To think Christmas is just a money pit with some things?

[NCFORWORKMOAN]

NC for this one...

Just that really, I'm looking forward to Christmas this year but have felt in the last couple of weeks a little bit financially pressured about some expectations surrounding Christmas at work. It's a relatively new job, I'm 7 months in.

Some examples... there's a Christmas gift pot for our boss and it's a specific amount that's been stated everyone has to put in, the Secret Santa amount was £10 but has been discussed with some colleagues now wanting to increase it to £15-20 saying not much can be bought for a tenner.

I was also told that in the whole of December we have to wear Christmassy themed clothes to work to get into the spirit and bring a smile to the customers faces. We have to wear Christmas jumpers/t-shirts/dresses to work each day. So this means purchasing new items as I work 5 days, don't have anything suitable and if I buy just one item I'd need to wash it nightly and hope it's dry for the next days work.

Am I a moaning grinch? I don't need solutions as I need to just suck it all up but I wanted to have a financially comfortable Christmas with my family and friends, not be moaning about money I am spending on work. 🙄 My next wage is the 17th December and approx £80 is going towards these items. And before anyone asks, no I wasn't aware of the boss lift, or the December Christmas clothing rule. The SS yes but assumed it was £10.

What are your opinions on Christmas spending at work?

At least the gift giving with the boss is reciprocal. Would he do much worse if it wasn't. Maybe you can regift whatever the boss gives you, to offset some of the cost?

@Aderyn21

At least the gift giving with the boss is reciprocal. Would he do much worse if it wasn't. Maybe you can regift whatever the boss gives you, to offset some of the cost?

There's a list going around the office where you add what you want so wouldn't be able to gift it back unfortunately plus I don't know when they normally do the SS and when the boss gift is given out. Apparently they also do an after work get together where they have some food delivered and do the gifts. There's a pot for the food too haha which I luckily can't attend as we as a family have plans with family arriving yay. 🎉

Ah just tie a bit of tinsel around your head and throw on a Santa beard if you have one. No need for more than that.

@Thegreencup

Let me guess, does everyone else wanting to spend more not have kids?

I think your work are a bit OTT. If they want you to wear something specific, they should pay for it. You can opt out if the ridiculous dress code you know.

I work with a bunch of miserable gits who didn't even want to have a proper Christmas do. There is a middle ground somewhere between my workplace and yours OP.

Yes because child free people are TOTALLY PUMPED to spend money on Xmas tat, because, unlike parents, they have nothing better to spend it on.

We’ve had this

Secret Santa

Jumpers-not only do you have to buy one,but it’s £5 a day to wear it

We are meant to donate to the food bank (it’s only a fiver!)

We where meant to put some cash in for decorations

We are meant to spend on Christmas cards and candy canes for each other-there are 73 of us!

£10 each for our Christmas party

Christmas tat/crafts one woman brings in and we are meant to buy it

I told them back in August that I don’t do Christmas

It’s too painful and I won’t be taking part in any of it

I’ve been told Im a I’m a spoilsport but I don’t give a flying fuck-I’m not coughing up upwards of £50 when the owner of our company is a millionaire and donates nothing!

The Christmas jumper thing really annoys me.

We live in a local authority where there is a big push on keeping the “cost of the school day”‘down. So we don’t do world book day. They don’t wear costumes to school at Halloween etc. school supplies all stationary, that sort of thing.

And yet for some reason the school announced the other day that they can now wear Christmas jumpers over their uniform until the end of term.

I understand it’s because the classrooms are cold with the windows open and obviously it’s not mandatory. Might as well be with a seven year old who needs to be like her pals at all costs though. So I’ve had to buy two of the things. We have the money but I could really do without spending it on Christmas jumpers to be honest.

And don’t even get me started on the difficulty of getting hold of cheap ones in her size (who are these people spending £40 on a kids Christmas jumper??)

@Blueblossombush

We’ve had this

Secret Santa

Jumpers-not only do you have to buy one,but it’s £5 a day to wear it

We are meant to donate to the food bank (it’s only a fiver!)

We where meant to put some cash in for decorations

We are meant to spend on Christmas cards and candy canes for each other-there are 73 of us!

£10 each for our Christmas party

Christmas tat/crafts one woman brings in and we are meant to buy it

I told them back in August that I don’t do Christmas

It’s too painful and I won’t be taking part in any of it

I’ve been told Im a I’m a spoilsport but I don’t give a flying fuck-I’m not coughing up upwards of £50 when the owner of our company is a millionaire and donates nothing!

Jeez oh! That's a LOT

I've stupidly agreed re the pot etc I felt a wee bit put on the spot with everyone around when I was asked/told about it. X oh I totally get that. It took me years before I just decided stuff it ill just say I can't afford it. It shuts them up.

That all sounds too much. I love Christmas and one or two organised events are fine, but too much becomes forced fun...and that just isn't fun at all.

I remember one Christmas when I worked at a department store the managers saying there was a charity drive and we could donate each month straight out of our pay check. Ok...
Then about three weeks later another meeting saying how disappointed they were that people were not signing up in droves, so here are the forms please step up! One of us, brave person, asked what the company was donating. I think they said something vague about us all being in this together blah blah when another brave soul pointed out that the staff were mostly on minimum wage, and to expect us to do a monthly donation was asking quite a lot, but she might be inclined to do something if the company would match all the staff contributions. The whole idea was quietly shelved.

I think it's completely inappropriate to tell people what money they have to donate. No one knows other people's financial situation. I'm doing the collection for the teacher's present this year and one parent asked how much I thought people should put in. Answer 'Whatever they want to'. I'm not telling people they have to donate at all!

Fuckin' hell - these are some toxic workplaces.

@Thegreencup yes because all of us who are child free are just desperate to spend our hard earned money on our bosses and colleagues...

I think I'd be looking for a new job. The Xmas clothes for a whole month thing would be the final straw!

@CrumpetStrumpet

I think I'd be looking for a new job. The Xmas clothes for a whole month thing would be the final straw!

Love the job, some colleagues were wearing Christmassy clothes starting mid November 😱

@Blueblossombush

We’ve had this

Secret Santa

Jumpers-not only do you have to buy one,but it’s £5 a day to wear it

We are meant to donate to the food bank (it’s only a fiver!)

We where meant to put some cash in for decorations

We are meant to spend on Christmas cards and candy canes for each other-there are 73 of us!

£10 each for our Christmas party

Christmas tat/crafts one woman brings in and we are meant to buy it

I told them back in August that I don’t do Christmas

It’s too painful and I won’t be taking part in any of it

I’ve been told Im a I’m a spoilsport but I don’t give a flying fuck-I’m not coughing up upwards of £50 when the owner of our company is a millionaire and donates nothing!

Fuck that shit !

Fuck putting money into the boss's pot! They probably pay themselves a nice big fat bonus, that's their present. I've never known anywhere where you're expected to give to buy a present for the boss.