I mean, maybe $10, even though the concept is still very WTF-worthy
yeah, previous years it's been $20. not sure when this $40 crap became the norm.
What kind of business is this???
we sell industrial lubricants. it's kind of like WD40.
Can you just smile and say "no, it's not in my budget?" And then ignore them?
I tried that one year when i had been out of work for two months and literally had no money and i was guilt-tripped about it and told to use part of the bonus money i had been given at the christmas party because the bosses "do so much" for me. so...unlikely.
Seriously, though, won't the guilt-tripping people just give up eventually if you don't back down. Or maybe there's one you can take aside and be very frank with?
man, this just burns my toast!
No way I'd chip in $40 for a boss' gift. No. WAY. Is too much.
WTF, tiggy.
My minion and I got presents from the person in between us in the department yesterday, so minion was asking what she should do in response. I said she should do what she wants but she should never EVER feel like she has to buy anything for people up the food chain from her. Because that shit is BANANAS.
I'd be very tempted to state mournfully, "Oh man, that'd mean I can't afford my [name some highly contaigous nasty-ass, airborn disease. Oooh or rabies!] meds this month...."
And, actually, these people don't need an explanation. Just a "no." Repeatedly.
We kick in about $10 a piece for an office gift to the bosses here, but it's a tiny close-knit office where most of the workers are relatives or personal friends of the owners. And they occasionally do stuff like fly people to conferences we're not strictly needed at so the different branches can socialize and get taken out for pretty nice meals.
eta: The person doing the organizing and buying clears the gift with everyone first, and I'm sure we'd go to Plan B if anyone objected to a gift being too expensive or what have you.
It's funny -- minion is in her second job out of college, I think she's 24? so I feel this huge responsability to teach her how things should be, in case she ends up at a fucked-up job later.
I second (or fifth) the oh, HELL no.
