Gift , Guilt or Grinch!!

HireFire01

Our company handed out twenty dollar gift certificates for local grocery stores to all our employees. We are now asking if any employees would like to donate their cards to a local charity. Does anyone think this was a good idea? Some employees already complained that we shouldn't have issued the cards if we were going to ask for them back. Just inquiring for the next time something like this comes up!! Holiday Cheers from NJ:-)

Don D

I think it's pretty much a dumb idea. What would be the point in doing that?

HRMaiden

We did the same thing last year with wonderful results and no complaints. While most of our employees kept the certificates, approximately 20 employees donated them to charity. We did this in conjunction with a canned food drive so I think the idea of giving was already planted in their heads. This year we are having a food drive contest between departments. The department that collects the most non-perishable food and toiletry items will get a pizza party. We will be announcing this at our Christmas party this weekend.

AnneLa

We also give out gift certificates to our employees at Thanksgiving. We inform them that there will be donation gift boxes located in the lunchroom for any employee who would like to donate their certificate to a local food panty. We also had about 20 employees out of 180 who were generous enough to contribute.

Theresa Gegen TX

Anne's response has a good point. In her company, the gift boxes were out so employees could contribute or not contribute without anyone knowing who turned them in. Employees may feel pressure to give during the holidays if it is pushed by an employer or supervisor. Letting the employees decide without anyone knowing the decision of the individual is probably a good idea.

Renie

How could you do this to your employees? Some of us really feel the guilt around this time of year, please don't make it worse! I think we are all old enough to understand the meaning of Christmas and I agree that Charity is wonderful, but please allow your employees to enjoy a Christmas gift certificate without guilt, I mean good lord, we've already taken away their alcohol at the Holiday party isn't that enough!

Frenchie

I don't think you should give your employees a gift and then ask them to give it away. Put your food collection box up, but leave it to each individual to chose what they want to do. Don't even make the suggestion. I support various charity/goodwill organizations, however I take exception to an employer or anyone else putting pressure on me to do so.

KeliP

I agree, we have a food donation box set up for charity and we also have a box that individuals may put "good" used items (coats, shoes, toys,) in so that our company can donate them as well. Just some ideas other than asking for their gift back and no hard feelings are created.

Don D

True or not, the perception of this may well also be that the company has a selfish motive in doing something like this. The company gives out certificates, 'suggests' or arm twists that the gift be given to charity. Then the company holds itself out as "WE donated X to charity this Christmas", when it wasn't "WE" at all. Still say its a bad concept. If the company truly has a benevolent motive in the first place, perhaps the company should advise employees that it has decided this year to donate the money or its equivalent directly to charity rather than spring for gift certificates.

Margaret Morford

I think you guys are over thinking this! As long as the boxes are left out for people to give anonymously, I think it's a great idea. You can pick your certificate up and then no one knows whether you spend it or give it.

Our organization used to give our turkeys (Or the bird sling" as we called in in HR since we had to handle it). Leftover turkeys were given to the local children's home. Lots of our single employees wanted to donate theirs, but didn't want the hassle of having to take it there. I think the charity box is a great idea. Sometimes the ability to give to others is the best gift you can give someone.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

Don D

Are you saying we're getting a bit anal here Margaret? Actually, the original post contained no indication that any anonymous drop box was in the picture at all.

cebudragonlady

Margaret-
Oh you reminded me of the old days when turkeys were given out.Once worked for a hotel, which made a surprise announcement that turkeys were going to be given. Only when we got to the distribution area, did we realize that the birds were frozen - no bags or sacks were given out to carry them in...so I grabbed the frozen turkey with my bare hands, and walked two blocks to the car with it.

happy Holidays,
Chari
har

Don D

We were going to give out turkeys this year, but when I checked with the grocery store, I was told there WERE no turkeys this year.....THEY'RE ALL IN BRENTWOOD, TENNESSEE.

Margaret Morford

Now there's the curmudgeon we all know and love!

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

jojo

We still give out the frozen birds here at my company. Its kind of a strange thing when you first come into the company (I've only been here a little over a year) but it turns into a fun and humor day. Last year they gave them out with these cheesy plastic bags that if held by the handles would rip out from the bottom. We had many rolling frozen turkey's that day!!!

As for your question regarding the company asking for it back. We also put out donation boxs at certain areas and if the employee wants to donate it they can. (We give slips out a week before) The CEO and VP's hand out the birds and thank each employee.

I don't think anyone feels they "must" donate it, but it does pull at the strings of being a Scrooge if you don't. My opinion is its a good concept and every little helps at these food pantry's. My last job I came from a Non-profit organization that had a food pantry and during the holiday's the pantry became very scarse and we had to turn families away. (That is not fun) I think its still a great thing for the company to allow this to happen. Don't let people sway you from helping even a little. Just because people feel guilty doesn't mean it is a bad thing. The people who get ticked that the company "wants it back" are the same people that blame the company for raising the medical cost every year! 8-|

As for the company taking the credit. Who cares as long as it gets to the right place, and... are we not part of that company getting the good headlines?

Nurse Recruiter

I work for a Catholic hospital and we give frozen turkeys to our employees every year. It really makes for a fun day. Any left over turkeys are give to local charities, which is publicised to employees ahead of time. Many of them choose not to pick their turkeys up, knowing that they go to charity.
We also have lots of giving options this time of year through our Mission Awareness Team (gift baskets, food baskets, etc. to needy families). No one is expected to give, it is all very optional. We have a very large number of employees who choose to participate. If we do not have enough families, our employees complain that they could not do enough. I think you are so right, sometimes the best gift you can give is the opportunity for others to participate in giving.

safety

In my manufacturing environment we give gift certs, issued from a local supermarket, for a turkey or ham to all ee's valid for a period of time before and after Thanksgiving. The certificates expire on the 16th of December and all ee's know that if they do not use their cert the result will be that they forfeit their 'gift' and it is donated to the local food pantry for the needy.