'I don't even like them': How much should you give to office gift collections?

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Office collections for colleagues are a tradition but can raise awkward questionsByAlex TaylorBBC News reporter, Reporting fromLondonPublished9 minutes agoLove them, hate them or barely know them, it's a colleague's birthday, wedding or leaving do and there's a collection to mark the occasion.So how much should you give? And if you're the person organising the collection, how do you chase without feeling like a loan shark or exposing unspoken team dynamics?'It depends if I like you'The politics of the office whip-round are so sensitive that everyone the BBC spoke to asked us not to use their real name.For those on a tight budget, the rule is simple: only give to colleagues you've worked with directly.Lucy, a senior therapist in healthcare, says: "If we haven't worked together, my purse is staying shut."There's a blunter unspoken truth beneath the surface. "It also depends on if I like you," she admits."One colleague's whole demeanor annoyed me, so when she moved roles, I wanted to celebrate with my own drink - not give her money."What information do we collect from this quiz?Former music journalist Layla is similar, only contributing if she "really likes" the person.Yet she often avoids office collections on principle, not personality, disliking how impersonal they can feel."I'd rather buy my own gift for someone I care about. I hate having to be forced to contribute to a joint collection out of some rubbish sense of obligation," she says.How much to give?The decision to give also comes with a question of how much.Barker has a decade's worth of experience organising and contributing to various collections at a large multi-national company, where he works in research and production.He says it's normally the same half a dozen people that contribute generously, irrespective of the person or the occasion.The average a worker gave to a collection was £11.65 in the first three months of the year, according to analysis of over 5,000 contributions by website GiftRound. Figure caption, We ask workers in London how much they'd give towards a colleague's leaving giftJunior workers can often face the biggest dilemma. Felicity, now mid-career, remembers one horror story from her first job as a teenager.Working at a car garage aged 17, she was suddenly thrust an envelope to give money for a mechanic who was retiring. The team was small and tight-knit, so everyone was expected to contribute."Not only did I not really know anyone at that stage, but I also had no money to give - I was still living at home and being paid hardly anything."As it was after lunch, I'd used my notes. In a panic I threw in all the spare change I had left, basically a load of coppers."She says: "I thought I'd got away with it until the person collecting shouted 'who on earth put in all this change'. Everyone laughed and I couldn't ever admit it was me."Today, Felicity usually gives between £5 and £10 but goes up to £20 for a close work friend or long-time colleague.Office politicsBarker says it tends to be rank-and-file workers who contribute most often."Surprisingly – to me – they're not some of the best paid people in the department," he explains. "Often those in senior positions don't give".Those on big wages not paying their way may seem stingy. But the reality from the top can look very different, as former senior civil service veteran Darren explains.In a leadership position managing over 200 people, many of them contractors, office collections were common as staff churn was frequent.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The politics of the office whip-round can be a sensitive topic Darren found the implicit expectation to give as director became overwhelming."Eventually I found I just couldn't keep up and would be spending hundreds, often on people I didn't know at all," he says.As a middle ground, he decided to sign cards and only give money if he'd had direct contact. This stopped him feeling disingenuous and giving resentfully.But the card-not-cash compromise has become harder as collections move online, with amounts often shown alongside the names of individuals by default.Of course, these days, alongside emails, there's always the ever-present work WhatsApp group.Healthcare worker Jeffrey says he's still reeling from seeing staff donations toward the family of a deceased patient being openly listed in the agency chat, individual donation amounts included.Whether to chase colleaguesShould you chase contributions - and note who's given and who has not?Lucy believes so."I send one email to those who haven't paid, making clear that those who have contributed are not included in the email. You'd be surprised how quickly people reply," she says.She then gets a more junior colleague to send another, final, chaser on her behalf."And yes, I keep a list on paper, too. I don't forget," she adds.Barker doesn't agree with this stance."I don't like to nag," he says. Instead he prefers a single reminder to all that preserves team unity.Pssst... try these expert tips Thomas Roubert, professor of organisational psychology and leadership at Oxford University, says:Prioritise direct colleagues and close relationships: It's generally socially acceptable to limit giving toward wider team membersDo not chase people individually: And do not chase them collectively more than once. Some may be financially strugglingInclude a card as an alternative: It costs the contributor nothing and feels like a souvenir for the recipientThe gift should be symbolic: Choose a gift for its individual significance rather than monetary value.Related topicsPersonal financeCost of Living MoneyCashEmployment