Workplace 'donation's for gifts

[lorrycat]

I've recently gone back to work and even though its a lovely place and the people are great, there seems to be someone's birthday/leaving/new baby etc etc every other day. Just this month alone there has been 3 leavers, 1 new baby and 4 birthdays.
Now i'm not a sour gripe or anything but when you're being asked to donate money each time, it seems that I would be handing over a lot of my hard earned cash for pressies.

So far i've managed to say nothing and not donate (I've only been here 8 weeks). But at what point do you start to say 'ok i'm here long enough now so its time to join in'?
Today i embarassingly handed over the last £3 from my purse for someone's birthday, because it seemed like a LOT of emails were going about reminding people that the 'can' donate up until lunch time today.

I think this could be an expensive workplace!!!

Sounds a lot! We have collections for leaving, babies and weddings, but just sign cards for birthdays.

Does everyone donate for everything?

It seems like they all donate. It's not a very big organisation and everyone gathers together at break times. It's during these times when presents/cakes/cards are presented and I have felt very aware that I may be the only one who has not donated.

It's not that I would not WANT to, its just that there seems to be soooo many occasions that they recognise. Nice if you are the receipient, expensive if you donte to every occasion. And then what happens if you don't have enough money on you to donate EVERY time.

Maybe i'm just over-thinking the whole thing and being silly.

No, you're not silly. If you don't want to donate then just say no. Leaving, weddings and babies are okay but Birthdays are just over the top.

If you need a story to back you up say that it caused too many problems at a previous workplace so you would prefer not to. If I buy cards or presents it's because I like the person and I want to. Having to because everyone else does is just too much pressure.

Personally, I hate Secret Santa. Would rather spend a tenner on myself!!!