Company Forcing Employees To Donate Their Hard Earned Money

The BBQ Pit
101

You have a good man, Audrey. It’s precisely this sort of corporate bragging rights being bought with the employees’ blood, sweat and tears that makes my teeth move around in my head. I’d like to see executives be forced to give an adjusted amount equal to the average low-level worker’s contribution, then multiplied by the number of times their own annual salary exceeds that of the workers. That might shut them the fuck up with all of their stinking “need to give” bullshit.

“Fruit bats?” … “Australian dick wrestling?”

Una, don’t you ever stop posting around here. That one made my day. I’m now cudgeling my wits in order to figure out how to use “Austrailian dick wrestling” in topical conversation more often. What a gem! Thank you.

And finally, I’d like to see the United Way forced to undergo Federal oversight. Too many time have I heard of malfeasance in their highest ranks. There also needs to be something done about corporate pressure to donate. Making people’s chances of promotion dependent upon contributing to a corrupt organization is one of the most egregious ethical violations I have ever heard of. It sucks great green donkey nuts both coming and going.

102

Another reason why I will never give to UW, and why I am usually about ready to bash in the head of anyone who pesters me about it:

My mom put in a lot of years as a social worker, and a very poorly paid one at that. On that pitiful nonprofit salary, with extremely minimal child support, she somehow managed to feed and clothe my sister and me. When I was a kid, she ran a small (5 staff members) emergency social services program at our local Salvation Army. It was a great program; they would hook people up with emergency food, clothing, shelter, medical care, whatever they needed. Mom’s staff was great; she is still friends with most of them to this day, more than 20 years later. (And none of them were members of whatever church Salvation Army is affiliated with; they consisted of my mom the ultra-reform Jew, one little old crusty Guatemalan Catholic lady, one tall, elegant transvestite named Abraham, one even crustier Jewish atheist Trotskyite anarchist, one crusty Puerto Rican single mom from the Bronx, and one very mild-mannered Mennonite from a local fellowship/commune type place. Yes, it would have made a great sitcom cast.)

Our family has some very fond memories of that place, which was heavily dependent on UW funding. The staff did some really good work; once Mom even had a 93-year-old semi-homeless lady stay with us for a while until Mom could find her a permanent residential spot, so her drug-abusing granddaughter and great-grandson wouldn’t have her sleeping on the floor and using her Social Security check for drugs.

Then one year, UW cut their funding by about 80%. Basically, instead of a staff of five, Mom was supposed to provide all those services by herself. Obviously, there was no way in hell she could do that, so she had to quit, and she was unemployed for a good, long while after that. So I will never give UW money again; I know plenty of local nonprofits that do great work, so my support will go directly where it is needed. I believe it is morally wrong to coerce anyone into charitable contributions, and anyone who has problems with my views on UW as an organization (not on its individual staff members, of course; I’m sure many of them are wonderful people who have their hearts in the right place) will certainly get a piece of my mind.

103

Hmmm… I’ve gone out and cleaned the snow off employees’ cars before, and started them so that they’re warmed up by the time they leave. You mean, I could have gotten money/donations/favours out of them for that? :smack:

104

Please be very careful, you’re talking about my best friends.

105

For those who, in order to keep their jobs, simply must give, you might want to consider one option:

The UW allows you to indicate that “your” donation can be earmarked for the charity of your choice. This, of course, is usually bullshit. The allocations for each charity are set long before the drive begins (which is how they set their targets). The money is all dumped ino the central fund, and then disbursed as previously arranged. They simply ignore the “requests,” knowing that there will be fewer people specifying any individdual charity than that charity already has allocated to it. (And, if by some freak of happenstance, one charity actually came in with more money “earmarked” than they had allocated–well, who really knows that?–so they don’t even worry about audits.)

HOWEVER, in many cities, there are also smaller charities that are not under the UW umbrealla, but with whom UW has an “affiliate” relationship. (I do not remember the actual label used for them.) These groups get no money from the UW general fund, but the UW has agreed to pass on any funds that are earmarked for them. If no one indicates that group in any year, UW gives them nothing, but if money comes in flagged for the group, they get all of it.

