Page 5 | To not have bought my team easter eggs..

FrankGrillosFloof · 15/04/2022 09:21

I used to work in a company where Easter eggs were provided for everyone. It was a horrendous place with bullying, inappropriate relationships, bad managers and manipulative people. The egg made up for none of this. I would far rather have had a strong leader who had my back, supported me and demonstrated good management skills. Focus on the important stuff OP.

Wren44 · 15/04/2022 09:21

Your team sound like they are a bunch of 10 year olds! What utter nonsense. I would never expect my managers to buy me an Easter egg.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 15/04/2022 09:21

@AskingforaBaskin

It doesn't matter what the "culture" is. They are there to work. For that they get money. Someone who expected me to buy them some crap in exchange for them liking me is not someone I would look positively on as manager.

I would quickly expect them to get over the entitlement to my money.

You're totally missing the point

It's not about getting your team to like you - it's a small, low-cost way of showing your appreciation for their work. Unless you're the business owner, you don't pay their wages so it's nice to show that you appreciate them in other ways.

I've never worked somewhere where that didn't happen. Over the years we've had Easter eggs, advent calendars, free coffees and lunches, pizza if we've had to work late and one manager let you have a half day on full-pay the day before your annual leave too. I also remember when I had family visiting from overseas and being allowed to leave the shop to have a long (paid) lunch with them for an hour or two.

Is it strictly necessary? Of course not - but sometimes it's nice to be nice and to show people you appreciate their time and effort.

I wouldn't want to work for some of the "managers" on here - it all sounds very miserable and transactional

jytdtysrht · 15/04/2022 09:21

What ridiculous toddlers you must manage. I would ignore the situation entirely.

TheAntiGardener · 15/04/2022 09:22

Unless you manage a team of 8 year olds, buying them an Easter egg would be weird and patronising. You are their line manager, not their mum.

Although it doesn’t help the op who needs to consider the culture in her organisation, I agree with this. A gift from the company - lovely, much appreciated. A gift from my line manager - patronising. If it’s a gift you could give a toddler like an Easter egg or chocolate coins, doubly so.

We get gifts very occasionally from the company, and everyone gets them except probably the MD who has decided it. It’s a nice thing we all share regardless of ‘rank’. I’m a professional in a thankfully non-hierarchical company, and I would feel patronised to receive one-way gifts that reinforce the manager-subordinate relationship.

C25kBecky · 15/04/2022 09:24

I've been given eggs and I've bought and given them, but they were never expected or asked for, not even as rudely as your team asked op. They would not be getting anything from me.

AskingforaBaskin · 15/04/2022 09:24

@fairylightsandwaxmelts Op doesn't need to pay to appreciate their work.

They aren't there out of charity or a sense of goodwill.
For their good work they get to keep their jobs and be paid for it.

What a pathetic sense of entitlement. Maybe it's time to consider if you need a clear out Op.

Ikeptgoing · 15/04/2022 09:25

@M00cow

It would help if I was here last Easter I suppose. I started 9 months ago and was a member of the team I now manage until recently. I dont think all the managers have bought eggs just a few that I've noticed. I'm definitely planning on doing birthday/Christmas treats...maybe I'll speak to some of the more experienced managers and see what the done thing is here

You don't have to do what other managers do. It's voluntary and you should find your own way...

If you want just buy two packets of hot cross buns for everyone to share and leave them out where biscuits and cakes go. Or even better a £4 tub of celebration chocolates for office to share (always appreciated and it's less denominational)

Anyone hints about Easter eggs, I'd go with "there are chocolates to share from me over there, it's less denominational as not everyone is a Christian" (that'd shut them down quickly !)

Shoxfordian · 15/04/2022 09:26

I bought a box of crème eggs and distributed them about last month in the office for my team; it doesn’t have to be expensive to show appreciation or be kind

MrsLargeEmbodied · 15/04/2022 09:28

i am not a manager and i was going to buy colleagues a bag of mini eggs each,
a colleague beat me to it
the moment has gone

we have had nothing from our management

Ikeptgoing · 15/04/2022 09:31

Also managers don't buy birthday presents for people not individual Xmas presents!! We have a secret Santa you can opt in to -£10 max. And even senior managers (on 2x my pay) have only ever put out a tub of celebrations for office to share. That in itself is kind and lovely.

You'll have no money left if you get caught in precedent of buying everyone gifts or flowers just from you (as it won't just be birthdays - it'll be easter and Xmas, there'll be babies , baby showers, leaving Do's , illness, hospital stays, bereavements, moving house etc..) Start as you mean to go on. The team organise cards and any gifts for £1 donation each of birthdays are celebrated (or just a card as that's what we do, last birthday person buys next one's card) and same for anything else- it's a collection envelope that goes round anonymously (tick your name that you've seen it and signed card inside the big envelope - whether you've donated a £1 or not) and that's fair. Managers join in of course they do not buy us separate gifts. No one buys anything (and certainly not chocolate eggs each!) for Easter btw!

May09Bump · 15/04/2022 09:32

A more productive team that works as a team - sometimes will reflect in bonuses and promotion. So little treats here and there - can actually matter. We had a big project that needed overtime to get it through - pizza helped and we got a bonus on the back of that. (overtime was of course paid too).

