Do you accept Gratuities for

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A job well done? The company I work for has strict guidelines for this but has nothing for food related gratuities. When I was a self contractor I would get things like a Palm pilot to help me keep track of the companies needs. Or a cell phone with no restrictions so I could be contacted at any time.
But at the company I work for now, we can not receive monetary gifts or gifts worth over 25 dollars. So people show their appreciation by leaving things I like. I have received on my desk, Lipton Green tea, a basket of fresh fruit and two phone numbers!
So what is your weakness that your users know about? And do you accept them, what do you do if they are left on you desk while your away?
I have also been asked to come to dinner at the users home but I declined saying my wife would not like it. 🙂

Topic

You opened a can of worms

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

Yep, I’ve been offered just about anything you can think of. The most memorable was a 70 pound redwood burl after doing some work for a small sawmill. It was almost five feet in diameter, virtually worth nothing at the time, but with alot of trimming, sanding and polishing, it made the most beautiful coffee table you’ve ever seen. One time after doing an infra-red survey of the elecrical system at a MACK truck plant I was gifted with my own one foot high MACK bulldog hood ornament. I was not held to any company policy about gratuities as I was not in a position to influence any decisions or policies. Many baseball and football tickets were proferred along with tickets to amusement parks and Zoos. Having four children at the time, most were well appreaciated and helped to defray the cost of a family of six paying full admission. Aside from the usual phone numbers and raised eyebrows, I always refused the personal type of offerings. The biggest refusals were always given to the resturants and bars, as in most cases I was privy to what happened in their kitchens and behind the bar. I never took any free meals or drinks.

MACK bulldog hood ornament

In reply to You opened a can of worms

Cool I would love to get some thing like that! I most case?s the phone numbers stop after they find out that I am married with a child. I did take free meals as long as it was with a group or a division that I was working with, and only lunches.
I also would like the wood I do allot of building on the week ends, I just got a big hunk of hickory after the big storms we had a few weeks ago.
But the little thank you, like an apple or orange is still nice.

Some other Factors to think of

In reply to You opened a can of worms

First is the ethical question is the gratuity for services performed or for an expectiation that you will perform in some way that will beneefit them. Coming from the public sector the laws vary state to state but the general rule I use is “if it appears inappropriate then it is in the eye of any thrid party.

Second gratuities of monetary value are taxable income weather in cash or gifts. And beleive me the IRS has ways of cross referencing particularly when auditing the business that gave you tickets to the ball game the wrote it off some where. Beware

Generally don’t accept

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

One time a lady brought her daughter’s laptop in with a totally smoked hard drive. I told her to go out and buy a new drive, then I installed her OS, apps, etc. She tried to give me a $50 restaurant certificate, but I told her that I did most of what I did at work, so I didn’t want to take anything for it. I told her she could consider it a fringe benefit. She told me she would mail the certificate to my wife if I wouldn’t take it, but I told her that I’d just bring it back to her.

When I found the anonymous 12-pack of beer in the back seat of my car one afternoon, I decided to just take it and have a good weekend. (Even if it was Coors Light. I guess it’s the thought that counts.)

Ohters usually just give me a hearty thanks or a card, and that’s all I’d want.

Coors?

In reply to Generally don’t accept

Bad hang over there, at lease say in passing that you like a dark lager beer.

My top 10 beers

In reply to Coors?

1) Free beer
2-10) assorted brands of (mostly) locally brewed dark beers and ales.

free is good

In reply to My top 10 beers

When it is real hot out on the golf course I will do a coors or two before switching over to Blue.

At home I have Red Stripe and Kilians.

Has been just sitting there, because I have been grabbing the scotch out of the freezer instead. 😀

Since they have a policy it is easy, to be safe

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

ask your boss if they want a list of what you are offered. But either way the cheap stuff is a OK as per policy.

Anyway if they turn up on your desk and you don’t know who from (don’t be seen reading any cards) you have to assume that your loving significant other or a friendly co-worker left them for you – maybe even the boss did it as a bonus. Right, right.

I’ve worked in many situations where this happened, some had policies – some didn’t.