If you don’t want to support the UW general fund, you might look around to see whether any charity you can support has one of these affiliate relationships with UW,

106

For those who, in order to keep their jobs, simply must give

I’m aware this happens, and I wonder why more people don’t hightail it to a lawyer’s office!

107

Well, SnoopyFan, not many large corporations put out blanket emails stating;

To: All Employees

From: Large Anonymous Corporation Ltd.

Re: Mandatory United Way Voluntary Donations
All,

For those of you seeking any further paychecks issued by our bank, we heartily recommend cooperating with the UW drone at your branch.

Yours Truly,

Larson E. Whipsnade CEO

If only they did, if only they did.

Did you notice how often people mentioned discreet little tete-a-tetes with managers and HR people in order for the thumbscrews to be applied? Recording conversations with people without their explicit knowledge (or a wiretap order) is both illegal and inadmissable in a court of law.

108

My experience as a commission salesperson at a now defunct Chicago-based retail chain…

Me: You wanted to see me?

HR Droid & Complete Corporate Suck-Up: The UW deadline is in a few days and we still didn’t get your form back.

Me: I’m not going to participate this year, ma’am.

HRD&CCSU: Why not? Everyone else in your department is. (Lie #1…2 other people in my dept. trashed their forms when I did and we suspected that a third used his to roll a fattie)

Me: I donate directly to some local charities and volunteer at others.

HRD&CCSU: The UW does a lot of good work.

Me: I;m sure it does but so do the charities I support, and they get ALL of my donation.

HRD&CCSU: I believe in giving. (No, corporate is on your ass to make us give)

Me: <silence>

HRD&CCSU: Mr. G (The store Grand Poobah) believes in giving. (Lie #2 - Mr. G believes in OTHER PEOPLE giving)

Me: So do I. My upbringing instilled a sense of duty to help the less fortunate. That’s why I donate my time and money.

HRD&CCSU: Mr. G believes in giving to the United Way.

Me: I’m sorry, but I’m not participating. Is there anything else?

HRD&CCSU: He’d REALLY like to see your department have 100% participation…

Me: Uhh…I need to get back on the floor…

HRD&CCSU: You MIGHT want to reconsider.

Me: OR???

HRD&CCSU: Nothing. Have a good day.

Guess who got the absolute worst shifts for the next few weeks…

109

If you set up the account, I’ll be able to transfer the trapped funds of my Nigerian friend into it. Just send me all the information.

You’ll get 30%.

110

Arrgh. This happened at my company in the early 90s:

Stage 1: They sent out contribution forms to all employess. We were required to return the forms, even if we didn’t want to contribute, and to make us squirm, we had to sign our names on the form next to the “I do not wish to contribute” box.

Stage 2: Sanjay, a good friend of Groo, didn’t like the UW because he distrusted large charitable organizations (preferring to give directly). In a fit of pique, Sanjay didn’t return the form.

Stage 3: Personal meeting with his section head, imploring him to help raise the department’s participation percentage. Sanjay wouldn’t budge.

Stage 4: Personal meeting with his department manager; Sanjay could donate as little as 25 cents, and, “We really need that percentage to be 100%.” (Sadly, Groo had already compromised his ideals and presented his vulnerable parts to the UW thugs).

Stage 5: Personal meeting with Program Manager. “What’s all this about your contribution thing? Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone working on this program were a contributor?”

Stage 6: Sanjay was despairing. Line managers were just annoyances, but now the Program Manager was in on it. He really didn’t want to donate money, as he saw it as a Wrong Thing. But he’d been raised to follow the rules, and it was dawning on him that it was never actually a voluntary contribution; it was a rule that he hadn’t known about. What pissed me off was that Sanjay was the Greatest Fucking Programmer in the Universe and he was actually worrying about whether his career was grinding to a standstill over this issue. (He’d never been granted such audiences with high mucky mucks before).

