To not do a retirement collection

[tattoonewbie]

A colleague retires at Easter. She has worked at the company for over 25 years. I've known her for three. In the whole time we've worked together she has been very vocal about not believing in collections especially not retirement ones because they get a pension! So. What about when she goes, token card ? My instinct is still to collect but then I think it's unfair. Or are collections always inherently unfair for someone ?!

I wouldn't give her the option of a gift if she has vocally never donated to others. I certainly wouldn't do a collection for her.

I’ve always found collections to be so random too. Different work places collect for different things. People seam to miss out, whilst get collections for all manner of things.
I would have thought retiring after 25 years was a valid reason to have a collection but if she doesn’t agree with them then don’t do one.Just buy a card.

Agree. It depends. If she doesn't ever contribute to anybody she shouldn't really get a present just a card. Leave the collecting to somebody else.

You've only been there three years, how do you know age hasn't in decades not contributed?

Somone at your company is confused. A retirement collection is to purchase something nice fir the retiree. The board should be doing this anyway, as she has been there so long.

A retirement collection is not a lump sum to support the retiree as well as their pension.

Somebody will be sorting it out. Ask the most senior person or hr. Intimate how shit the company is if they do nothing.

Whom is her long term friend at the company or her boss.? Ask them who is doing the staff collection.

Yes this is the right call, I think.

One school I worked at, there was a staff social club you could opt into. £30 per year. And then all the collections came from that pot. If you opted out, you wouldn’t have ever received a gift. Maybe that only works at schools though where there’s a clear end of year.

In my opinion, they could have improved the system with senior management, £50, teachers £30, TAs £10 to slightly reflect different salaries.

Why not just ask her? “We understand your feelings on work collections and don’t want to cause any offence but would like to mark the occasion. Have you any objection to us getting you a card and sharing some cake on your last day to wish you well for the future?”

At our place I think we would make a little book of nice messages. Make her feel valued in a different way. But you need to get a feel for whether she hates a fuss or likes one, hates being the centre of attention or will be resentful if she isn't. Confusingly, people who hate a fuss are also often devastated if they don't get one...

Absolutely correct that people who say they hate a fuss are often disappointed when their colleagues take them at their word!

The posters who say senior management or HR should be taking the lead didn't work for the same company I did! We had to arrange and fund everything ourselves.

Given your colleague's views on collections, I agree it should be a card only but if you feel uncomfortable about that and are prepared to buy them yourselves, then some flowers would be a nice touch.

I'd just do a card in this situation . Leave people to get individual gifts if they choose.

Flowers and a bottle of something are gifts. People would need to put money into a collection to pay for them and as this person has never contributed to collections herself, it wouldn't be appropriate for OP to ask people to contribute. A card will be sufficient.

So you respect her wishes: no collect, she
will get a pension as she said. And if anyone says anything you say that you respect people's wishes and boundaries so you are therefore giving her a card.

Ted's lovely card signed by all and a really
Lovely bunch of flowers or a nice plant