Since there is a policy they clearly have no problem with anything under the $25 limit. Anything over that could, in theory, be accepted on behalf of the company (with a nice thank you letter on letterhead – copy to boss and other relevant managers) and dealt with as company property.

In one company I asked my boss if they wanted to know about anything under the limat, and they did – so I kept a note in my diary and sent them a list of what, from whom and when, each quarter.

I don’t drink alcohol (especially scotch) and was often given bottles of good scotch (best was a bottle of Lochan Ora – could be mispelt – a scotch based liquor), these I usually accepted on behalf of the company (official letter of acceptance) and they went towards the staff Christmas party drinks.

One time I got two microwaves as part of a purchasing deal (yeah I was the purchasing officer at the time) from Memorex (major purchase of 300MB Disk packs in mid 1980s). I accepted on behalf of the comapny and placed in the staff lunch rooms of our two biggest offices, after bringing them on to the accounts as assets. Pissed off the company accoutnant who had spoken to someone about taking one home for himself.

A Purchasing Agent is DIFFERENT

In reply to Since they have a policy it is easy, to be safe

because that can be seen as kickbacks for buying from one person over another based on the goodies you will get, rather than based on quality/price.

You HAVE reminded me of one thing. A few years back there was a class action suit against Toshiba for knowingly sending out laptops with a bad controller. The person whos job it SHOULD have been to get involved in the suit couldn’t be bothered as it didn’t do anything for her, so I signed up for our five laptops we had that qualified.

One day I got a letter addressed to me personally,(no mention of the company) and inside were five certificates, each for $250 towards future Toshiba purchases. Oh yeah, here was also a check written [b]TO ME,[/b] for $1400, again, no mention of the company. Would have been very easy to have just pocketed them, but I didn’t. The company has been good to me, I am good to them. The check got signed over to the company, and the coupons were used to buy a new laptop for the IT department. (was badly needed).

Yeah, you have to be VERY careful when purchasing.

In reply to A Purchasing Agent is DIFFERENT

But that was only for a part of my career – that company had no policy on gratuities, until I wrote one.

I had the most offers whilst working in the Australian Government as an administrative person. Not in purchasing but as the person who added things to the unit’s budget list and wrote up the justifications for the budget; or signed off the final payment after purchase by others. We had a clear policy and I followed it.

I had some people wonder why I was the only one, of twenty or thirty of the same gifts handed out, to write an official Thank You letter and turn it over to the dept. All the others were govt people under the same policy and I was the only one following the policy. One guy got into mega trouble when his boss got sent the recall notice on the defective portable CD player that had been ‘gifted’ the dept (the thing had a retail value of A$100), seems he had it at home and forgot to mention it.

You handled those certificates etc in exactly the same manner I would have, and have dealt with similar items. Official thanks and into the company assets, safest way to go. It also stops the other staff from getting upset with you about it.

Lunch

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

The people I generally am doing things for know I have anywhere from 3 to 6 hours of driving that day, so they offer to take me to the corner joint that they were all going to anyways. Letting them cover a $6 dollar bill for my lunch and drink doesn’t make me lose any sleep and they use it as a chance to “pick my brains” for projects while we eat.

This is all for the same company, not contracted out.

No money, and no phone numbers. Bad enough to have a relationship at home go bad, there is no way I would consider a relationship at work.

Yes

In reply to Lunch

But is it a BarBQ lunch? It has to be a wet Bar-B-Que and with a sweet sauce.

No

In reply to Yes

(love titles that go back and fourth)

I have never liked a sweet sauce.

And like I said, I usually have a three hour ride home so a big meal that is going to make me tired is not in the future! All that would do is ensure that I have to stop at one of the rest stops and take a nap! That or start sucking down some red bull!

Red bull and gatorade mixed together is great for hot road trips! 😀

Did somebody say cookies?

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

🙂 🙂 🙂

MMMM cookies!

In reply to Did somebody say cookies?

Yes there can be alot of sweets for good service! I once received five pounds of choclote for fixing a bad hard drive. My wife loved it.

I am all for the barter system.

