £180, but on my birthday I got £100 gift card, so not sure where the rest of the money goes.

I don't want to contribute, but if I don't my name will not be in the card and everyone will know I am the office meanie. AIBU to not want to contribute to this?

Yanbu. I contribute to all the collections in work, and never even get a card.

You probably only got £100 because actually there are several other “office meanies” refusing to contribute too.

Just say no thanks and turn your head back to your computer, desk, whatever. If it's usually the same person organising it tell them you'd appreciate not being asked again, and not to organise anything for your birthday. It's one thing to do a collection for a 'big' birthday but for every birthday it's just ridiculous.

You get one hundred quid every year? That's crazy! Everyone needs to stop. A card is enough.

When is it your birthday? If you don't want to look like the office meanie (although I bet loads feel the same and are just waiting on someone else to say first), you could wait till your birthday and say "Now its my birthday I would really appreciate if you didn't do a collection, I am bowing out of all birthday collections, with 60 people it's too much for my liking, so I waited until my own to stop so nobody would think I benefitted without giving back, this way its the opposite and I can bow out gracefully,"

We only do a collection for big birthdays, marriages, babies, engagements , leaving, retirement etc. Every birthday is just daft and when I had less money and £5 was expected I would struggle and every bloody sponsored run, walk, burp. One woman brought in her husbands sponsored run form thengot annoyed that no one signed it. I had never met the man!!