Stage 7: Sanjay’s woman made him strong while Groo wrote a letter to Sanjay’s section head, department head, program manager and division manager, which contrasted Sanjay’s superhuman capabilities with the depths to which they’d sunk trying to get $13 a year from him. The phrase, “Shame on you,” appeared at least three times, as did the question, “Aren’t we charging to government contracts while organizing all of this?”

Stage 8: UW contributions were not all that important, apparently. Personal apologies were made to Sanjay. Groo was identified as the new trouble maker, and all was right with the world.

… until the Fucking Savings Bond Drive.

111

My current employer doesn’t really coerce us into giving to UW. We just get a bunch of emails and an ice cream party at the fund drive kick off.

However, my former employer would send out donation cards to each employee. Those cards had to be returned, even if only to indicated that you would not be participating. Along with the cards came an oh-so-charming memo stating that, while it would not affect your career if you chose not to participate, management would be aware of how much you chose to give and if you gave at all.

Just how the heck are you supposed to interprete that statement?

Then if you declined to participate or gave less than your fair share, you got a lovely letter in response asking if you were sure that you wanted to give less than you were supposed to. A copy of this letter was sent to HR. But, again, we were told our giving wouldn’t affect our careers in any way.

Of course, I’m a bit biased against UW contributions due to a bad experience years ago. I was laid off from a low-paying job and darned if the company didn’t take 6 months of UW pledges out of my severance check! (I was laid off 6 months before the next pledge drive.)

112

“I knew before opening the thread it would be about that gang of organized extortionists, the United Way”

Yeah, I got the same spooky premonition. In the large corporation in which I did pennance for 15 months, UW was as good as mandatory. As a middle manager, I was informed that I had an obligation to show a good example for the ‘troops’, blah blah blah. I still said “hell, no”, thus totally fucking up my chances of getting a gold star at the next managers’ pep rally. Golly gee. Extortion isn’t even the right word. Piracy, I’d call it.

A parking space? Be still my heart. THAT must’ve cost the company a shitload. Probably kicked out the Pregnant Employee of the Month or something.

Breakfast with the CEO? Holy shit. Don’t want to risk getting cornflakes down my rented tux.

  • PW
    who wonders whom UW is united against
113

Welcome aboard(s), Palewriter!

114

I’m not normally one to criticize where charity and religion are concerned, as every dollar given to charity is a good dollar, and because I know many take great strength in their faith. But I just have to point out that the two are completely independant. When you give a dollar to your church, it’s the equivalent of giving it to your chess club. It’s just a payment for services you enjoy. In fact, in your mind, it seems to be the price to salvation for you personally. Not for the homeless guy down the street or even those you love, but for you alone. It’s money spent on you, like a manicure. It is not in any way charity.

It’s your money, and you should spend it any way you please. However, the statement that $6,000 was given to the church and charity implies that you’re a very charitable person, or as charitable as you can afford. In fact, it’s likely you sent $5,900 to the church and the remainder to charity. It’s not very good (or christian) to imply you gave much more to charity than you did.

Also, I don’t follow why the account isn’t set up yet. You said you’d do it in the beginning, but that noone would contribute. And that’s fine. But then you said later they were harping on you because you hadn’t done what you were asked and commited to do. And even then, it sounds like you didn’t do it, but rather argued with them about how nobody wants to be charitable.

And finally, the notion that the company “gets a big tax write-off” is implying another big lie. The company is offering to be generous to charity. They are offering to give their hard-earned money to those less fortunate. The fact that it’s tax deductable doesn’t change the fact that when they give, they have less money, and someone needy has more. You really shouldn’t belittle their kindness, and especially shouldn’t do it while in the same breath claiming your personal luxury spending at your church as a charitable giving.

115

Look, i’m not at all religious and i have never tithed a cent in my life. But your post is the most hypocritical piece of shit i’ve read on these boards in a long time.