In reply to MMMM cookies!

Especially the double chocolate hip variety 🙂

MMM Food

In reply to Did somebody say cookies?

There is a standing joke were I work that if they want me to work on thier computer just invite me over for dinner. My wife always jokes about I’ll never go hungry. So now it seems when I have worked on a computer there is always the cookies or candy left at my desk. Of course I can’t take anything for working on company machines and I never do personal work at work.

Policy

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

Generally, I will not accept anything that does not carry the company logo. So a shirt with the company logo or the project logo is okay but a generic shirt or blouse is not.

At FOX, I received all kinds of offers for stuff. “Thank you, no. We have a policy” was generally sufficient. When the gift was from my boss, the story was sightly different- those were recognition for something I had done.

I give small gifts to people I work with and insure that they are not outside of the realm of acceptability- I made up miniature Easter baskets for all of my co-workers one year, gave magnetic pads and pens another. In both cases, these were gifts to the team as a whole and didn’t violate the $25 rule.

I have attended many a working lunch- generally the project picks up that tab. The rationale is that my lunch hour is my own. When that time is re-directed, they pay for it.

I always bake cookies for project kickoffs. It guarentees that attendees will actually attend- no grabbing a cookie and running for the door.

Maybe it is my personality or something- I have never received a phone number or an offer of a number. I did have a co-worker send me roses. I declined the gift as gracefully as I could- it was not an appropriate gift.

Edited for typo

Logo and such

In reply to Policy

I worked for a guy (my welding supply days) who didn’t even want us to BUY things from the stores we visited.

Made me drive down the block to by a pair of 99 cent jersey gloves I needed to complete a job once.

I have made a day for food

In reply to Policy

I started at a new project at a large company, this project requires nurses that would normally go to and help people to call and do the same thing. They now sit and call people and walk the through how to stay healthy. So most of them are new to doing this, so I try things that they are not used too.
I made a food day when I or any one can bring in food for every one. This has really taken off, most of the nurses have been bring in great dishes and most are healthy.

Cobalt Blue Mugs

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

Either glass or ceramic.

absolutely

In reply to Cobalt Blue Mugs

A supplier gave me a cobalt blue mug one time and now I love them. A Coffee mug is always the perfect gift for this computer geek!

Depends on the policy and the gift

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

Must say, I would never interpret a phone number as a gratuity. I take it as an effort to make friends, and decide on that basis what to do with it. I’ve never had anyone be surprised when I showed up for an off-hours get together with my husband in tow.

Actual gifts from work related activity: Policy states anything under $25, and that’s generally not a problem. Anything above that, hand over to the company, with a thank you letter to the giver.

But–generally speaking, I get more gifts from people for helping them with their home computer. Typically costs me less than 30 minutes, so I don’t charge them. Most of the time, they know I do charge hourly rates for projects that will take me more than 30 minutes, and they know what those rates are, so get a gift that’s in line with them.

Depending

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

Our company policy is that we can accept gifts of a small monetary value ($20 or less), but no cash.
That taken to point, the company has a recognition site where managers can reward employees with gift certificates, etc. Since this is company sponsored, and goes through proper approvals, I can accept them, and have received them in the past.

Usually, we try not to single anyone out, as it is a group effort. Even if only 1 person worked on a problem, it is still a group effort for the majority of our tasks. For this reason, we do try to limit gratuities. Usually people will come in with cake or cookies and offer to our entire dept. now. Which is fine, and we all end up bringing stuff in as well for everyone else to enjoy too. So it works out fine.

For personal work on someones system, I do not charge, but I work on it at my own time. So, if they offer something, I will take it. But, I do not request it and I tell them not to worry about any form of payment.

Gifts are nice, but…

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

My husband is self-employed and regularly gets product from customers, such as books from a publishing house (nice), artwork (from a sculptor) and a generous gift certificate to an expensive restaurant we would not have gone to otherwise. But recently he did a job for a nonprofit. They were really stingy, but they did offer two tickets to their big annual black-tie fundraiser (face value: $350), then had the gall to say, ‘Here’s the name of a place where you can rent a tuxedo for only $35. Don’t tell ’em you heard it from us.’ (He wore his own tux to the event, which was really boring – and will never work with them again.)

