EveWasFramed
Well-known member
Each year (since I've been working there) in December, I have gathered donations to buy the bosses (two owners and the service manager who is the owner's bother/brother in law) a Christmas gift.
In the three previous years, every single employee donated about $20 (some slightly more). I was always in charge of purchasing the gifts and cards and wrapping them (aside from one of the owners and myself, all the employees are male).
Also, on the last day of work before we are off for Christmas, I would cook a huge meal for everyone and we'd have a Christmas lunch. When I say huge, I mean huge (and very costly). There would usually be a little money left from donations to put toward the cost of the food (making things like prime rib is pretty expensive) maybe $20 or $30. Id usually spend about $100 of my own money.
This year, for some reason, only 7 o the 13 employees donated. I always put a notice at the time clock, so everyone will know when I begin to start taking the donations, so it's not like they didn't know.
Well, since 6 of them didn't donate, that left ME to fork over $120 of my own money to make sure all three bosses got something.
Cooking a nice lunch for everyone is my way of giving everyone else a little something for the holidays. They are guys....they LOVE to eat.
Because of the donations being short, and me having to cover nearly half the cost of the gifts, I'm not sure that I want to spend another $100+ for food. Not only that, I'm pretty upset that so many didn't donate. The owners take us to a nice place to eat lunch every year for Xmas. Everyone orders exactly what they want and it's all paid for. They also give us a Christmas bonus at the lunch. This year it was $1,000. It's not like everyone couldn't afford to give a little back. $20 out of $1,000 isn't much. Yes, I know the people I work with very well, including whether or not they can afford $20.
I don't want to feel like I'm penalizing anyone, but as I said...Im a bit put out that so many didn't donate and I don't think I should have to spend money to feed them all, considering it was ME who had to make up the difference in the money.
But what about the ones who DID donate? There are several of them who are single and REALY look forward to home cooking. One of them has been talking about my meatballs for a month.
I'm not really sure if I should just say screw it, and when asked why I didn't do lunch, being honest and saying that people didn't donate and I had to pay for the rest of the gifts and didn't want to buy all the food. But...I don't want the ones that donated to feel bad. It's not like I can cook and say that the ones who didn't donate can't eat!
The owners aren't perfect, but they tolerate a lot of crap from a number of their employees.
I think giving a little something back, for what they do, is certainly called for.
Any suggestions?
In the three previous years, every single employee donated about $20 (some slightly more). I was always in charge of purchasing the gifts and cards and wrapping them (aside from one of the owners and myself, all the employees are male).
Also, on the last day of work before we are off for Christmas, I would cook a huge meal for everyone and we'd have a Christmas lunch. When I say huge, I mean huge (and very costly). There would usually be a little money left from donations to put toward the cost of the food (making things like prime rib is pretty expensive) maybe $20 or $30. Id usually spend about $100 of my own money.
This year, for some reason, only 7 o the 13 employees donated. I always put a notice at the time clock, so everyone will know when I begin to start taking the donations, so it's not like they didn't know.
Well, since 6 of them didn't donate, that left ME to fork over $120 of my own money to make sure all three bosses got something.
Cooking a nice lunch for everyone is my way of giving everyone else a little something for the holidays. They are guys....they LOVE to eat.
Because of the donations being short, and me having to cover nearly half the cost of the gifts, I'm not sure that I want to spend another $100+ for food. Not only that, I'm pretty upset that so many didn't donate. The owners take us to a nice place to eat lunch every year for Xmas. Everyone orders exactly what they want and it's all paid for. They also give us a Christmas bonus at the lunch. This year it was $1,000. It's not like everyone couldn't afford to give a little back. $20 out of $1,000 isn't much. Yes, I know the people I work with very well, including whether or not they can afford $20.
I don't want to feel like I'm penalizing anyone, but as I said...Im a bit put out that so many didn't donate and I don't think I should have to spend money to feed them all, considering it was ME who had to make up the difference in the money.
But what about the ones who DID donate? There are several of them who are single and REALY look forward to home cooking. One of them has been talking about my meatballs for a month.
I'm not really sure if I should just say screw it, and when asked why I didn't do lunch, being honest and saying that people didn't donate and I had to pay for the rest of the gifts and didn't want to buy all the food. But...I don't want the ones that donated to feel bad. It's not like I can cook and say that the ones who didn't donate can't eat!
The owners aren't perfect, but they tolerate a lot of crap from a number of their employees.
I think giving a little something back, for what they do, is certainly called for.
Any suggestions?