To ask is this normal? New job

[whispawhisper]

I have recently changed jobs (6months) from one career in public sector to a completely different career in the private sector. This is my first Mother's Day at my job and they have given all of the mothers a gift of chocolates and a lovely candle for Mother's Day!! I found it crazy but a lovely idea!! Do other workplaces do this or are they just super nice??

@WishingHopingThinkingPraying are they hiring?!

I think that’s unnecessarily divisive and potentially upsetting for some.

I think this is an awful idea! What about women undergoing fertility treatment, or those who have lost children?

Mothers day is a private family thing. If they do want to give something it should go to all women, whether or not they have children. My church do that. But I think it's an overstep from a work place.

@changingnames786 massively hiring! Can't fill the roles fast enough. Tech company. PM me if that fits with your area.

No that's very very weird.

@LApprentiSorcier

As usual the childless/childfree are sidelined in the workplace.

I would make a formal complaint if that happened where I worked.

Me too. It’s so divisive. Awful management style. Gifts should be given equally.

Ridiculous. They’d be better saving the money and giving all employees a bonus at Christmas or something. Mother’s Day is between sons/daughters and their mothers, period.

This is wholly inappropriate, and I say that as a mother.

Mother’s Day is for children to thank their mother, not just for anyone to thank mothers in general. We didn’t do anything special to become a mother; it’s not an achievement to be celebrated by the wider society.

I'm really surprised to hear some of the gift giving by companies. Any gift over £50 (per year) in value is taxable - it should appear on your P11D at year end and HMRC will want their cut. So, either some of your companies are avoiding taxes or you're going to get a nasty shock at year end.

I've never experienced anything like this, and am freelance these days, but a fair few people I know who are employed by companies do get presents and group celebrations etc through work. Especially since Covid and WFH; it's about keeping up morale and doing things together to keep them feeling like a team (cook-alongs, nice lunches delivered and then everyone eats and chats on Zoom, etc).

Mother's Day though… I think they're on shaky ground. As others say, people might find it hard if they're dealing with fertility issues. Or people whose mothers are estranged/dead and much mourned etc. If I was an employer I'd stay well away from stuff like this.

@MrsTulipTattsyrup no we all get the same % bonus every year based on our salaries. And the men weren't bothered, most of my team are actually women, as is my manager and director so 🤷‍♀️

And yes I am going to assume the men will get the same.

A strange thing to do and not normal anywhere I have ever worked. It also does seem a bit divisive and possibly triggering for some people.

@chillichutneysarnie

No that's not normal, and maybe I'm a miserable b**ch but as someone who wants to be a mother but is going through fertility problems this would really annoy me! But I guess it's nice if you're not unhinged like me! 🤣

Agreed, I’m in your position too plus find Mother’s Day really tough since my mum died so all in all and I’d be livid, upset and yeah I’m pretty unhinged too but there you go

My workplace do things like this for Easter / Valentine’s Day etc. Nothing for Mother’s Day as far as I’m aware though! It’s a nice idea but potentially triggering for people who find Mother’s Day hard, perhaps.

I work at a great firm, we got sent flowers last week as a ‘thanks for buggering on through this all’ sort of gift. But they were sent to everyone - no way would we send something to a single group like this. I know someone who worked for a firm which got in hot water sending all their Chinese colleagues a Chinese New Year gift because things like that should not discriminate.

No. Weird.

My colleagues wanted to buy our manager a sign that said "grandad's shed". I said he's not our bloody grandad!

@Kitfish

I'm really surprised to hear some of the gift giving by companies. Any gift over £50 (per year) in value is taxable - it should appear on your P11D at year end and HMRC will want their cut. So, either some of your companies are avoiding taxes or you're going to get a nasty shock at year end.

Can’t go into detail but that happened at a company DH worked for and it wound up being a total shitstorm - finance head hadn’t signed off and they were Not Happy when they realised the tax implications...

@WishingHopingThinkingPraying yes we have monthly draws too! Prizes are 500- 100!!

[quote whispawhisper]@MrsTulipTattsyrup no we all get the same % bonus every year based on our salaries. And the men weren't bothered, most of my team are actually women, as is my manager and director so 🤷‍♀️

And yes I am going to assume the men will get the same.

[/quote]
Please come back and tell us how that actually pans out. I would be very happy if they do, but have my suspicions.

[quote whispawhisper]@WishingHopingThinkingPraying yes we have monthly draws too! Prizes are 500- 100!! [/quote]
I am not an accountant but I smell a LOT of tax dodging here.

No that's not normal, you have nice bosses there.

@Kitfish

I'm really surprised to hear some of the gift giving by companies. Any gift over £50 (per year) in value is taxable - it should appear on your P11D at year end and HMRC will want their cut. So, either some of your companies are avoiding taxes or you're going to get a nasty shock at year end.

The employer could have a PSA in place, this is quite common nowadays.

everyone at my work does get gifts for various occasions, like religious holidays but they’re normally arranged by the people networks etc. I do think that’s quite nice.
I think it is fairly normal for private sector companies - the big ones anyway, to have relatively good budgets for staff retention.
Probably not the best idea to only target a % of your workforce though...

Absolutely not normal and not at all appropriate.