moral dilemma

kigelia

Last week at work all staff were presented with a very nice gift worth several hundred pounds as a reward for our hard work as the company has been doing well.

I have been there not quite six months and am anticipating handing in my notice in the first week of january as I am planning a complete change of career.

My dilemma is I feel slightly guilty about acceppting this gift in the knowledge I will be leaving in a few weeks. Should I therefore offer to hand it back when I hand in my notice? I doubt they will ask but I am not sure if I should make the offer.

allez les addicks

Are you planning on using them for a reference? Or a boss who will see that as a bad thing? If so, then make the offer, if not then just stick it on eBay

kigelia

I will indeed need a reference, my boss will be reasonable I think regardless of what I do.

AFKABartram

Virtually all companies are positioned now to screw the employee as much as they possibly can, so when a nice instance comes up, just take it. They would not be giving the gifts unless it was fully budgeted for, and these people come and go all the time.

kings hill addick

If they thought that your contribution for the six months you have been there was worthy of the gift then you have already 'earned' it. You wouldn't expect to repay any banked salary when you leave, so I don't see why you shouldn't keep the gift that was given to you as a thank you for what you have contributed to the company's success.

If you were going to leave and take their clients that I suspect they would have a dim view of you, but if you are going on to do something else then I'd be surprised if they don't wish you well.

WSS

What's the gift?

Plaaayer

It is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

northstandsteve

[quote][cite]Posted By: AFKABartram[/cite]Virtually all companies are positioned now to screw the employee as much as they possibly can, so when a nice instance comes up, just take it. They would not be giving the gifts unless it was fully budgeted for, and these people come and go all the time.[/quote]

Are you having a laugh, in my experience its the other way round everything is weighed up in the employees favour.

T_C_E

I thought you might pop up Steve. ; )

How do you work this one the mate?
Due to adverse weather conditions...........................

My lot will stop you a days holiday paid or unpaid, or you can take unpaid leave if you cannot get to work.
But if you can get out and get stranded, they will not pay you or pay any travel expenses to get home or hotel bills.
Bearing in mind I drive their vehicle from home.

Kigelia..............Keep it mate.
And anything else you can thieve, most companies have no morals why should you. (Except Sportshops) ; )

northstandsteve

ok tce agree on that one, but mate it is hard work being a employer

Plaaayer

To be fair Ray the vehicle your driving is a snow plough so I don't know what your excuse is?

Friend Or Defoe

[cite]Posted By: Plaaayer[/cite]It is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Oh my brother, testify!

T_C_E

[cite]Posted By: Plaaayer[/cite]To be fair Ray the vehicle your driving is a snow plough so I don't know what your excuse is?

...............................desperately trying to think of a smart ar5ed reply.............................................. ; )

Dave Rudd

If in doubt, kigelia, resort to Maths.

Having worked at this firm for about six months, you are entitled to half the gift, are you not? The other half belongs, not to the firm, but to whoever did the first half of the year before you arrived.

So, track down someone who left round about the time you started and drink, play, eat, read or wear the gift together.

guinnessaddick

[cite]Posted By: Dave Rudd[/cite]

So, track down someone who left round about the time you started and drink, play, eat, read or wear the gift together.

Should be fun, if it's a packet of three.

charltonkeston

Take it as it was intended, a gift.
Next month is another year, slate wiped clean fresh start for all.
Nice to have feelings of loyalty and do things the right way but if I were you I'd looked after myself and try for a better gift off my next employer.

AFKABartram

thought about this a little more.

The gift is a reward for work that has been completed, not based on expectations for the future. What comes tomorrow is neither here no there.

Your conscience should be clear.

ThreadKiller

[cite]Posted By: kings hill addick[/cite]If they thought that your contribution for the six months you have been there was worthy of the gift then you have already 'earned' it. You wouldn't expect to repay any banked salary when you leave, so I don't see why you shouldn't keep the gift that was given to you as a thank you for what you have contributed to the company's success.

as kha says, you've earned it don't feel guilty.

