'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

[jtexas]

Our "Holiday Gathering" is this morning, to include a silent auction benefiting some worthy charity or another. Items up for bid include several all-inclusive resort packages, week-long stays at places like Four Seasons Nevis, Marriot St. Kitts, Caneel Bay St. John (USVI), several other Carribean hotspots, airline passes to Europe, plus some gift-shop kinds of crap.<br /><br />So why the resentment? I remember when these things used to be called "door prizes," and we didn't take employees' money for 'em. I mean, we've started charging for what used to be a free perk.<br /><br />This is a $2 billion division of an $800 billion company, and they've got their hand out asking me for money. Talk about irony!<br /><br />Show me a person who doesn't have plenty of opportunity to support "worthy causes" outside of work and I'll show you somebody who can't or won't support any causes anyway.<br /><br />On our "intraanet" is a link to a report on charitable giving by department. That means that somebody needs to impress somebody else, do better than the "other departments." Somebody's career is going to be influenced by whether or not I choose to support my employer's choice of charities. Somebody who can affect my future has an incentive to "encourage" me to allocate my charitable dollars to their chosen charity. Like I need that kind of pressure at work! That's just wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.<br /><br />Thanks and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

They took up a collection for a less fortunate person submitted by an employee, and chosen by a committee. When asked for a donation, I inquired who was the recipient. I was told it was "against the law" to reveal the name. Needless to say no money changed hands. I usually donate 4-50# bags of Purina Dog Chow to the ASPCA for Christmas. This year I gave 5 bags. The dogs are not political.

 

[ndemge]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

jtexas... I hear ya! Some of the "adopted families" are better off than I am!<br /><br />NYM.... privacy kiss what?

 

[KaGee]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

I hate corporate politics... that sux JT.<br /><br />Glad to be self employed and not have to put up with that trash.<br /><br />Charity... when forced at gun-point (figuretivly) becomes extrortion in my mind.<br /><br />We give through our church. That way I know what the money is going to and have the assurance that 100% is actually going to the cause.

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

That is ironic jtexas. Gotta love the corporate mentality.<br /><br />We don't even get any Holiday party again this year.

 

[DJ]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

Does anyone remember when Pres. Clinton tried to soften the blow of his tax policy buy calling (taxes) "contributions"? <br /><br />Charity is supposed to be anonymous.

 

[jtexas]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

Did I mention that we're in a travel-related business, so the "prizes" are all "donated" by the donors, quid pro quo, in exchange for passes from us for them to distribute to their employees. Apparently it's a marketing department thing, which I do appreciate that aspect of it. One year I got passes to Brussels.<br /><br />I know the folks who are administering the program, good people, I trust 'em, not questioning the "worthiness" of the charities. I also know the "decision-makers," also good people, under pressure to make their bosses look good. And the top dog in my division, no question he's a man of integrity, but as they say, __it flows downhill. I guess somebody higher up *coughCEOcough* got a seat on the board of some organization *coughUnitedWaycough* so now he wants his company *coughcough* to look good in front of his friends.<br /><br />But my all my charitable dollars are already committed, and it's none of their ###n business anyway.<br /><br />Sorry, guess I still haven't gotten it out of my system.<br /><br />Thanks for listening.

 

[KaGee]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

Originally posted by DJ:<br /> Does anyone remember when Pres. Clinton tried to soften the blow of his tax policy buy calling (taxes) "contributions"? <br /><br />Charity is supposed to be anonymous.

Ah Huh!<br />And government funding was/is called "investments". WHERE'S THE DIVIDEND?

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

Originally posted by DJ:<br /> Does anyone remember when Pres. Clinton tried to soften the blow of his tax policy buy calling (taxes) "contributions"? <br /><br />Charity is supposed to be anonymous.

<br /><br /> Yes Indeed, also remember his defination of the word SEX. That was a sterling 'Contribution" !!

 

[wilkin250r]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

If memory serve me correct, of all the donations made to the United Way after 9/11, only about 25% actually made it to the intended destination.

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

jtexas, <br /><br />dang hoss, them are some awesome perks, trips to Brussels and all. It is my dream to do some traveling. I've seen about all of this twon there is to see in my 37 years here.

 

[jtexas]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

Okay, a couple VP's just swept through the room and raised the bar on all the trips to the "out of my reach" level. Serves me right for being such a lowly underling. How dare I expect a chance to spend a week lying on a beach drinking rum!<br /><br />I shared my viewpoint with my boss (a VP but not one of those previously mentioned); he's actually boycotting the auction because he too is uncomfortable with the implied pressure to take our money.<br /><br />Yeah, SW, it used to be a random drawing, like a free raffle with really good odds. Made up for a lot of the day-to-day BS.

 

[Mr.Ladyfish]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

Hey Jtexas, ya got an open invitation to come lay on our beach an drink beer if that makes ya feel any better.<br /><br />I'd wait a couple of months though, its a little cool out there today.

 

[tomatolord]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

I work for a company whose HQ is in germany, when they hired me they said I get paid once a month and I asked why is that, they said that is what they do in germany.<br /><br />So I said OK, give me the german vacation schedule if you are going to hold me to their rules then hold me to ALL their rules not select ones.<br /><br />They laughed<br /><br />I get paid once a month and have american vacation schedules<br /><br />But get this....<br /><br />A german from the parent company came over to the US and he gets the german schedule AND by default (the office is closed) the american schedule.<br /><br />If you aint the lead do the view never changes.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

We had a party at work after we collected a bunch of money for some charity. They had some expensive door prizes. You couldnt donate any more money and you didnt even have to donate to win.<br /><br />I was thinking, why didnt they donate the prizes (or actually the money to buy the prizes) to the charity?<br /><br />Ken

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

The only charity that give to these days is st judes, all other charities are completely off my list,they may as well be on another planet, considering what some of the majors pulled after 9/11.

 

[12Footer]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

United Way is an organization that operates within this "werkplace-pressure" template.<br />Mandatory lectutures, signatures on donor cards,(whether you donate or not)...<br />Giving is giving.It should be voluntary,or it becomes "extortion"!

 

[Homerr]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

Sorry to say, but I don't give to charities. <br /><br />Too many scandals these days.<br /><br /><br />H.

 

[dogsdad]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

Where I work, those in management and secretarial positions have been cavorting about with wrapped gifts, looking for this manager or that supervisor. This is going on amidst demands of higher production numbers and threats of forced time off. No bonuses for the peons. In fact, they recently decided to take away the paid Christmas holiday. <br /><br />The other day, someone came to me for a contribution for someone in management who had a death in the family. Not a nickel from me.<br /><br />I've never had an employer display such contempt for its employees, and I have never had such contempt for an employer. I know I am not the only employee who would dance on the ashes of that place when (not IF) it goes tits up. I'd like to help them FAIL at this point.

 

[Parrott_head]

Re: 'Tis the season to be resentful. Work-related rant

My brother used to manage a grocery store in a small town. They would raffle off turkeys during the holidays. The names would be drawn from slips given to the folks when they paid for their purchase.<br /><br />He admitted that the drawing was rigged. They would go through the slips and select who was to receive the free birds. The birds generally went to family so down on their luck that they probably wouldn't have a much of a Thanksgiving...