All these things are nice, but my mantra throughout all this has been: Rather have the cash. Rather have the cash. Of course, if your particular company doesn’t disallow food-related gifts, a short list of restaurants you want to try might help your grateful customers in their decision. 🙂

I can’t

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

Working for who I work for (government), I am not allowed to take anything from *any* person or organization with whom my employer has or could have relations which is not openly given to anyone else.

Plus, I can not keep anything for myself or have anything given to me that is over $25 in value.

Even then, I must report it to my immediate supervisor.

Forget the dinner at the Black Lotus or Lee’s Lakeside…dammit. :^O

Hey, jck is bck here too!

In reply to I can’t

I posted a quick hello in the t-shirt thread, but you might be more likely to see it here. Happy to see you active in TR again.

thanks

In reply to Hey, jck is bck here too!

I actually got all my software converted to the new DB structure 2 weeks early 😀

Now that I got all my Crystal Reports converted, I’m converting somewhere over 200 CR reports that my boss has created over the years.

And, I’ve been aiding in office moves, since I’m 6’6 and built like a sumo. 😀

(You wouldn’t believe the gasps that come out of people when I lift a 4 drawer cabinet by myself 😀 )

Converting CR reports

In reply to thanks

We use Crystal for reporting in our ERP program. We upgrade the ERP about every 18 mos, so I have to sift thru about 300 Crystal Reports, determine which are no longer used, verify the db, relink if the data tables change, rebuild the reports if needed to accommodate the changed tables and have it all ready by the end of a holiday weekend. It’s a royal pain.

But the worst of it is listening to people complain that I’m closing the ERP at 4:00PM the previous Friday. It’s so darn inconvenient for them!

Just for them…

In reply to Converting CR reports

I’ll quote the most honourable and wise Artie Lange of the Howard Stern show:

WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! MY REPORTS ARE UNAVAILABLE AT 4PM!!!! WWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!! 😀

How’s the brewing going?

In reply to Just for them…

I keep think about starting it, but life gets in the way, so I’m trying to convince my friend to do it at his house. 😀

perks

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

When I was in full time engineering maintanence we used to have a company card to purchase services and parts, the companys we used to deal from were quite good at suppying hats ,tshirts,keyrings,pens ect, the usual trick was to wear the rival companys hat or shirt and then they would say ,you better get rid of that and wear ours and supply one. Bigger purchases bought jackets, and tickets to corporate boxes for sporting events. We were a major company and spent a large amount of money with these suppyiers nation wide, in saying that we had the last say on who we chose depending on service and location.
Not all the listed companys had branches in all locations and service varied too. But I always had a nice dress jacket in the hall closet to wear on the plane or to industry events. The best one I got was from an american welding rod firm.Whom I dealt with all the time. The rods came with a dress jacket, beanie, cap, shirt,and tickets to the v8supercars, in their corporate box. Very nice

No More Food Please

In reply to perks

I often receive lunch. I started in IT 15 years ago, and have gained 15lbs. I finally stopped accepting lunch and now they give me bags of m&ms. When I put a sign out that said, NO FOOD, JUST CASH I stopped getting asked for help.

It’s always nice to have your work appreciated

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

I always accept gifts. After all, it’s pretty much the same as a tip isn’t it? In the past I’ve had a few bottles of wine, a bottle of whiskey (which I don’t even like but is at home just in case!) and chocolates. Lots of chocolates.
To be honest, I’m happy with just a nice email saying thanks for a job well done.

snacks, are accepted and shared…nothing that has lasting value

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

The idea is not to compromise your level of service. If someone gives you a lasting gift, just like in any political situation – there will be a request for preferential treatment later on. Its human nature, a gift given creates a relationship.

I used to “buy into the myth”, by joking with some users about bribes are happily accepted – until someone actually followed up on it. I was embarassed to have to inform them that I was just joking as I returned their gratuity. They were red-faced that I had turned it down, they wrongly assumed that it wasn’t enough!

