Employee refuses to pitch $50 for a gift for his boss who makes 3x his salary, protesting the staff's pathetic holiday pizza party in return: 'I already gave my gift… it's a 0% wage increase'

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Dec 4, 2024 1:00 PM EST

Congratulations, fellow working class members! We've made it to the 'circle back in 2025' season, where we rarely check our emails, beg our bosses for an annual raise, and find ways to blackmail our least favorite coworkers after the holiday party. 

For some, surviving the end of the year is only possible with a holiday bonus, which is sadly a dwindling gesture. Although many workers have relied upon that little scrap of a bonus at the end of Q4, in recent years, the tables have turned in the workplace. CEOs now have the audacity to ask their employees for their own booster pack of cash to get them through the holidays–as if they need it, right? Well, this employee decided to put an end to the injustice, refusing to pitch $50 for his boss's holiday present. 

Keep scrolling to read how a lame pizza party spurred a rebellion that might just cost this entitled CEO a few more wrapped gifts under his Christmas tree this year.

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  • 01
    LEE
    via Tanja Ristik

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Being asked to pitch in to get a gift for someone who makes 3x my salary Corporationism
    via carnations2000
  • 03
    Yeah, title says it all. I'm beginning to hate the holidays at work. I work in accounting for a state university. Myself and the other staff are always being asked to pitch in money (at
    via carnations2000
  • 04
    least $50) to get a gift for some of the "higher ups" who make 3-4x more than our salary. Meanwhile the staff who does 90% of the everyday work is given nothing for the holidays
    via carnations2000
  • 05
    besides...you guessed it, a pizza party!! Lmao. I make decent money and am pretty happy with my job but this is always so ridiculous to me. I have always been guilt tripped into this the past few years
    via carnations2000
  • 06
    I've worked here but this year I politely declined. Asking staff to contribute any amount of money to someone who makes triple what they make is insane, in my opinion. Does anyone else's workplace do this?
    via carnations2000
  • 07
    Chokonma Expecting/asking lower rung employees to get gifts for higher ups is asinine and indicates a poor work culture since it completely ignores the uncomfortable and imbalanced power dynamic and pay at play. Higher ups should always be the ones doing the "treating".
    via Chokonma
  • 08
    county259 This practice is illegal in federal government jobs and most decent corporations have policies against this practice
    via county259
  • 09
    Beerstopher85 Yea, when I saw "state university" I was going to say there are probably rules, and likely laws regarding gifts. If there is an exception I can guarantee that there is certainly a limit that $50 per person is going to go over (assuming there are more than 2-3 people)
    via Beerstopher85
  • 10
    Karl-Farbman New holiday company bonuses for hard working employees; chip in for bosses gift.
    via Karl-Farbman
  • 11
    Strange_Novel_1576 Yes nearly every company I've worked for does this and I hate it also. And the messed up part about it is that when you decline to participate... you are an outcast and not a "team player"
    via Strange_Novel_1576
  • 12
    billy_lam26 Then good, I am here to make money, not to be a "team player" when that clock says it is home time for me, I am no longer in their "team". I hate companies that use that word.
    via billy_lam26
  • 13
    orangefreshy. nope. money is supposed to flow down, not up. It's not how this kind of workplace etiquette is supposed to work. If anyone even suggests doing this (I'm sure they totally mean well but they're not thinking about it critically) I tell them this and opt out immediately.
    via orangefreshy
  • 14
    the last time was at a small family owned type of company that was trying to expand, all the employees who had been with the founder for like 10+ years and his WIFE (not an employee of the company at all) asked us new employees to chip in for a bday gift (some 3k+ surfboard) for the founder.
    via orangefreshy
  • 15
    They looked at me like I was the worst person in the world for saying no. But this guy has a mansion in BH and a Soho House membership, goes to Europe for months at a time and a Bentley, I'm still renting and drive a 10+ year old car. he can buy his own surfboard
    via orangefreshy
  • 16
    jueidu Since they're being inappropriate, make it awkward. "Sorry, I'm broke and don't make enough money for this. [Person] makes a ton of money and doesn't need money from me hahaha”
    via jueidu
  • 17
    Zealousideal-Emu5486 My company offered us the opportunity to purchase a $150 fleece jacket with the company logo. I dream of pizza parties.
    via Zealousideal-Emu5486
  • 18
    thatatty.guy "I won't be contributing, as I disagree with purchasing holiday gifts for management or supervisors. Please leave me out of any such collections in the future, unless it relates to people I work with who may be in need. "
    via thatattyguy
  • 19
    Or "No thanks, I already got them something, and it is non- returnable." If pressed, you can say you donated to a charity in their name. Might well be good to actually don't as well.
    via Or
  • 20
    who_you_are I already gave my gift without my wanting it is called getting 0% wage increase this year.
    via who_you_are

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