Well, That’s Just Plain Ungratifying

Every year, it’s common for employees to get a “Christmas gratification”. It’s usually not money but something like a gift basket (often with food or wine you just give away) or a “pick your own gift” gift card for specialty Christmas gratification stores. Most people know that it’s something you pay for yourself; some of your pay is being cut and goes into your “Christmas gratification” funds. It’s usually somewhere between two and five euros. You cannot opt out of it — or as far as I know, no one has been able to opt out of it. 

I work for a temp agency that holds two euros a month for the gratification, and at the end of the year, gifts something that is way cheaper than twenty-four euros, like a sports bag that rips after two uses, an umbrella with the company logo on it, or a cute tea light holder (for one tea light). I haven’t heard of anyone ever liking the gifts. 

However, last year, they decided to do things differently! 

Management: “We have decided to give back to the world! So, instead of your Christmas Gratification, we’ve decided to donate the funds to [Very Wholesome Charity]. Merry Christmas!”

We were horrified: something we worked for the whole year had just been donated to a charity without consulting us. But if we spoke up, we would be considered rude and selfish, because “Think of the [Charity]! At least you can spend your Christmas with your family!”

Also, donations are tax deductible for the company. So, the company didn’t have to think of a gift, looked good in the media, got free publicity, and could deduct it from taxes, and all the employees who worked (and paid) for it… got nothing. 

I’m very glad I was recently offered a job and could quit the temp agency — forcing them to pay out what was in my gratification fund.