I was more embarassed than they were, that someone thought they had to pay for me to do the job I was hired to do.

I have and still accept “treats”, cookies, candies etc. as long as I know they were given out of gratitude…like staying after work to assist in a project that clearly was outside of our departmenatal responsiblity, also pizza and cokes for an over nighter are expected and acceptable. After all, you are missing a meal they should pick up the tab.

Dependa on the

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

a/s/l?

Not talking location and there is a very strict >18 in there.

😉

Grey Goose Vodka

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

twice. by two different people. usually i get taken out to lunch. the second time i got the vodka, the person left it on my desk while i was out to lunch. the human resouces girl threw a fit about me having alcohol at work, though it was an unopened gift i didn’t even know i had received. she was fired a couple weeks later though.

Pens to flash drives

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

Our IT guy is a free lancer. He’s already gotten pens and other logoed stuff from us. He just got a full time gig, but he helped us move into new offices after hours. What would you suggest we give him as a special thank you? He really came through for us.

I’ve already sent him two emails thanking him for doing such a great job, but I’d like to give him (and his wife, who is very understanding and picks things up for him from our office) something besides junk food. Although my peach tree has a bumper crop this year, and they’re almost ripe…

Thanks,

Mindy

PK’s & Coffee

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

That’s all I need.

Been there and did that.

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

I have done I guess what some techs would call taking the ultimate gift. This was about 10 years ago I was in my mid 20’s working for a divison of a major bank and did a favor for the front desk receptionist. She had contracted a few virsus on her personl pc and I told her to bring it in and I would take it home clean it up and tweak the OS for her and when she got it back it would be running as good as new if not better. Well since she was HOT I had some spare parts lying around the house and did a few free upgrades for her as well. Gave her the PC back and she was so excited she asked me out to dinner of Friday. I accepted and when I arrived at her house she answered the door in almost next to nothing. Needless to say we did not head out to dinner. I loved with her for 2 and a hal years before taking a job in Texas. She satayed I went but I will never for get that upgrade.

It depends on when you receive it…

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

…and what it is.

If you do a job, and the person for whom you did the job sends over a box of Krispy Kremes or something, that’s one thing. If on the other hand, you expect to get something BEFORE you do the work that you normally get paid for, or if you demand something in order for you to do something that you wouldn’t do normally (either because it is immoral or illegal), then that is something else, called a BRIBE 🙂 A tip after you’ve done the job is entirely acceptable. A tip beforehand is entirely wrong.

Then there’s the professionalism aspect of it all. I recall once going to McDonald’s and having the person in front of me proffer a $100 bill to pay for $25 worth of food. When the server tried to give him his change, he told her to keep it. She refused, saying that they don’t allow anyone to do that sort of thing. If you feel that receiving gifts (no matter how valuable) after doing the work that you are supposed to do is “unprofessional”, then don’t take them. Unless you are single and willing to mingle, one gift you should refuse out of hand is the phone number of that nubile secretary in HR whose Blackberry you just finished fixing 🙂

Of course, if your company has a policy in place then you must abide by its terms. To do otherwise is neither wise nor legal, probably.

We have no real rules against receiving things…

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

but I have been given home made cookies and banana nut bread, dark chocolate, a gift certificte to Starbucks, small stuffed animals, coffee cups and even flowers once. Oh and a Pepsi (my favorite). Nothing of any huge value but they were very much appreciated!

Thank you emails are good…

In reply to We have no real rules against receiving things…

I’m a Server Tech and assist customers over the phone, one Sunday night I got a call from a bridge contractor that had a failed RAID 5 array. They had been working around the clock preparing a multimillion dollar bid for a bridge, the bid was due at 8 AM, and their last backup was Friday… My only thank you was when after working with them for an hour, we managed to copy the data to a healthy system, and I got to hear a roomfull of engineers break out in cheers.

well that is still pretty cool!!

In reply to Thank you emails are good…

Man if you can get a reaction like that out of a bunch of engineers, you must have worked an absolute miracle!!!

