Being Pressured At Work To Chip In On Someone's Leaving 'Do'

[Treacle71]

Someone in the office is leaving tomorrow. She was taken on a contract for 6 months and her contract's up tomorrow. She already had a leaving present from us last week where we all chipped in and now another girl in the office wants to do lunch in the office today for her, get a take away lunch and wants us all to chip in. She has got friendly with this one leaving all of a sudden and thinks we should all agree to it. Well, I don't agree and I can't afford to keep giving money away, besides, I'm not one for take away lunch at work and I'm not under any obligation to take part in this. What can I say if I get asked today to contribute? I don't want to be pressured or considered mean, but as I say I have given towards her leaving present last week anyway.

[1ozzy]

Be honest and say *** you!

I don't care!!

[emmie]

be honest and say you have contributed once but don't think you can afford to give again - politely

[1ozzy]

Politeness isn't in my repoitre.

Emmie had a better suggestion.

[DTCwordfan]

ozzie sells a nice range of chainsaws - you could cut her desk/work station up

[netherfield]

Can't print my reply to that question.

[murraymints]

blummin cheek if you ask me..if this girl wants to give her such a send off then over to you matey !

[1ozzy]

I operate them too DT.
Ring me for a quote.

[douglas9401]

What about some 99p fairy cakes?

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Business-and-Finance/Question1810033.html

[youngmafbog]

I'm with Ozzy.

Had this problem myself before, bit easier for me as I dont care if I upset anyone.

[bobbinwales]

Well spotted douglas.

[calmck]

Just say you have an appointment at lunchtime that you vent change

[Treacle71]

The cakes were brought in at the time, Douglas. But she wants party after party after party. My cakes weren't enough, sadly.

[bobbinwales]

so enoughs enough if you brought lunches in before. Just say your busy that lunch

[douglas9401]

Atomic power plants have been shut down in a shorter time.

[chanel5]

I think you are being emotionally blackmailed here. The girl who is organising the lunch clearly is sucking up to the one who is leaving, and is expecting everybody else to support her in doing it.
Dig your heels in and refuse to contribute.
You have already contributed to a leaving present for her - and after all, she was only there for 6 months.
State your case, say you have already contributed, and you don't wish to contribute again, and leave it at that.

[Treacle71]

The girl who's leaving is now saying, "How dare such and such didn't wish me luck in the future as she's taken this week off and isn't here to bless me", but the one who is off this week wished her luck in her leaving card?

[Ken4155]

Back in my welding days, the shop floor and the office were poles apart. They never saw us, we never saw them. So when one of them came on the shop floor collecting for one of her colleagues who was pregnant, you can imagine the response she got from most of us.

[THECORBYLOON]

Just say no and get on with your work. She'll be gone after to-morrow so forget about it.

[vulcan42]

My attitude these days to criticism is to say if you don't like what I'm doing/done than you provide the money to change it. I would say to the organiser, if you want to have a going away lunch for this person, you pay for it.

[naomi24]

I think this happens in most places of work. Just say no and if the woman who's asking doesn't like it, tough.