Company Sends 'Out Of Touch' Email To Employees Asking For Christmas Donations To Get The CEO A Gift
They requested that employees pool their money together so that the company's CEO could feel appreciated.
Harbucks / Shutterstock An employee shared the absurd email he received from his manager about giving a present to someone in the office who many people felt didn't need to get anything, at least not from the employees.
Posting to the "r/antiwork" subreddit — an online public forum where people share their work-related issues and struggles — an employee at a for-profit ambulance company was shocked to receive an email asking him and his other coworkers to band together and get a gift for their CEO.
The company asked employees for Christmas donations to get the CEO a present.
In the screenshot of the email posted to Reddit, the employee's manager sent out a mass request to everyone, claiming that since the holiday season is approaching, it's that time of the year when everyone needs to start pooling their money so that the company's CEO can get a Christmas gift from everyone.
Photo: Reddit
"Every year we like to take up a collection for [the CEO] and his family for Christmas. [The CEO] does so much for his employees and this is our way of giving back," the email stated. His manager promised that this request wasn't mandatory but greatly appreciated, and there was no set amount of money.
Providing his CashApp and Venmo username, the company manager made sure to acknowledge that there was a deadline to have everyone's money in by. "Thanks in advance," he signed off the email.
People were dumbfounded at a company asking for money from their employees.
"The employees' way of giving back is going in and doing a good job. Then they take pride in their work because of that and go the extra mile to do great things on the clock," one Reddit user wrote. "Bosses do not get gifts from their workers. Workers get gifts from their bosses."
Another user added, "Your Boss, and/or the company you work for, should be getting YOU gifts, to show their appreciation. Not the other way around. You give them the ability to live that lavish lifestyle year-round, [and] the LEAST they can do is give you a little bonus, or gift at the end of the year."
"I'm not allowed to give to people that make more money than me, and they're not allowed to ask," a third user chimed in.
The long-established rules in the workplace when it comes to Christmas gifts are downward, not upward.
As mentioned by commenters under this Reddit post, employees should never be asked to give their manager a gift, and it should always be the other way around.
This rule is in place because of power dynamics and pay discrepancies, as a company CEO is earning way more than the average employee working under them.
On top of that, not all employees celebrate the same holidays or follow the same cultural practices. By asking for Christmas donations, they are overlooking the diverse backgrounds and preferences of the workforce, making some employees feel excluded or uncomfortable.
The criticism following this company's request proves that managers and other higher-ups at companies need to be mindful of various factors before trying to force gift-giving during the holiday season. Not everyone has the financial means to give a CEO a gift, and truthfully, it shouldn't be requested in the first place.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.