I have gotten emails, cards and letters. Oh and I forgot, I got a very expensive bottle of perfume once but unfortunately, I don’t wear perfume…but is a pretty bottle!!

the miracle was…

In reply to well that is still pretty cool!!

RAID 5 with two drives off line, one had 50 media errors and the other had 30 or so media errors, I was able to force one of them online and boot, it stayed up for about 10 minutes, just barely enough time to boot and copy the files. in fact it died two minutes after they got the data.

Wow!!

In reply to the miracle was…

You ARE a WIZARD!!!

practice

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

We have a couple of policies around handling these type of thing
1/ if you are in the midst of a tender evaluation, there is no acceptable gift – you should even pay for your own coffee.
2/ gifts to the value of $50AUD are able to be accpted – no cash
3/ gifts above $50AUD can be referred to your manager for guidance.

A practice we have taken is that such gifts are regularly pooled and we have a draw in team meetings, spreading things around.

I do note that I have a weakness for pens

I’ve been taken to lunch a lot

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

I’ve been taken to lunch alot, but when I get the offer I alway invite my boss and a coworker. We also offer to pay our own way after the meal. Co-workers generally let us pay our way – one did pickup lunch for the two of us at Wendy’s once.

The best gift I ever received, came from a vendor and it was completely unexpected. I was leaving my office of the evening, when the vendor pulled up and said he needed a huge favor. He was setting up for a presentation the next day and the network he had with him would not work. I called wife and said I’d be late. Next, I grabbed my laptop and test tools and headed to the hotel with the vendor. It turned out the vendor had a bad switch. We made a quick stop to Best-Buy and he was up and running.

About two weeks later I got a call from this vendor saying he wanted to see me and my wife on Friday and take us to dinner for the help I gave him. It turned out the vendor was with his wife and we had dinner at a really nice restaurant and he took us to a show after.

My boss was okay with it because the work I did was after hours.

Every day

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

Every day I get offered Lunch, rounds of golf, hundreds of dollars (not kidding on that one either) and more. Since last Christmas I have been given a digital Camera (retail abotu $500.00) a SONY WEGA TV, about $1200 cash, a certificate for a custom tailored suit, countless dinners and dinner certificates, toys, trinkets and cash galore.

It’s endless, what people will do when you help their company make more money. 🙂

I almost forget the very first such gift, not IT though.

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

In 1970, just turned 16, I was working in suburban branch of a bank as the lowest of the low counter helpers (no, not even a teller). One of our best clients comes in and has a BIG problem, neither the accountant or the manager are on hand to help (they’re his usual first lines of help), so I end up spending two hours sorting things out for him and browbeat the senior staffer on hand into processing the paperwork. Customer leaves happy. When manager turns up, we brief him and he is happy client got looked after (later found out the client owns the three biggest businesses in the area).

6 weeks later client delivers a Christmas gift for the branch staff (annual event), a box of 12 bottles of top quality French Champagne, with a Magnum for me as a one of special. Here I was 16 don’t drink alcohol (not yet found one I could stomach) and a magnum of top notch French champers.

I took it home, mum allowed that i could have half a glass when it was opened on Christmas day, mom loved it. And I finally found an alcohol I liked. Problem – wages A$35 per week, champers A$60 per bottle (the magnum was worth A$150). For perspective, coke was retailing in the shops at $0.20 per can at the time.

chocolate

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

You can get anything you want from me with a chocolate bribe…

mmmmm…..chocolate…

Fish or Bait

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

I think in todays world the IT position is almost an outside entity. You are either being fished for favors or someone maybe setting bait to catch favors, or worse. Remember you are part of the defenders of security for your company. You get paid to keep the database’s up and running. If some one wants favors be very wary, if money is involved REFUSE. Your job, your income, your family, and your future depend on you following the proper path. Now enough lecturing where’s my cookies?
Steve

Gratuitities

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

When I worked for as an IT Counsultant 5 years for an academic branch of our country’s Houses of Parliament, I used to quite often find gifts waiting outside my door or even on my desk after having given master classes on a variety of subjects – from website development to covering one’s tracks online. These would range from a bottle of white wine through small amounts of cannabis up to ecstacy pills and strange spirits.

