Employees pressured by HR to pitch in $20 for the CEO's Christmas present: '[He makes] at least 5x what I make!'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Dec 26, 2024 2:00 PM EST

Typically around the holiday season, corporate employers bosses go out of their way to make it seem like their employees are treated well. This can manifest itself in several ways, from treating time off like it's a luxury and not a right to extravagant, over-the-top Holiday parties that might make employees feel better if it weren't for the fact that the budget for said party could probably be used to pay employees better, but we digress… 

Here, we have a team of employees who weren't given any of those "benefits." Instead, they were pressured by their HR representatives to each pitch in $20 for Christmas gifts for their CEO and CTO. These are the same folks who make at least five times what their employees make, as this Redditor pointed out. Shouldn't they be pitching in some of their own money for gifts to their employees?

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for some commentary from yours truly. For more, check out this story about an employee who reported a ridiculous incident with a coworker to their CEO.

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    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • 02
    HR is asking us to pitch in $20 for Christmas presents for the CEO and CTO
    via [deleted]
  • 03
    I just can't. That money is going to my kids, not to the fat cats at the top who make at least 5x what I make on any given month.
    via [deleted]
  • 04
    Buy your own presents. Edit: A lot of you are asking if this is real. The only proof I'm comfortable sharing is this redacted screenshot of the email.
    via [deleted]

  • Can you imagine being asked to do this the week of Christmas? We are ALREADY checked out, HR!

  • 05
    Take it or leave it. I'm not trying to defend or dissuade anyone. It's just a thing that ped me off and I felt like sharing with the group. I don't hate working here,
    via [deleted]
  • 06
    but I do hate this kind of attitude toward employees, with families, at Christmas time.
    via [deleted]
  • 07
    Reply Reply All Forward M Bing Maps RE: Christmas Gifts Wed + Get more Just a reminder everyone! Don't forget your $20 contribution for and Christmas gifts! Also, 3rd @ 6:30 Office: Toll Free: Fax Quotation Specialist 4900 Annual Christmas Party is next Friday night - Dec
    via [deleted]

  • Sure, it's $20, but it's the PRINCIPLE of the matter! Am I right, folks? You can use that $20 to go to the movies, grab a drink, or make a desperate, late-night fast food order at 3 AM. You can't sacrifice these moments for your boss!

  • 08
    Edit 2: I've already told anyone with any relevance to the situation that I won't be pitching in. I haven't gotten any flack, most of them understand where I'm coming from.
    via [deleted]
  • 09
    DtoX89 The audacity to ask that of your employees.
    via [deleted]
  • 10
    Foreverme133 Uh huh. And what was their Christmas gift to you??? F that sh. You absolutely need to put that money toward your kids!!! So infuriating to get those kinds of requests.
    via [deleted]
  • 11
    sameyeamknot They used to do this at my last job. Passed around a birthday card and collected money to buy the boss a new BBQ. The same boss that owned 2 houses and an airplane.
    via [deleted]
  • 12
    wins1337. : Just tell them you don't have $20 to give because they don't pay you enough.
    via [deleted]
  • 13
    S... . I once had a job where the ceo broke her leg. My kiss- a boss posted a medical fund tip jar for the employees to help pay for it.
    via [deleted]
  • 14
    Ya? You need the college students who are still on their parent's medical coverage to help with your deductible?
    via [deleted]
  • 15
    VermtownRoyals Had that talk with my wife a couple months ago. They were taking donations to get the principal and vice principal a big Bosses Day
    via [deleted]
  • 16
    gift or some sh and I told her no. I made her look up their yearly salary and they were about 105k and 85k
    via [deleted]
  • 17
    respectively. I asked her what they got the teachers for Teachers Appreciation week, and she said.....wait for it....a PIZZA PARTY! She
    via [deleted]
  • 18
    didn't give any money this year. In case you're wondering, they got the principal and vice principal two Minnesota Vikings tickets, 4 Nebraska Cornhusker football tickets,
    via [deleted]
  • 19
    and a bunch of gift cards to all the nice restaurants around town. All paid for by the teachers at a school making the lowest wages in the country. pathetic
    via [deleted]

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christmas workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job work Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
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