Wilma

If it's something nice, keep it and to combat any guilt, pass it on to a loving family member that supplies you with a football seat :-)

If it's something rubbish, hand it back!

stilladdicted

Unfortunately, I know exactly what I would do. I'd hand in my notice with one eye on my references, and then, oh so graciously, offer to give the gift back fully expecting the boss to say, 'It's yours, keep it.' If he took it back, I also know that I'd be in a right old huff!

kigelia

Ta for your views folks. I have worked hard for the folks here (late nights and emergency trips in early hours to our datacentre included) so feel I have earned it as much as others. I think what has raised the guilt is that I already know I am going to be leaving.

will decide in the new year I think and leave the ipad boxed and unopened until I have handed in my notice so as not to tempt fate.

BrentfordAddick

Just ask them. They will probably think more of you and let you keep the iPad (and probably only paid a fraction of retail for it anyway). References have to be very factual so it may well not make any difference.

nth_london_addick

Kigela

when you tell them you are leaving take the gift in explain how you felt tell them that if they want you will leave it with them once the meeting is over.


if they keep it you were wrong to bring it back and offer it to the the dirty bstds


if you get to keep it you should feel as quilty as hell relise that it is you who is a bad person then sell it on ebay and get drunk feeling sorry for yourself for being such a cruel cold hearted ungrateful individual


;-)

Granpa

Just a thought, are you sure you are making the correct move by leaving ? They sound like a very good employer, and without needing to know what you are planning I can tell you that times are very hard out there at the moment.

bloodnut

did i read this right... you got a present from work worth £700?

Elthamaddick

@ Kigelia - can't ever see your previous employers being that generous eh !

kigelia

[quote][cite]Posted By: Granpa[/cite]Just a thought, are you sure you are making the correct move by leaving ? They sound like a very good employer, and without needing to know what you are planning I can tell you that times are very hard out there at the moment.[/quote]

They are indeed a nice employer and they are doing quite well. The career change has been something in the pipeline for 18-20 months now and I thought the chance had gone away at the start of this year. Out of the blue that changed recently and it is almost a case of now or never I suspect.

The value of the gift and the general all-round niceness of my current employers is why I feel bad about it, but we will see how things pan out.

BlackForestReds

[quote][cite]Posted By: kigelia[/cite]Last week at work all staff were presented with a very nice gift worth several hundred pounds as a reward for our hard work as the company has been doing well.

I have been there not quite six months and am anticipating handing in my notice in the first week of january as I am planning a complete change of career.

My dilemma is I feel slightly guilty about acceppting this gift in the knowledge I will be leaving in a few weeks. Should I therefore offer to hand it back when I hand in my notice? I doubt they will ask but I am not sure if I should make the offer.[/quote]


Accept the gift - maybe you think you didn't earn it - but there'll be plenty of times when you'll over-produce in your working life and get under-recognised for the job that you do.

My "best" ever xmas work present was a Le Creuset mini casserole dish. Big enough to feed a cat and do not much else.

Good luck in your next career.

redman

As am employer who pays bonuses, I can state " we do this for 2 reasons. Primarily to thank them for work performed during the year but also in the hope that people will think we are a good employer which increases the chance of our employees staying and working hard. It doesnt always work , we have leavers, who often (naturally do leave after bonus time). However there are no recriminations or bad feeling. Sometimes just disapointment." So if you want to make the change do so but your employer will probably appreciate knowing your reasoning.

Mind you I do feel a bit bitter on one employee who handed in his notice last week. He joined in August and we lent him a 3G dongle for a laptop while he was getting internet installed at home. He not only blew our Company's "free allowance" but incurred excess of over £2,000. After a long debate we decided not to insist he repaid us as we wanted to show him he was well thought of and we were a good emplyer. Regret that decision now!

Blinkant

A ipad :-0

My bonus this year is that I've still got a job

DRF

The company is unlikely to be able to return one gift so there's realy no point.