I work for a non-profit health care organization. My director came to my office with some glossy brochures of projects the organization is working on. I was asked if I would be interested in making a payroll deduction to help meet these goals. When I asked if she could leave the forms with me, she replied: “No, if it’s not filled out now then I’ll have to send it back to you later after you’ve made a decision.”
I question the ethics behind having a director ask first-line supervisors for money. I was able to say no, but it seems like there are others who will feel pressured. Where’s the line?
Asking you to make a payroll deduction to support a cause is acceptable if handled correctly. Forcing you into making a decision on the spot does not fall into that category.
A recent column about the pressures of office philanthropy generated quite a few emails from people who had been thrown into situations similar to yours, where the heart-warming feeling of donating to a good cause had been destroyed by the perceived obligation to do so.
Your situation is tricky because of the work you do. Working for a non-profit is often a labor of love. Salaries are low. Hours are long. But the sacrifices are offset by a belief in the work. Your supervisor obviously recognizes this, which is why she asked you to kick in some of your pay bucket for the cause. But how she went about doing it obviously leaves a bad taste in your mouth, which is understandable.
As I wrote in the previous column, office philanthropy must be voluntary, and should be anonymous. True charity is not a pissing contest; nor should a desire not to participate reflect poorly on you.
I imagine your supervisor had good intentions, but went about them in the wrong way. Talk to her. Let her know how you feel, and ask her not to put you, or anyone else, in that situation again. Try and come up with a solution that allows people to support your office’s work through payroll deductions, but not in an in-your-face, pay-me-now kind of way. Giving should be an option left entirely up to the giver.
Have a workplace-ethics dilemma? Ask it here, or email wherestheline@gmail.com.
