So at our last “Smart Meeting” our department head was bragging about how, since he took over as department head, our charity drive participation rate has been 100%. He kept on and on about how proud he is and the good we do…Blah blah blah…and he expects the same this year.
Today his secretary goes around passing out forms which requires name, amount you give and other personal information. I really don’t care for this cause and I feel pressured to give. I don’t want him to remember me as the guy who gave him a 99% participation rate. If I don’t participate I am likely to be found out since the pledge is not anonymous. This is BS.
Wow, this is a very dysfunctional policy. Charity contributions should be anonymous. Passing around a form is just too much. This is borderline HR violation.
But I guess if you have no way to get out of this, you should just follow the program. You don’t want to get on your boss’ bad side for stupid reasons like this.
Is the sheet that’s getting passed around for donating to one specific charity? For instance, couldn’t you make some excuse that you donate to Frank’s HCB Training Center or some other worthwhile goal?
If not, then I might just follow ohai’s advice and just give the minimum so you don’t make a stink.
Yep. Give a couple bucks. He gets his participation rate, you get to move on with your life.
I agree, it’s bull sh*t though.
About a month ago or so our CEO or executive head of department (can’t remember which) sent around an email with recommended donation levels per employee level that were to go to their political lobbying PAC or something similar. I was thoroughly pissed. I however, did not contribute in that situation and most seated around me didn’t either. You want me to give to a benign charity, sure. You want to try to pressure me to sell out part of my vote, or even worse, support a part of the political system that I vehemently despise. Yeah, that’s not happening.
On a related note, you could make your donation then later mention something to your boss quietly to the effect of, “Hey, I like what we do with the charity, it does make me feel great to be part of a group that reaches out and has a positive impact… but I overheard some people who were concerned about the fact that it’s not annonymous, and to some extent they do seem to have a point… anyhow, just wanted figured I’d drop by and say thanks.” Depends on your relationship with your boss I guess.
I think you ought to figure out what you can get from them for your participation. Maybe you have a charity you want him to give to.
Not necessarily this time around, but when you find yourself pressured to do things like this, you ought to ask yourself if you’d be willing to do it if they did something else in return.
Thanks guys…It turns out , I am not the only one making a fuss about this.
As I read through the form, I realize I can specify any charity I wish to donate to, not just the one he advanced. This makes it a little bit more bearable. I still feel pressured because I wouldn’t had done it otherwise.
On the bright side, you can make your pledge through payroll deductions, credit card, and my favorite STOCK TRANSFER!
I thought this was interesting because at my firm they are a bit compliance crazy about poltical donations. I have to clear things with them and stuff, so I figured rather than let them know my politics I just wouldn’t donate to anyone. Easier.