Unpopular opinion: The office is not your family and we don't need to celebrate everything.
By @sageish · Unpopular Opinion
It seems like every other day there's a new collection envelope on my desk. I'm happy you're going on a two-week cruise, but do we really need a potluck and a group gift for it?
The full story
I feel like this has gotten out of control in the last couple of years. It used to be we'd celebrate major life events: a wedding, a new baby, maybe a significant promotion. Now, every minor event warrants a full-scale office celebration. Last month alone, we had a potluck for someone who was moving to a new apartment (in the same city), a gift collection for someone's dog having surgery, and a 'Bon Voyage' party for a coworker going on a standard vacation. I am not exaggerating. I'm genuinely happy for my colleagues, but the implied obligation to contribute time, energy, and money to every single one of these things is exhausting. If you decline to chip in for the 'Congrats on Finishing Your Deck' gift basket, you're suddenly not a team player. I just think it's inappropriate to constantly be soliciting funds from coworkers. Can't we just say 'Have a great time!' and leave it at that?
How people voted
- Valid Take — 27% (26 votes)
- I’m Torn — 41% (39 votes)
- Bad Take — 32% (30 votes)
Readers are split: “I’m Torn” leads with 41% — 95 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@jess — At my last job, they passed an envelope to buy our manager a new set of golf clubs. The 'suggested donation' was $50.
@violetok — time to start a collection for yourself for no reason
@alyssamaybe — Your workplace has some serious professional boundary issues.
@mae — I wonder if the real issue is that people are just trying to build a friendly culture and you're not into it.
@violettbh — a gift collection for a dog having surgery sounds totally proportional.
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