Woman Fed Up With Donating Money For Coworkers’ Important Events, Faces Criticism At Work

"There is always some kind of baby shower or bridal shower or wedding or something to donate money towards"

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• October 15, 2023

Money troubles don't just stay at home; they follow us to work, too. Today, many of us deal with money issues like debts and high living costs.

These problems aren't just about our personal lives; they also affect our jobs. It can make us less focused, less happy with our jobs, and can even stop us from moving up in our careers or pursuing our dreams.

OP had recently joined a new job after graduating from college in 2022. However, her financial situation was challenging due to substantial student loans and debt from her college years, leading her to live a paycheck-to-paycheck existence.

A recurring dilemma at her workplace involved contributions for various events like baby showers and weddings, pooled as a "group gift." Being relatively new and introverted, OP had limited connections with her coworkers and had never participated in these financial collections.

She believed in not soliciting her colleagues for money and couldn't afford to contribute to unfamiliar acquaintances. The situation escalated when her manager singled her out for not signing a card meant for those who had donated, creating an awkward scenario.

This prompted OP to question whether her actions were inconsiderate or if there was an unwritten workplace rule mandating such contributions.

OP started working right after college, but she has too many student loans, so she lives paycheck to paycheck

OP faces financial difficulties at work, making it hard to contribute to group gifts, and her manager noticed her absence from card signatures.

Giving should be voluntary, and a gift that burdens others with debt is not a true gift.

OP's boss is petty and could harm her career.

OP is not obligated to donate.

Giving is optional

This is more manageable if your job pays well.

It's unfair for management or others to pressure OP into gifting

OP doesn't have to donate if she can't afford it or doesn't want to.

It's OP's money, and her manager is singling her out and trying to make her feel guilty about it.

OP's boss shouldn't pressure people like that.

Not having money is a valid reason

OP works for a paycheck, not to spend her own money on coworker gifts

OP is not wrong in this situation

The boss pushing OP to give money for work fundraisers isn't fair and doesn't help. If you can't afford to give, that's a good enough reason. It's OP's choice how she manages her money.

What the boss is doing by singling out OP and making her feel guilty is not right. Giving money should be something you want to do, not something you're forced into.

Forcing people to give money at work, especially when they're struggling financially, is not fair and can make things worse for everyone. Giving should be something you do because you want to, not because you're made to feel guilty.

OP's boss is making a mistake, and workplaces need to rethink how they handle these situations to be fair and respectful to all employees.

Damjan