# Company Forcing Employees To Donate Their Hard Earned Money **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 23, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338 "2003-09-23T15:59:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/21 "2003-09-23T18:55:21Z")
Look. Your company can’t make you donate anything if you don’t want to. So just throw their crap away and delete their emails just like the rest of us. If they want you to set up some account just do it and let it sit there. Just be glad you don’t have people taking up collections to buy people gifts on their birthday. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/22 "2003-09-23T18:58:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Munch \* > \*\*The entire reason that your company is making such a big deal about this is because the United Way numbers are a very important thing for them. It is a very easy indication of the organization’s community involvement, and these numbers are readily available from UW for use in Chamber of Commerce reports and the like. When comparing Company A and Company B, sometimes the only distinguishing characteristic between them is their UW compliance. Guess which company is more attractive to bring business to? \*\* I don’t think anyone suggested that the company was being illogical in attempting to raise its profile through charitable giving, even if it is to the crappy United Way. People were, however, suggesting that it was unacceptable for companies to pressure their employees to donate their own money in order to make the company look good. If the company wants to look like a good corporate citizen, then let it make donations out of its own income. And, by the way **Munch** , if i understand the concept of tax-deductible charitable donations properly, you don’t actually “win” in a financial sense by making one. All it does is reduce your taxable income by the amount of the donation, which means that of the $100 (for example) that you donate, some comes from the moeny that you would have otherwise paid in tax, and the rest comes straight out of your pocket. If this is incorrect (i’m not really familiar with US tax law), maybe someone can set me straight. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/23 "2003-09-23T19:02:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Just be glad you don’t have people taking up collections to buy people gifts on their birthday. Talk about memory lane…I used to work for a very large corporation (HUGE) and they would on a monthly basis take up donations for birthday cakes, wedding gifts, baby gifts. Then of course you were hit with kids fundraisers. Boy scout and girl scout fundraisers. It was CONSTANT. Then there were layoffs followed by being sold and now it is down to 15 of us. Thank God I don’t have to face that pressure anymore! It doesn’t mean I find being spammed by my own company any easier to take. yes I will set up the friggin account and do as I am told. Let corporate worry about how much money makes it in the donation pool or not. I just don’t like being forced into participating not only by making a donation, but by being the “middle guy” to encourage the others to do it. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/24 "2003-09-23T19:07:17Z")
The United Way is pretty bad around here, too. One solution, **Isabelle** , could be to ask the head honcho if employees could maybe collectively choose another charity and donate to that one instead. (Or, maybe they could do it individually, and the company could match what they donate.) That way the company could still brag and say “Hey look, we donated X bucks to charity this year!” If the employees all got together and voted on one (say, oh, American Heart Association or whatever), it could garner attention in the community because your company is doing something different than all the other companies. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/25 "2003-09-23T19:13:02Z")
To encourage participation they are offering these incentives… One Day Off with Pay awards Cafeteria Beverage for One Year Reserved Parking Space for One Year Breakfast with President & CEO, AMA Family Medical Guide Shirt Birthday Lunch with Four Co-workers Free 2004 Health Screening 15 minutes Early to Clean the Snow Off Your Car Well since our office doesn’t have a cafeteria… Since our parking lot is very small and only 5 ft from the building… Since they sold the AMA books to us last month… Since there isn’t any snow in Florida… That leaves the incentives kinda high and dry no? These are cheesy incentives if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![ThatDuckIsEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@ThatDuckIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatDuckIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/26 "2003-09-23T19:16:01Z")
Isabelle, I am in the same boat. I am HR Director here, and I am disgusted with myself at having to send out the United Way propaganda. The effort I made to get folks to sign up? I put the stack of United Way gabage on the receptionists desk. I sent out an email saying “If you’d like to give to the United Way, there is information located at the front desk” That’s ALL I’m going to do. I’m supposed to call and have a rep give us her presentation, but whoopsie, seems I lost her card. Dern. My company is a start-up, not making a profit. We’ve all been on wage freezes for the past two years, with no change in sight. (Layoffs eminent in Jan 2004) So WHY would our CEO think that his employees have all this extra $$$ to throw away? (to the United Way, it’s throwing it away.) Oh, I know why. Because he’s a huge putz who, as jc put it, is only concerned with his name in the commuity and the ability to leave this sinking ship unscathed. I call shenanigans ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/27 "2003-09-23T19:17:01Z")
