14 Employees Left Speechless After Being Asked To Pay For Their Boss’ Christmas Present

One user, Purepk509, posted in the r/Antiwork online community about an email where they were asked to pitch in on buying the owner of the company a $900 gift for Christmas. We reached out to the user to talk a bit more about how this issue affects their work-life. 

When employees are being asked to pay for their boss' Christmas present while earning way less, it just seems wrong. And the user agrees: "I feel it's a common trend that has been around for years that needs to go away. It's a mindset that people near the bottom of the totem pole need to appease the higher-ups."

Although, if you have doubts about pitching in, it may be hard to refuse the request. More often than not, it affects the relationship you have with colleagues who agree to contribute. The user mentioned that co-workers often try to push you into doing it, even if you do not feel comfortable. 

In the post, Purepk509 wrote that "everyone at my work is going to throw in $40 but I can't bring myself to spend even a penny on this guy." You should be able to stand your ground and choose for yourself if you want to chip in or not without feeling guilty about it. Unfortunately, the user told us that the decision they made raised some tension between them and other employees.

"I had one co-worker specifically tell me it was flat out rude I didn't donate," they told us. "The crazy thing is since I didn't donate towards the gift, the rest of my coworkers had to bump up how much they were putting towards the gift. So they inevitably had to put $70 towards the item for our boss."

This year, consumers in the United States are expected to spend approximately $886 on Christmas gifts on average, Statista reports. Alongside buying presents for your partner, children, parents, other family members and friends, thinking of whether or not you should pitch in to get something for your boss can make you feel stressed. 

You should really think twice before agreeing to get your higher-up a gift. According to one survey, 31 percent of people said that they would give their boss a gift if they received one in return. "But of those, 11 percent said they would be expecting a raise in return," NBC News wrote. "That kind of thinking is what gets workers who give a present to their managers in trouble."

Purepk509 wanted to remind you that in this day and age, you never gift up, you always gift down. The whole purpose of gift-giving is to honor an existing relationship, not doing it because you feel obliged or pushed into it by others. Even if you like and respect your boss, getting a present for them can become too expensive for you, which in turn will impact your well-being.