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How much fundariasing at work is too much?

regdunlopregdunlop 176 Posts
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does anyone have a policy that prevents employees from going to coworkers for help with their child's fundraising efforts (selling candy or other small items for a school)? it seems like these fundraisers are increasing in number.  has any employee ever complained about the fundraising of another employee?
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  • lpbutzlpbutz 1 Post
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    What does your Non-Solicitation Policy state?  Perhaps you could simply have sign up sheets or the candy out on an honor system and interested ee's could participate?
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  • curlytop94curlytop94 3 Posts
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    Always a touchy subject.  You don't want to be mean because Susion can't sell her daught'ers girl scout cookies, etc.  I agree with the previous advice, check your Non-Solicitation policy.  You have to be very careful here as if you allow one, you cannot discriminate others.  If your company is a non-union environment, you have opened the door to unions soliciting as well.  We always had one board in the break room and people could post.  If you allow people to solicit using company email and equipment, you cannot keep someone from doing the same for unions. Good luck!
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  • HRforMEHRforME 497 Posts
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    I agree with the others. We have a no solicitation policy.   Every once in a while an employee will put a fundraising flyer on the table in the lunchroom, but we do not allow them to use the email system to notify anyone that it is there.  The response is usually very small and most just get discouraged enough not to try it again.

    Personally as a parent, I am very against this. I refuse to bring student fundraisers to work at all. The whole point of fundraisers is for the child to do the work, not the parent. 

    The only time I would feel it is okay is if the office had a team that was participating in a charity event, such as a breast cancer awareness fun run where you have pledges, etc.  Where the employee is the one raising the money.

    When I worked at a large HR consulting firm, they allowed United Way to come in once a year for pledges.  As a lower paid employee, I felt bound to pledge AND was told behind closed doors that failure to pledge could later be used in failure to promote.  I honestly didn't think that was fair because I chose to give my charity dollars elsewhere, but it also was not illegal.  So I tend to have a very jaded view of solicitation!

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  • IT HRIT HR 595 Posts
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    HRforMe - I can understand why you would have a jaded view of soliciation after having to deal with a situation like that. We do a lot of community service projects here (food to a local shelter, helping out a family at Christmas time with presents for the kids, etc.) and ask the employees to participate, along with the company, if they want to.  It is NEVER a mandatory thing.  I am the only one who knows if someone participates in giving donations or not.  I know there are a couple people who can't help out because of financial constraints and there are others that participate in things outside of work so they don't participate in the things we do here.

    I agree with all the posters that a soliciation policy is going to be your best bet to help solve the problem if you are receiving complaints. 

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