A wild money request from an anonymous boss has gone viral, and workers have been left offended and stunned.
Ben Askins is a workplace commentator from the UK who has found his sweet spot by sharing anonymous texts from bosses and offering his advice.
He recently shared a text message exchange between a boss and an employee that almost had him in disbelief.
Askins read out the text exchange that involved a boss texting an employee and making quite the wild money demand.
Anyone who has worked in an office will know that often, when someone leaves the company the employees will pull together and put in for a leaving gift.
This exchange, however, takes things to the next level.
“Hey! I noticed you haven’t put in the leaving present for Josh yet. Can you send $50 today? I want to put the purchase in by the end of the day,” the boss texted.
Keep in mind this is in euros, so in Australia it is around $100.
“Can I ask why it is so expensive?” the employee replied.
“Money is a little tight right now and to be asked to put in so much feels like a lot.”
The boss didn’t back down but instead doubled down on the money request that quickly became a demand.
“Josh has left the company for 3 years now and I think it is a nice gesture to show our appreciation,” they said.
When the worker replied that they didn’t really work with Josh and, therefore, didn’t think it was fair, they put in such a large sum, especially since he made so much more “money” than them.
The boss wouldn’t see reason and instead replied that it was “compulsory” and argued it had to be because it wasn’t fair to get money off some people and not others.
“Besides it isn’t that much all things considered,” the boss argued.
Askins said that he doesn’t mind leaving presents as a concept, but “companies should pay for it” not individual employees.
“Companies should take responsibility and set a budget,” he said.
Askins argued that this would avoid anyone feeling “pressured” to put in money they can’t afford and added that it is a totally different situation if you want to buy something small for a close workmate who is leaving a business.
“This sort of compulsory, everyone’s got to chip in, I absolutely hate it! I think it is really poor,” he fumed.
Askins summed up the request as “ridiculous” and added in the clip’s caption that it was “ insane.”
People online were left stunned.
“What the hell are they buying?” Another asked.
Someone else called it “disgusting,” and another claimed that a request like that could never be “compulsory,” no matter what a boss claims.
“That is an outrageous amount to ask ordinary employees to pay for a manager’s leaving gift. And since when was a contribution compulsory,” one wrote.
One wrote that the boss claiming it wasn’t that much is something only someone would say if they are “asking for money”.
Employment Hero’s head of people and culture, Liam D’Ortenzio, said that this kind of entitled act from a boss is a massive misstep.
“Managers play a vital role in building team morale, and recognition is a big part of that. However, asking employees to contribute a significant, mandatory amount for a gift is not the way to go,” he said.
“It’s more likely to breed resentment than foster appreciation, which is the opposite of what you want!”
D’Ortenzio argued that recognition needs always be inclusive, impactful and most importantly voluntary.
“A heartfelt acknowledgment in front of peers, highlighting the individual’s contributions to the business, can often be more meaningful than an expensive gift that lacks thoughtfulness,” he said.
“Where budgets allow, companies can take the lead in supporting recognition efforts. In this instance, a more thoughtful approach would have been for the company to fund the gift or set a modest, optional budget for contributions.”
