So I work for a cancer center that is owned by one of the largest hospital chains in my state. They want to really develop us into a unified entity like other local cancer centers and they have launched this big campaign to fund raise and remodel. They have some large donors lined up all ready but are wanting to raise more, I guess.
So we as a staff have been challenged to raise $25,000 over 5 years and we will have a room in the new facility named in our honor. They've suggested that we forgo giving each other gifts at the holidays,birthdays, etc. Instead of collecting for MD gifts at Christmas, for example, we'll give to the campaign instead. There are about 100 employees in the area where I work-nursing, lab, MAs, office staff, schedulers, MDs, etc. So that averages to be about $50 a year per employee.
There are saying that "our enthusiasm and dedication" will really impress the higher-ups at the hospital.
Something about this bothers me. Part of me says that I guess it is a good cause. But part of me says....I'm an employee!! I've never had an employer ask me to make a contribution to it before. It just seems wrong on some level.
PS. When we had our annual giving campaign (you know where they take money out of your paycheck for United Way, etc...) they stressed that we should have 100% participation, even it if is only $1.00, to impress "The donors" and the hospital brass.
oh...and our hospital is in the process of building a new facility. it is like state of the art....HUGE. Unbelievable. Reminds me of greys anatomy's hospital. They asks us constantly to donate. um.....no thanks. :)
The hospital where I used to work was ALWAYS moneying the employees to death! I worked as a tech making minimum wage at the time and I was like...seriously? You're gonna ask ME to donate? Um, no. They had someone come and talk to us during orientation about signing up to have money taken from our checks and how that money would go to help people in need, including employees. I told a friend, "We're making minimum wage....we ARE those people in need!" Then, of course, there was always someone coming around and asking for money because someone wanted to buy a gift for this person or this person was ill and they were trying to collect money for medical bills, etc, etc. It was never ending.
While I agree with llg about much of this I do not think in this economy where many people have had pay checks frozen or no longer coming in it is fair to ask employees to suck it up once again. If I were asked as a member of the community, I would want to know how much are top management giving. I would expect to hear that each was giving their bonus. If not, why not? If they expect employees to shell out earned dollars I don't see why they would not put in money not included in salary.
Many charities (including my employer) publish lists of donors -- by category. The highest donors are in the top catergory, and then there are lower categories for people making smaller donations. Our list is printed in one of their quarterly publications. I always find it interesting to read that list every year and see what categories my colleagues are in. Yes, the administrators and top physicians tend to be in the higher categories.
You'll love this then - we're just starting to hear rumblings in the business world on the latest trend of charging not only for extra vacation days, but for ALL of your allotment of vacation days. We figure some brilliant MBA came up with that one, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before all upper management teams across the country ponder that little gem.
$50/year/employee doesn't seem so heavy. It doesn't even amount to $.50/day and you are being a part of a very good cause. As long as the money goes where it is supposed to be I think I'm okay with it. Now if they're saying that the higher ups are getting impressed, that's fine too, hopefully the "higher ups" includes God. I guess I will just take it like it is an offset effect of a therapeutic drug. I have never been personally involved with someone who has cancer but I do feel so bad for those people and their families who had to go through it. What I'm trying to say is that I'm thankful for those individuals or organizations that help out people with cancer. I'm sure the people who organized it have different motivations, i.e. making the organization look good, could be personal improvement, climbing up the ladder, and impressing the higher ups. I would probably just ask myself "would I be willing to help out people with cancer?" my answer is Yes.
Why are we assuming the top brass isn't donating too?
I don't see the problem. Donate, or don't. I think llg brings up good points about even token contributions speaking well to potential investors. Because I'm guessing that $25k is a drop in the bucket in terms of overall funds that they're trying to raise.
Jenni811, RN
1,032 Posts
oh...and our hospital is in the process of building a new facility. it is like state of the art....HUGE. Unbelievable. Reminds me of greys anatomy's hospital. They asks us constantly to donate. um.....no thanks. :)