Diet Coke

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

I am a one man IT department at a medium size non-profit supporting more than 60 users, 50 computers and 5 servers. I accept Diet Coke for a reward or thank you, but won’t take anything in advance. There is always a list of projects, and special needs and I don’t want it to every look like the way to the front of the line is via the Coke Machine. I did once win an expensive printer at a seminar. I talked with my supervisor and we decided that if I took the day off and paid my own transportation to the event, the printer was mine. If I attended on work time, the printer belonged to the organization and would be sold if it wasn’t one that we could use. I took the day off, and kept the printer (which my ex took in the divorce!)

I’m in the Wine Business

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

Need I Say More?

I once retrieved data from a failed hard drive, and . . . . . .

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

…the “upper management” person who screwed up by not only keeping vital data on his hard drive, but failed to back it up, gave me an all-expenses paid trip (for two) to the Pebble Beach Resort in California, complete with a room (a suite) and all the perks for three days and two nights, all meals and cocktails, and two rounds of golf (for two) on the Pebble Beach golf course.
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Yea, you’re right. Dream on!

If I remember right

In reply to I once retrieved data from a failed hard drive, and . . . . . .

you did that over a holiday too.

I almost had something like that.

In reply to I once retrieved data from a failed hard drive, and . . . . . .

Back in the early 1980s I worked for a company in mianframe computer maintenance. I was about to go on two weeks leave when the Chariman of the Board asked me to do a paperwork evaluation and valuation of the company parts stocks and assets, my area of responsibility as National Parts and Assets manager, for an important board meeting the next week. The GM approved whatever was needed in the way of overtime but I was to keep it from all other staff. My two head office staff were the two biggest gossips in the company – so that left it all up to me, a great idea. I get told Wednesday afternoon, the board is the next Tuesday morning and the GM and CoB would like to see the results on Monday if I can manage it. That’s the Monday I was starting leave.

I arranged to delay my leave for a week, and started getting ready for the project. Getting the month’s transactions into the system, we had a manual recording system as there was NO computerised one that would handle our system with the detail we needed, and had in the manual one. And making sure I had all the stationary I would need to do the job.

Thursday and Friday I’m doing all the monthly transactions, finish them and do the monthly expenditure reports, send them off to the branch and division heads. 4 pm Friday I give my staff an early mark and send them home. Then I get stuck into valuing up the parts and assets stocks by groups. 52,000 stock lines, enter current quantity on hand by current average price and place the value in the printing calculator’s memory. Then compare each group’s value with the control ledger value in the central ledger, chase down the inevitable dozen or so discrepancies and process corrections. During this process I had two meal breaks and a few dozen coffee breaks. I also went home for two six hour naps. 1 pm Sunday that task is finished and I compare the stock management values with the accounts dept values. Chase down the mandatory dozen or so variations and arrange adjustments. All with the proper paperwork for the auditors, I figured they would be looking at my work after the meeting.

6 pm Sunday night I take a two hour break for dinner, return at 8 pm and start writing up the major report, listing all the groups and their book values. then doing a 1/4 to 1/2 page summary on each group explaining what I think is the realistic value of the spares and assets in relation to the company’s current contracts and expected contracts, this was asked for by the CoB without the GM present. Summary the real worth of the company by division and branch, also by business group, parts group, and assets group – a lot of stuff was outdated and over due for scrapping. Print 65 page report, edit and check for typos. Correct and reprint. Use that to prepare 5 page summary, sign both. Make the requested 10 copies, and sit down to have a cup of coffee. Prepare overtime sheet, sign it and attach security access system print out for weekend access.

Finish all that and have it ready in an envelope ready to give to CoB or GM and realise it’s now 7.30 am Monday. Wait for CoB and GM to arrive at 8.00 am, hand to them, wait while they read summary and scan full report. GM signs off on OT sheet and has secretary take to accounts for processing. Go downstairs and brief staff on tasks I had planned for that day that they are now doing and go home at 10 am, after advising them I’ll see them by just after lunch Tuesday, Branch meeting.

