Flowers and/or memorials

Rockie · April 2005

Didn't know exactly where to post this,but here goes.

Can you give me an idea of (1) what you send flowers and memorials for? and (2) some basic financial guidelines of how much you spend for each event.

We need to tighten up our policy after we found out that a secretary's husband had been sent a $75 arrangement for a knee replacement. I think this has just evolved into an issue because people don't know how far to go down the food chain in sending these type things and they risk offending someone.

My thoughts would be to send flowers/memorial for a funeral, birth of a child or a serious illness or accident. If someone wants to do something more, then they can do it as a group,but the organization should not pay for it.

I'd be interested in how the rest of you guys handle this situation.

Thanks for your excellent help!

Gjack · April 2005

We send an arrangement around $50-$70 for funerals of immediate family or births. If anyone wants to send anything for other reasons they do it as a group and collect the money themselves.

Gillian

dchr9203 · April 2005

We send for funeral/memorial for immediate family members (parents, children, grandparents; we do not include in-laws) or for hospitalization of 48 hours or more which includes birth. Spend around $50.

deniseE · April 2005

we as an employer don't participate in the donation of $$$ or flowers for any event. However, it is left to the business unit, close work friends, and/or supervisors to oversee this sort of thing.

We've had cothing collections for employees that lost items in house fires, monetary donations for flowers/donations at the birth or passing of a loved one....and some employees recently organized a bone marrow testing event to help an ee find a match...

sometimes it's better to let ee's be their own resource.

DeidreFR5 · April 2005

We send items through a "Sunshine Fund". It is a voluntary payroll deduction and we have a formal policy on who gets what.

SUNSHINE FUND GIFTS TO EMPLOYEES
Revised 2004

Only Employees contributing to the Sunshine Fund receive Sunshine Fund Gifts

ILLNESS OF EMPLOYEE:
Fruit / Flower Basket $50-In Hospital (one week) or at home (two weeks)

DEATH OF IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER:
Funeral arrangement to Funeral Home or
Sympathy Arrangement to Employee’s Home

$ 50-Husband, Wife, Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Child, Mother- or Father-in-law.

$100-Death of employee

WEDDING:
Gift Check-$ 50 -Up to Five (5) years with Bank
$100-More than Five (5) years with Bank

BIRTH OR ADOPTION OF CHILD:$50 -Gift Check

RETIREMENT:Gift Check (with 100% match from the Bank)
$100-Two to Five Years of Employment
$150-Five to Ten Years of Employment
$200-Ten Years of Employment
$ 20-Per year over Ten

With 100% match from the Bank. See Retirement Policy for Retirement Party Details.

dchr9203 · April 2005

I tried to implement something like this once and got all kinds of flack about "tax deductible" (employees wanted receipts, etc; kindof like United Way), so I dropped it and said screw that. Employees are so generous when its the company's dime but boy howdy ask them to turn loose of a buck and do they get testy!!! Anyway, I'm curious how you handle it. Is yours set up as "tax deductible" or strictly an employee "voluntary" benevolence fund?

Thanks!

System · April 2005

You'll make your best heart-felt effort to come up with a system that's 'fair.' (The four-letter 'F' word.) You'll pour over it, defining immediate family, then redefining it to include 'or other family member who stood in the place of mom or dad' or a close neice or nephew. Then you'll define serious illness or accident only to learn that they're all serious. If a group does it, it's going to be unfair to people working in the small departments. Don't beat yourself up trying to make a policy that will please everyone. It won't happen. Do your best, being sincere with it. Then make adaptations as you go. You still need to look at discrimination issues.

As far as the $$ issue. You can get nice dish gardens or fruit baskets for $50.

HRCalico · April 2005

Wow - we usually do a nice plant for $25-$35, and it is for funerals of relatives (we now know when they're happening more due to a 1-yr-old bereavement leave policy), ee in hospital or family in hospital, I think. Our purchasing agent handles all the ordering and details so it is consistent. We also provide flowers for former employees if we hear about their death or hospitalization.

Side note - I have asked our purch person to request a low-maintenance plant. I received a beautiful plant for my grandfather's funeral that I couldn't keep alive because it had to be watered every day. And I'm even a plant person! I received a lovely small dish garden for my grandmother's funeral a few years and companies ago, and it is still thriving (albeit repotted!). It's a neat reminder of a neat lady.

I totally agree with s moll - do your best and be sincere, adapting as you go. That's a great bottom line.

marc · April 2005

We used to struggle with this whole thing - lots of hurt feelings due to various fairness perceptions and the personal bias of the office manager, who handled most of it.

But, we are a non-profit, and when got a new Exec Dir a couple of years ago, she stopped it with a simple theory: We cannot be spending donors money, even when they are unrestricted, on this sort of thing.

Now we send a card, signed by everyone who happens to be around the day it is circulated. Not fancy, but let's them know we are thinking of them.

lorrie · April 2005

I agree with the others - define your policy and be consistent, but update as needed.

Our company does a plant ($25-$35) for immediate family (spouse, parent, child) funeral. (In-laws are not included.) A card is sent for new baby (mom or dad) and other hospitalization of employee.

Employees are free to take up a donation on their own, and they often do.

While the company contribution is kind of slim, it is at least something, and it seems to work well.

AnneLa · April 2005

We have a 'Sunshine Club" in which employees contriute .25 per week. The organization also funds the Club with a $2000 donation every year. Employees who are part of the Club receive similar gifts in the amount of $50.00 or so. Employees who are not part of the Club do not receive any recognition when a significant event occurrs. We do not send baskets for any kind of illnesses to anyone but the employee. The death of an immediate family member gets recognized as well as weddings and births. Cards are sent to immediate family members.

ritamcguire · April 2005

Rockie:

Good post. I've always wondered what other companies do.

For deaths and critical (subjective) medical problems we give a $25-50 fruit basket or flowers (potted if possible). We limit it to truly immediate family only (parents, children, siblings to include "step" in each case). We also have a very thoughtful employee base and they always seem to take up an appropriate collection on their own for each specific incident. We do not give any monetary contribution, but we do have a very generous three day bereavement policy.

I've enjoyed reading the reponses. Thanks!

Flowers and/or memorials

Comments