Collection for the boss... inappropriate?

[Littlejuice]

Always, always buy my whole team Xmas gifts. Just a bottle of wine or something but to say thanks.

As a senior manager however, and in my view well paid despite long hours, I do not expect or wish to receive one (public sector)

We've had a new director for TWO MONTHS who has recruited one of his previous employees into team, this month. Email from new starter yesterday sharing his Bacs details to all the staff (many of whom on a quarter of the director salary) saying it's nice if we do a bit of Xmas appreciation and collect for the boss...

I have contributed and said to my team I'll put their shares in as team contribution as I am so conscious many of them struggling - but isn't this just really not recognising the situation of some people? Dear people on 20k please donate to buy someone on 120k a gift?

As a boss keeping your employees happy makes your job easier.
Giving them a little something out of your own money can get goodwill.

I had a boss like this once. She was very polite, seemed very considerate, sent lovely birthday cards saying what a great team member I was and how lovely it was to work with me. However, she also kept cancelling our one to ones meaning I was left unsupported. Then, in part because the job went way beyond her skillset, a situation arose in the team that meant I was facing disciplinary action and she threw me under the bus. I launched a grievance, they found in my favour and I promptly resigned.

So frankly, nice little gifts and cards, bags of emotional intelligence, being lovely and pleasant to your team, mean fuck all if you don't manage them properly and have their backs when they need you. And whilst it isn't either/ or, these days I see nice things like cards and presents as paying lip service, and wonder how strong a manager they really are.

@CSJobseeker

I would report this to the 'Conflicts of Interest' manager or 'Counter Fraud/Anti Bribery' or whatever similar in your org - you can report this anonymously. NHS workers are not allowed to accept anything worth more than a promotional pen, so to hear that a new manager is (indirectly) asking for money from his staff is way out of order.

It's inappropriate and tone-deaf, yes, but it's not fraud or bribery and it doesn't actually contravene any policies for this person to start a collection for a senior colleague.

NHS workers aren't allowed to accept gifts from suppliers or disproportionate gifts from patients (although chocolates etc. from a patient is fine), but they are definitely allowed to accept gifts from their line manager, colleagues or their team. Why on earth would you think they weren't?

I'm an NHS senior manager. When I got married, it was one of my team who held a collection for a lovely wedding gift for me. I didn't ask for it (although I was very grateful when I found out), but it wasn't it against the Trust policy for them to do so.

Yes I s'pose you're right, my suggestion is a bit over the top, but this shonky practice needs to be brought to the attention of senior seniors so they can deal with it appropriately. It's just wrong.

This would be awful even if we weren't in the middle of a global pandemic. I've never bought a Christmas gift for any of my bosses.

Some big bosses have no idea. I get sick of hearing how fantastic their lives are. I dont want to see their enormous tree in their massive house or their office and huge garden.

[quote Littlejuice]@Alieninmybody I did, but response was " no I disagree it should flow both ways". None of the other seniors at my level argued so I'd already gone out of my way more, and paid on behalf of my staff, am thinking anymore and I'll be marked out as the pain one. And yes I appreciate I should have more balls but I'm already the only one trying![/quote]
I'm confused, is the new director's mate your superior, in which case I would understand your dilemma, or part of a team you lead, in which case I don't understand why you haven't shut them down, or at the very least ignored them?

I'd have replied to all saying "I don't think this is appropriate at all, I won't be contributing" I am sure there would have been a lot of support! But then I can be arsey.

He's given out his personal bank details. That means that he's putting pressure on people to contribute because they know he would be able to see what they have given. I used to work in senior role in local government and this would never have been appropriate and it would have been frowned on.

You’d rather pay than speak up?

A simple “no thanks” is all it takes.

If he's given out his personal bank details then I'd take this straight to HR and nip this in the bud straight away. There's no guarantee that all of this money will be used to buy a gift. I'd bet he'll be making a tidy profit to supplement his own Christmas shopping.

I’d speak to HR.

You’ve identified it’s inappropriate.
You’ve raised it and got an unsatisfactory response.

It’s a HR matter.

YANBU, that's shit.

What does he mean 'flow both ways'? Does this boss get gifts for all or are they relying on you buying wine?

That's very inappropriate. Where I used to work (NHS), our boss treated us at Christmas and the only time they would get gifts was for milestone birthdays, if they were going on mat leave or if they were leaving.

I’ve seen a lot of posts of this nature on reddit. £40 each for the big boss raking in a fortune, nothing for the actual frontline or low paid staff?

I think it’s great you’re doing it but I think new year should prompt some conversations to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

@NoSquirrels

I’d speak to HR.

You’ve identified it’s inappropriate.
You’ve raised it and got an unsatisfactory response.

It’s a HR matter.

This,

[quote Littlejuice]@Alieninmybody I did, but response was " no I disagree it should flow both ways". None of the other seniors at my level argued so I'd already gone out of my way more, and paid on behalf of my staff, am thinking anymore and I'll be marked out as the pain one. And yes I appreciate I should have more balls but I'm already the only one trying![/quote]
This would really get my back up. I would be sorely tempted to respond along the lines of 'I couldn't give a toss whether you agree or not, my team won't be contributing to this'.

Though I'd probably not put that in writing

Similar in my work but employee (15k) gets £240 cash each and pays about £5 into a joint present totalling about £60 for the 2 people who give the cash (120k earned) and I think nice gesture

YANBU but you shouldn't feel the need to contribute either. If I was sent this email, I'd ignore it or politely decline.

Never heard of buying a boss a gift. Awful idea. Say NO.

So glad I don’t work anymore, got so fed up with collections for boss’s Xmas and birthday presents! Employees shouldn’t be under pressure to contribute though you knew you couldn’t sign the card if hadn’t chipped in so boss would know. To me it’s a form of bullying in workplace.

Weird and inappropriate.

Terrible. Since the time of Dickens and the Xmas Carol, it has been recognised to be good management behaviour to treat staff at Xmas, not the other way round. It would be different if it was a leaving present but this... disgraceful.

Wrong on every level.

£1 EACH bottle of plonk

@ Littlejuice thank you for your consideration. I’m a public sector worker on just over 20k and life is hard enough anyway so to have extra pressure is almost the last straw.

We have a new associate director who’s really made huge changes in the short time she’s been there but she has also recruited at least 8 of her ex colleagues from an NHS trust, it really doesn’t ‘taste so good’. However it is her that buys everyone in the whole department not just the team a gift, she is so very generous.

I would have absolutely refused. How much did they expect.

Totally inappropriate! OP you need to grow a pair - you’re supposed to be a leader.