AIBU in thinking 'what's wrong with everyone just signing a card?'?

[Floogal]

Another whip round thread. My manager is turning 40 soon. 2 of the supervisors are organising a card for everyone to sign, alongside the dreaded whip round. They have even emailed and WhatsApped their bank details so people can contribute (alongside cash donations). FFS, what is wrong with people just signing a card? I'm always grateful for birthday and Xmas cards and that is good enough quite frankly!!! I can understand gifts if someone is retiring, but birthdays is a bit much.
For one thing there is a big income disparity at work (as other workplaces) and it is wrong to pressure people to donate. Also, I hate the sucking up.
The worst part is, I have worked on other places with even more extreme whip round cultures.

My old work used to have a birthday club, so if you wanted to join you paid something like £2 a month and then everyone in the club got a present and a card to the value of a month's worth of "subs".

My current work does collections and I only put money in to those for retirement, first baby, and birthday or leaver if I have worked with them for a reasonable period of time and I like them.

I assume they aren't harassing individuals who haven't put money in? You're allowed to say no thank you if they ask if you want to pop some money over. If they are pressuring people then that's possibly a word to your manager or HR.

I assume it’s not mandatory?

I always say no. It was a bit scary at first but once I'd done it a few times it became easier. You might find that once you start saying no, others will too.

Since coving, we just get sent a link to send money to/write a message. So easy to ignore.

The only thing is, I think that you have to say no to all of them if you go down this route. I dont think you can pick and chose because that gets a bit political.

I also dont think you can sign the card, if there is also a present that people have contributed to.

Anf obviously you can't expect anything back (which suits me).

This sort of thing causes friction at my workplace. If someone knows that their pal has a big birthday coming up, and can be bothered to do a collection then that person gets a card and gift card. If noone bothers, it doesn't happen.
If it's done centrally by the managers, and everyone gets a card, then it's okay in my view. As long as it's done equally.

Oh god. Fuck that shit.

I don’t give and I don’t receive thank you very much.

And giving money to someone who earns more than you? Do they need a food bank referral too? Poor poppet.

As long as it's done equally.

Thats my main bugbear. I have never ever seen it done equally unless it’s a ‘cards only, purchased by management and signed by everyone’ workplace.

Hate it op. We do school bus. Then they wanted do drivers.. I said no we just do our own drivers. Then I got oh is my name included on card. Load crap. Wish people would cut it out (5 girls so 5 drivers). Sick it now. Constant shelling out

My point is gets out of hand with collections...

Why not suggest an annual or monthly collection (£10 - £15 pa or £1 a month) so people can be given some flowers for a 'big' birthday, or perhaps of they have an operation or a parent dies, and then 'collections' are saved for people leaving ?
Even cards start to add up if any individual is buying them, that should come out of a 'fund' but obviously aren't really worth having 'a collection' for.
Things like a new baby or a wedding can be negotiated as to which category they fall into.

Some people fall into multiple categories though. One person can go from 38 to 39 quietly, someone else can go from 29 to 30 and move house, get engaged, get married, have a baby and a bereavement and then leave all within a year. Where do you draw the line?

Birthday whip around ?? That’s wild. Where I work it’s leaving/ retiring births and bereavements .
Birthday’s are mad. It’s just never ending and we buy too much ‘stuff’ anyway

In our team of 11 we do a tenner each then you get a lovely £110 gift when its your turn.Works well.

Everywhere I’ve worked we’ve only gifted down so I wouldn’t contribute to this.

What do you mean by 'gifted down' ?

I assume they mean give presents to people who are less senior than them (and presumably earning less) in the organisation.

What is gifted down? Ah hate it. Husband place too big they dont get into it. With cost living all these fivers add up..

At my work we do big birthdays, weddings, babies and leaving. And flowers and card for bereavements. But there’s no pressure to contribute it’s always “if you would like to..”

I think it’s fine

There’s always one who arrived just before their birthday and leaves just after vs the one who does the opposite. It’s never fair and equal.

I’m the same - I work one day a week as am also studying, and had to stump up £5 so a lads 50th this week - I’m not even in on the day they’re having the cake ffs

A previous work place did this which is fine apart from when you've got three birthdays in August and another two at Christmas!

Bonkers! Its awful. Where does it end. My dd had these lately she in college. Muted the group. One wedding, one travelling, sports injury a gift, a 21st, a 30th. She said she got nothing her 18th overlooked. My work one is 5 girls (school) its got silly really

Collections were always done by someone who spent much of her day on being busy with collections. Nobody ever really knew how much was ever collected.

I’ve had to do 3 whip rounds since April! One for a 21st birthday, one for a wedding and one for a 60th birthday. I just send an email out with details and then if people want to contribute they can and if they don’t they don’t! There’s another 2 going round school at the mo for a retirement and a leaver. Same thing there’s no pressure to contribute. And people just put in what they want to some put £3 some put £10!
We only do whole school for big events, big birthdays, retirements, weddings etc. For regular birthdays it’s down to each year what they want to do.

These things wind me up something awful. I'm an accountant in a large company now, but previously worked in a few smaller (<30 staff) businesses. I used to ensure management agreed to a nominal amount in petty cash each month for cards and chocolate/cake.
Nothing worse than seeing those on smaller salaries giving £5-£10 for a managers birthday.

Cost £20-£30 a month (so... fuck all in terms of company spending) and I'd have cards ready for birthdays, retirement, sorry for your loss, get well soon, congratulations etc. Then on the day I'd pick up a box of chocolates or small birthday cake. Everyone signed a card but nobody had to fork out for anything. Much prefer it that way.

Totally agree a card is enough.