Wednesday morn I get called into a special meeting of the board, several extra people are present. I get asked several questions. After answering them all, I get confirmation that the company is being bought out and the new owners are happy with the valuations in my report, as are the auditors.

After the meeting, one of the board members of the new corporate owners, asks about what my revised holiday plans are. I said I don’t know as the place I was going to go to is no longer available. He offers me the company’s apartment at Surfer’s Paradise for two weeks, our current CoB gives the OK. Friday I get called in to be abused by my division head for not ensuring he’s in the loop and he’s put the kibosh on the use of the Surfer’s apartment. he also refuses to approve my new leave arrangements as they no longer suit the company. I check with the GM, and corporate policy is such that the division head has final say, and he’s sorry he can’t over rule him.

Two months later, I put in for four weeks leave. It gets approved. After making sure that everything is ready for my absence I lodge my letter of resignation as of close of busines on the day I return from leave. I hand it to my divison head’s secretary at 10 am, he’s at a meeting. He collects his messages and my resignation at 12.30 as he passes through on his way to lunch. 3.30 pm he calls to say he’s delayed in a meeting on the otherside of Sydney and wants to see me at 4.30 when he gets back, my usual finish is 5 pm. 4.45 pm and still not in sight, secretary calls other office to be told he just left, its a 60 minute trip across the city at the best of times, this late on a Friday, it will be nearer 90 minutes.

4.50 pm I explain the situation to GM, and tell him that I’m leaving at 5 pm to meet my own other commitments. He agrees.

When I return from leave I get called intomy boss’ office at 9 am and screamed at for not waiting until he got back at 6.15 pm. I walk out the door and he follows screaming at me in the general executive office area. He continues as I go to accounts and sort out my last pay etc. Down to remove my last personal effects from my office and make sure my computer is clear – he follow yelling all the way.

Ringing the GM I got permission to leave when my final cheque was ready, they had it ready by 10.30.

I had resigned as of the day I returned to work after leave as that meant I got paid for the Easter holiday break as well, I finished the day after Easter. Until then the company had a turn over rate of 1 person per annum from the whole company of 60 people. By the end of the week of my leaving, everyone in my division had lodged their resignations, by the time the GM finished up (a month later), part of the take over, 57 people had resigned and the Gm got to sack my old division head as his last task. The new owners had found out why so many people were quiting and decided that they didn’t need a manager like him.

I never did get that holiday at Surfer’s and the manager that screwed me ended up going overseas to get employed, his name was mud throughout the country.

That still rankles as the worst work related experiences of my life.

“Very” rarely Accept Gratuities or Gifts

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

The usual policy with me is that the satisfaction is in the “Job well Done”.
I have been offered all kinds of gratuities but usually refuse them unless I see that the person will in fact be hurt by my refusal. AS we are paid to do the work, this is usually enough. To know that the client is grateful to the point of further rewarding, is icing on the cake and it usually keeps them coming back. Which of course ids the most important thing of all.
So unless cornered, by the possibility of causing pain, I will usually refuse gratuities. In the beginning, I once accepted a drink from a client, Scotch I believe and after we’d had a few, we forgot why I was there, we had a blast. 😉
I learned from that and it has stayed with me since.
Therefore, for me, strict business rule, No gratuities accepted.
Regards
Aaron 🙁

mylfs again eh?

In reply to “Very” rarely Accept Gratuities or Gifts

Scotch then a Blast eh 😉

Watch how it’s accepted

In reply to Do you accept Gratuities for

Years ago I had a customer offer me a $10 tip for looking after something for him. I graciously declined, but he insisted and stuffed it into my pocket. Next thing we know my boss, who is really wealthy and really greedy, rushes up and begins demanding I turn it over to him, as I am now “stealing” from him. Not only does customer insist that he voluntarily made me take it after I declined, he tells boss he’ll take it back himself before he sees him get it, and that he’s about to slap the tar out of him. Then lets him know he’ll never do business there again. Naturally boss now says it’s all my fault, as he absolves himself from any responsibility. Talk about a jerk!

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