Company shames employee of 3 weeks for only giving $50 to boss' gift, claims they should have given at least $100: 'The project manager started shaming me for being greedy'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Dec 22, 2025 10:00 PM EST

They say that gifts should always flow upwards, but what should you do when you're being asked to participate? Nobody likes being the squeaky wheel. Okay, maybe some people enjoy it and get some kind of pleasure out of it, but most of us just want to go with the flow. We don't want to be known as the problematic person, especially in the workplace. It's better to just run with the pack if you can stand whatever direction the pack is running in. But this attitude has its limits, of course. You would hate to end up in a situation where you're being taken advantage of. You need to speak up for yourself in those types of moments. 

And if you're not careful, those types of moments can come up a lot. That's what happened in this story, where a young person started a new job. When you're starting out at a new place, there is a lot you want to do to blend in. You're picking up on the company and culture, and you're careful not to buck the system. 

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  • A coworker sits on a couch showing something to a colleague on a computer
    via Unsplash+ (A. C.)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • But after doing their best to contribute to a higher-up's gift, something you shouldn't necessarily have to do in the first place, their coworkers were still asking for more. It's never a great idea to bother someone for money, especially in the workplace, but that's what happened here. Read on for the details and see what you think about it. 

  • Company is shaming me for not gifting more money to "our" (their) boss. (Christmas present)...

    21:26 < 46 About the money for the christmas present: Did you really only give $50? ا. 21:17 95
    via u/Turissmo
  • So I'm a freelancer and started working with a new company 3 weeks ago. I'm not officialy in a contract with them but they added me in a group chat of 14 people
    via u/Turissmo
  • For christmas they decided to make a gift for the boss. So everybody but me sent $100. I only sent 50$ because I feel like it's more than enough. I just started working for them. But now the project manager started shaming me for being greedy. I can't believe how impudent that is! Is there anything I can say?
    via u/Turissmo

  • Commenters gave their opinions on this story.

    NeighborhoodSa... Gifts should flow downward. If a boss wants to give their employees gifts, great. If a boss expects gifts from people who are earning less than them, thats bad. Its wrong to expect the people on lower rungs, for whom money is presumably scarcer, to expend that resource for someone who has more.
    via u/NeighborhoodSame9165
  • damutecebu Nobody should be buying their boss a Christmas gift - I say that as a boss by the way. Completely inappropriate.
    via u/damutecebu
  • Future_Line_4253 3 weeks into job, i wouldn't have given anything
    via u/Future_Line_4253
  • A woman looks at a laptop in her lap at work while sitting on a chair
    via Unsplash+ (A. C.)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Inevitable-Cable9... Absolutely ridiculous that the boss gets a gift worth 1350. That amount of brown- nosing is mental.
    via u/Inevitable-Cable9370
  • Oldpuzzlehead Say you meant to send that to a friend and ask for it back.
    via u/Oldpuzzlehead
  • TheLaineyLuxe there's plenty you can say. "fuck off" would be my personal choice
    via u/TheLaineyLuxe
  • strawberryblonde... He makes the most money. Why does he get a gift? He should be getting you a gift. Wait he gets a $1500 gift? What do you guys get. Gum?
    via u/strawberryblonde189
  • bekerryful Are you positive this isn't a scam? Have you received any type of paycheck from this company yet?
    via u/bekerryful
  • jelthi This should be higher. It's a real possibility. Even if he got a check on week 2 it could still be reversed/bounce if from a small bank or stolen account. Of course if not a scammy company it's still a scummy company. I would be looking for my next opportunity!
    via u/jelthi
  • jellyroll8675 Demand your money back and dont give anything else
    via u/jellyroll8675
  • IntelligentBase42... i would NEVER give a cent as a gift to a boss. Why even? He's the one paying me for a job, i won't gift it back to his rich ass.
    via u/IntelligentBase4208
  • Cheese-Manipulat... $100? wtf, my wife and I don't spend that much on each other most of the time.
    via u/Cheese-Manipulator
  • Longjumping-Cat-... Not official, 3 weeks, freelance, gift for boss, are you not getting scammed?
    via u/Longjumping-Cat-7754
  • Bungeesmom HR Director here. That's HIGHLY inappropriate. Nobody should be gifting their boss ANYTHING. A freelancer should not be pressured into giving a single. dime. Stop responding. It may also be time to chat with HR.
    via u/Bungeesmom
  • AdamTheD Sounds like you're in a fake group and just sent some money to Angola.
    via u/AdamTheD
  • Careful_Sea8935 Tell her you mistakenly hit the O and only wanted to do 5
    via u/Careful_Sea8935
  • Embarrassed_Clu... As a boss I also agree with these comments. What I want for Christmas is my team to have a good holiday, that's the best gift. As the saying goes: "Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime." They should never be buying me anything.
    via u/Embarrassed_Clue6828
  • WhatTheFlox Dang, you're right how silly of me. "Charge back"
    via u/WhatTheFlox
  • Competitive-Donu... Your coworkers seem low key dumb, you dont gift your BOSS a gift that's wildly inappropriate. are they super young or something?
    via u/Competitive-Donut330
  • ¡EatPlankton only $50???? Ermmmm the boss pays me, I don't pay the boss
    via u/¡EatPlankton
  • regularforcesmedic "Good point. I shouldn't have given anything, because it is beyond inappropriate for subordinates to fund their boss' expensive gifts. I'll reach out to HR to determine what I should do."
    via u/regularforcesmedic
  • nRust Wait, I'm sorry - you're not under contract, have you been paid? If not, are you sure you aren't just being scammed? Crazy either way
    via u/nRust
  • SpartArticus If someone complains about getting 50$ thats the last time i giving them money
    via u/SpartArticus
  • TheVoicesOfBrian Gifts go downstream, not up. I'm a manager and if any of my team got me a gift, I'd hand it back. It just looks like (and probably is) sucking up.
    via u/TheVoicesOfBrian
  • Dry-Garbage3620 Forcing employees to pay for leadership gift is the ultimate red flag. It's the size of maryland how much fabric the flag needs. It's the one way to tell if a company is abusive and controlling towards their subordinates.
    via u/Dry-Garbage3620
  • a-type-of-pastry What the fuck? The boss should be buying the gifts for everyone else? What kinda backwards ass workplace are you in? Does your boss also wear a shiny crown and carry a scepter and have a herald to announce their arrival?
    via u/a-type-of-pastry
  • ItsyouNome Never bought a colleague or higher up a gift. I am there to make money not spend money
    via u/ItsyouNome

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boss gift christmas presents gifting scam company employment
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