You say that those who tithe are doing it for almost completely selfish reasons, yet a company that gives to charity is simply “offering to be generous,” and is “giving their hard-earned money to those less fortunate.” I have little time for religion, but i respect the fact that much of the good charity work in the United States is done by religious and church-based groups, and that tithing probably helps considerably in these efforts. I also have a great deal of respect for people who are willing to fork over such a big percentage of their income to help such things. To accuse them of simple self-interest is pretty fucking low.

It is certainly true that much of the money given to charity by companies does go to helping people. But you have provided no evidence of your assertion that less than 1% of tithed money go to help the needy or other worthwhile causes.

Furthermore, not only is the money given to charity by a company tax deductible, but it’s obvious that many companies consider it just another cost of doing business. It is essentially just more advertising spending, because a key reason for the charitable contributions is to raise the company’s profile and standing in the community, and thus lead to more business. Some of the people posting to this thread have been told as much by the managers in their companies.

And the final thing that you forgot in your display of dribbling idiocy was that the OP was not a rant against company donations; it was a rant against companies that force employees to make personal donations in the company name. Do you get it yet? It’s not company kindness that the OP and others have been belittling–it is company pressure and, in some cases, borderline illegal extortion that has raised the ire of people here.

I’m now trying to decide whether your post is a big whoosh, a rant against organized religion, or a blow-job for the companies.

116

[nitpick]

Sorry, i said “less than 1%,” but your figures actually suggest that about 1.66% of tithed money goes to charity work.

So, i guess you’re marginally less of an asshole than i thought.

:rolleyes:

[/nitpick]

117

Pick whichever one you want, none of them are pretty. However, all of them are appropriate.

Speaking of religion, is anyone else disgusted at how the Catholic church is pissing away millions of dollars to settle all of the abuse lawsuits? Where did all that money come from? Golly gee … OUT OF THE FUCKING COLLECTION PLATES.

So, let’s see … money given to do good works instead goes to finance the legal extrication of pedophiles.

Shouldn’t all of these millions be coming directly out of the operations and stipend budgets for the College of the Cardinals and good old Mister Pope himself?

Fucking Catholic charity … my gold plated ass!

118

The Catholic church always boggled my mind with its huge displays of wealth. I mean it’s pretty and all, but it always made my eyebrow go up.

119

mhendo wrote

Yes, that’s what I said.

Your point that businesses get “respect in the community” bonus points is true, but that’s also true of individuals who give to charity. Plenty of people and companies give to charity, and they should get the respect they deserve. Saying it’s owed somehow by businesses and they don’t deserve recognition for their good deeds is just silly.

Bully for you. The simple fact is that it is purely self interest, even if it is “pretty fucking low” to point it out. It’s no different than when you pay your dues to belong to any other club. It’s simple value paid for value received. It is in no way charity.

Nor have I claimed it for the general populance. My assertion was for the specific case of friend Isabelle. By all accounts she is a good and decent person, and I happen to agree with much of her OP. And it’s quite likely my estimation of what her 10% really is is way off. But my point stands. She lumped something she does purely to get to heaven in with her charitable giving, and that’s not only inaccurate, it’s claiming good done that wasn’t.

Oh, I got that. Am I only allowed to publish on this board what you see as relevant? Can I jot down your email and write you before posting for approval? I sure hate to do anything that you personally don’t approve of.

Oh, and the personal insults really go a long way towards making your case.

120

I believe the phrase I’m searching for is “Horse Shit”

I suppose that the Food Bank my church operates with my tithes (open to ANYONE in the community) is not doing charitable work.

I suppose that the program my church runs with my tithes that provides transportation to the doctor/clinic for the poor and elderly (open to ANYONE in the community) is not charitable work.

I suppose the program my church runs with my tithes that provides new school clothes to poor children (open to ANYONE in the community - do you see a pattern here?) is not charity.

These are three of about 15 -20 programs my tithes support.

I agree with you, though…the money would be MUCH better spent to buy new office furniture for the local UW honchos.