Natter 55: It's the 55th Natter
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
Drew, I hope the ranting isn't pinging you, because you obviously don't have the straight hierarchical corporate relationship with your people, and more power to you.
It does ping me a little to be honest. I've had lots of bad bosses and I take it pretty seriously to try to be a good boss as often as I can. I know that these things aren't directed at me, but I also know that all bosses are not evil, even if many of them are, so it's the absolute nature of some of the declarations that can ping me. I do agree that in a corporate structure some weird peer pressure to take up a collection is inappropriate, but I just don't agree that it goes as far as never buy your boss a gift.
I want to make ginger infused vodka, have a party with a ginger themed drink, then give out little bottles as take home gifts.
Wouldn't you need an actual Ginger at a party like that?
I've done cranberry, coffee and hot pepper vodkas and/or liqueurs this year. I used peppers from my garden, and the pepper vodka is not for the faint of heart.
I have no objection to giving a boss a gift. I object to feeling like I have to give a gift.
I have no objection to giving a boss a gift. I object to feeling like I have to give a gift.
Yes, this. If my boss was someone I liked enough to buy a gift for anyway, him/her being my boss wouldn't stop me, and price wouldn't be any more a consideration than if I were buying a gift for any other friend.
But in a corporate heirarchy, being pressured to buy an expensive holiday gift for someone who by definition makes more money than you is just flat-out rude. (I think I'd feel better about a birthday gift because at least then you're not asking people to chip in when they're already almost certainly strapped for cash. But then, in my office, most birthday collections are a couple of bucks for a card and a cake.)
(Oh, and hi. I'm back from Cincinnati and feeling very sad and nostalgic. As my uncle said at the funeral, it's not that often 91 years is considered way too short a time. But it was.)
I'm glad you made it back, Jess, but sorry about sad -- I hope it's at least the kind of sad that mixes more and more with the fond memories over time.
The only time I felt pressured into buying a boss gift was in larger offices, and I thought it sucked. I would have preferred to get an individual gift for a boss I liked, not contribute to a group thing.
The last 19 years I have been the boss. Some of my employees have given me gifts, some of my customers have given me gifts. It felt personal and not rather than business like. I've always given bonuses to the employees, but really I do things for them at different times of the year as needed, and they do the same. One of them has been using my car for a month or so while she tries to save up to buy one. This is small company stuff though, not a big corporate environment. We feel free to flirt and tell raunchy jokes too.
I just don't agree that it goes as far as never buy your boss a gift.
I say don't buy your boss a gift--but buy a co-worker you like/respect/etc a gift, even if they are your boss.
There may be (and I don't like it either) a
responsibility
to buy someone downstream for you a gift, but that's a whole different kettle of worms.
Welcome back, Jessica.
Hi Jess, good to see you back safe and sound. How was traveling with the baby?
Welcome back, Jess. I've missed you.
I just got surprised by pain. I'm even surprised to be surprised.
Ow. Dude. Random eyeball pain. Uncool.