Snoopy and Isabelle, it’s not a matter of reaching X dollars each year, it’s a matter of hitting X% of employees each year, which is even crappier. And even if you manage to get the company to donate to Local NFP #204, it won’t make the papers, it won’t get into the Chamber of Commerce newsletter, and it certainly won’t get into the United Way publishings. mhendo, you’re absolutely right. But I wasn’t trying to imply that the UW is a good organization, or the tactics listed are ethical at all. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/28 "2003-09-23T19:18:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by j.c. \* > \*\*Once upon a time, I worked for a very large corporation in which the managers of certain groups did very much “rate” employees according to whether or not they were part of the official giving program. > > I’m sure it’s not legal - because the managers were careful not to leave a paper or email trail - but it surely was the case. Typically, dollars were exchanged for higher scores on moral and leadership. > > I feel your pain, **Isabelle**. Because you seem to work for a small group, it’s possible that this boss who keeps sending the email is hoping that contributions to the United Way will help the boss’s rep in the local business community. Give! Give now, so that your boss can get a better job in the future. \*\* Let me guess my two cents, it was an oil company and started with an E. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/29 "2003-09-23T19:26:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Isabelle \* > **15 minutes Early to Clean the Snow Off Your Car** Woo-hoo! :rolleyes: Now if it was “Send the BOSS out 15 minutes early to clean the snow off my car, and have it all warmed up and ready to go” . . . Nah, still no go. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/30 "2003-09-23T19:26:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Munch \* > \*\* When comparing Company A and Company B, sometimes the only distinguishing characteristic between them is their UW compliance. \*\* UW compliance. That is a scary thought. Contriubte or face civil penalties. Thankfully, I have never worked anywhere that “encouraged” people to donate to a specific charity, especially one that seems forever corrupt. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/31 "2003-09-23T20:01:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Isabelle \* > \*\*To encourage participation they are offering these incentives… > > Breakfast with President & CEO,\*\* Bwahahahaha. What is this, 1952? Who the hell wants breakfast with the President and CEO? ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/32 "2003-09-23T20:06:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Breakfast with President & CEO, This reminds me that my kids are offered the incentive to have breakfast with the Principal if they do well with their fundraisers. What the heck kinda prize is that? It’s a childish prize. ---
**Author:** ![MarkofT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MarkofT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkofT)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/33 "2003-09-23T20:09:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Isabelle \* > \*\*To encourage participation they are offering these incentives… > > One Day Off with Pay awards > > Cafeteria Beverage for One Year > > Reserved Parking Space for One Year > > Breakfast with President & CEO, > > AMA Family Medical Guide > > Shirt > > Birthday Lunch with Four Co-workers > > Free 2004 Health Screening > > 15 minutes Early to Clean the Snow Off Your Car > Well since our office doesn’t have a cafeteria… > Since our parking lot is very small and only 5 ft from the building… > Since they sold the AMA books to us last month… > Since there isn’t any snow in Florida… > > That leaves the incentives kinda high and dry no? These are cheesy incentives if you ask me. \*\* Perhaps you could negotiate something else more useful. 1 hour sunbathing/napping time each afternoon. Soda fountain installed into current breakroom Or perhaps someone could bite the bullet and during breakfast with the President and CEO bitch about United Way and it’s various scandals. That last one might not go over too well. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/34 "2003-09-23T20:17:18Z")
That is hysterical **MarkofT** I love it!!! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/35 "2003-09-23T20:32:05Z")
I think that you should strive for 100% compliance in your department, with everyone donating two cents. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/36 "2003-09-23T20:38:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adam yax \* > UW compliance. That is a scary thought. Contriubte or face civil penalties. Thankfully, I have never worked anywhere that “encouraged” people to donate to a specific charity, especially one that seems forever corrupt. My own disgust at this sort of thinly veiled blackmail goes beyond words. As a capitalist, I see this form of not-so-subtle financial coercion to be utterly revolting. Please review [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=204032) thread for even more hair raising tales than you’ve found here. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/37 "2003-09-23T20:41:37Z")
Zenster, that’s exactly the thread I was thinking of when I made my comment. Thanks for the link. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/38 "2003-09-23T20:56:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Munch \* > \*\*Snoopy and Isabelle, it’s not a matter of reaching X dollars each year, it’s a matter of hitting X% of employees each year, which is even crappier. \*\* So… why not tell everyone “Donate a Penny!” 100% compliance! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/39 "2003-09-23T21:16:10Z")
Seriously, what is it with united way? Why does everyone seem to subscribe to them if they’re such a scam? Is it just because they provide an easy way for a company to sound good? Why isn’t there a niche for a reputable charity to do a similar thing: “Why didn’t do united way, but 50% of people donated to [MuchBetterCharity.com](http://MuchBetterCharity.com) or affiliates (basically what they were doing already)”? ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338/40 "2003-09-23T21:25:28Z")
Better yet, Isabelle, throw in 15 cents yourself, say that it’s from everyone, send it in and say “That’s ALL, now leave us ALONE.” It would be worth 15 cents to get the corporate UW shills off your back. I made it abundantly clear to my boss in my last position that I would have no part (as the chick in charge of HR) in extorting the employees for any charity. Charitable contributions are a personal matter and do not belong in the workplace, especially not as a top-down “we encourage participation” coercive scheme which doesn’t benefit the employees in the slightest way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/company-forcing-employees-to-donate-their-hard-earned-money/203338.md?page=3)