Obviously no need to go overboard - something little or shared if stretched will do.

Mooloolabababy · 15/04/2022 09:36

We always get an Easter egg at Easter and a tub of quality street at Christmas, that's all we ever get, no bonuses etc, I always appreciate it, it's the little things.

AskingforaBaskin · 15/04/2022 09:37

@May09Bump

A more productive team that works as a team - sometimes will reflect in bonuses and promotion. So little treats here and there - can actually matter. We had a big project that needed overtime to get it through - pizza helped and we got a bonus on the back of that. (overtime was of course paid too).

Obviously no need to go overboard - something little or shared if stretched will do.

And that expectation should be towards the company.

To expect a manager to pay out of their own pocket is disgusting.

C8H10N4O2 · 15/04/2022 09:38

Are these grown adults? Or trying it on because you are young or miffed because they thought someone else should be promoted?

Ignore it for now, ask other managers what they do as custom but also you do need to be prepared to have difficult conversations as a manager. What sort of training are you given as a new manager?

YouTubeRabbitHole · 15/04/2022 09:39

I’ve had some managers buy a malteaster type thing for everyone but not an egg and I certainly wouldn’t expect anything from a manager two weeks into their job. You could take some cupcakes or a tub of sweets in after Easter if it’s still bothering you but I wouldn’t take eggs as they would seem like an afterthought as Easter will be over.

Inyourhonor · 15/04/2022 09:40

@Mumdiva99

If the company culture is that managers buy their team an egg then you are being a little bit unreasonable. The goodwill you will get for spending £6-10 on some eggs might well be worth it. (I appreciate that isn't nothing to you.....but still think it worth it.)

Completely agree. If other managers got them for their teams, and your team hinted about it, I most definitely would have gone to get the cheap easter eggs for them.

Even something small like that lifts peoples spirits.

I say this as a fully grown professional adult who received an egg in work in 2018 and it did lift our spirits.
2019 no eggs and as petty as it is, we were annoyed.
We work for a massive company and it was the company that had bought them.

gannett · 15/04/2022 09:42

A manager should definitely make sure a team feels valued and appreciated but Easter eggs are a completely meaningless way to do this. If a team needs cheap chocolate to feel appreciated then there are much deeper issues in the company to deal with.

Day-to-day flexibility, respect and support are much more important to workplace morale. And bonuses or pay rises.

Benjispruce4 · 15/04/2022 09:43

Are you sure they’re not just winding you up and trying their luck? A few packs of hot cross buns in the kitchen or wherever for them to help themselves to will cost very little and is a nice appreciation and as others have said it goes a long way. If they’re not just having a laugh, they are quite rude and infantile especially as you’ve barely had time to be appreciative of their work! As others have said a spoken thanks is always nice and so easily forgotten.

Hippoevens · 15/04/2022 09:44

@M00cow

Hello,

I have recently had a promotion at work and now line manage 6 others. The increase in pay only works out to be about £8 a day compared to a big increase in workload/responsibility (I say that because its hardly like im suddenly earning a fortune). I have also only been in this role for 2 weeks so haven't even received my first payslip yet.

However, i have had several comments from my team this week about Easter eggs...pointing out that other managers had bought their staff one and when was I going to do the same. Some of these comments came across really sarky and it has made me feel quite bad for not buying any! It hadn't even crossed my mind tbh and money is tight at the best of times.

I suppose my AIBU is am I being mean for not buying a team of adults (older than myself) an Easter egg when I'm very newly in this role? Or do they need to grow up? Half tempted to go to the shops now and try to pick something up for tuesday because I feel guilty!

Thoughts please

How strange, are your team children?

Threeboysandadog · 15/04/2022 09:45

I used to get my team (I’m now retired) a small Easter egg and a Chocolate Santa at Christmas. For birthdays we did a collection (started before I took over the team). Without being ageist, if that’s possible, I was in my 40’s by then with lots of experience of working in a team. It wouldn’t have occurred to me at 24. You are just finding your feet in your new roll. You could take in a box of Easter cakes, Mr Kipling or similar, on Tuesday, to share with coffee and find out what usually happens as you go on.

LetHimHaveIt · 15/04/2022 09:50

As a manager, I would absolutely have bought the eggs. You can buy them pretty inexpensively and it's the sort of gesture which engenders a lot more goodwill than the money it costs. And it seems to be pretty well-established where you work.

As an employee/team member, if I didn't get an egg, I'd no more comment on it as I would set myself on fire. So childish, grasping and crass.

movinghelprequired · 15/04/2022 09:52

Don't worry OP. I've been a manager in several orgs over 15 years and never have I bought my team eggs or been given an egg. I currently have a Muslim member of my team marking Ramadan and would feel awkward either giving them an egg or not. I do give end of year appreciation gifts by way of a thank you.

Congrats on your promo!

Mix56 · 15/04/2022 09:55

What hapoens at Xmas. ???
Id just laugh & say, do you think Ive taken on all this extra work to spend the little extra on you chumps ?

Skyeheather · 15/04/2022 09:57

If the team normally get an egg from their Manager I can see why they might be upset you haven't got them anything.

I would try and find out if if this is the case although you might struggle to find the £1.00 eggs now as it's Good Friday and I expect the supermarkets will get raided today by the last minuters.