Employee flags issue after team splits Rs 15,000 farewell gift bill without asking
An employee at an Indian company has sparked a discussion on workplace transparency after voicing concerns about being asked to contribute for a colleague's farewell gift without prior agreement.
An employee of an Indian company has flagged what several office-goers silently resent, and that is being asked to pay for an expensive farewell gift they never agreed to.
In a post on Reddit’s r/IndianWorkplace, the employee shared their experience in a post titled, “Team split a Rs 15,000 farewell gift bill without asking. Am I wrong to feel annoyed?”
The employee, in the Reddit post, said that three teammates who were close to a colleague on their notice period, decided to buy a farewell gift worth Rs 15,000 without informing the rest of the team. A message, soon after, was circulated asking around 13 colleagues to contribute Rs 1,150 each.
The employee said the problem was not the farewell gift itself, but the lack of consent and transparency.
This was nothing but partiality, the employee implied, explaining that three team members had left earlier but no similar gift was organised or funded by the same colleagues.
“This feels less like a team gesture and more like a personal gift that was later turned into a group expense,” the employee said, asking whether it was better to pay and move on or call out the issue.
Read the post here:
In the comments section of the post, several users agreed that no one should be expected to fund a decision they were not part of. The amount, users said, was irrelevant. “It’s not about Rs 1,150. It’s about consent,” one user said, adding that unless the gift and its cost were discussed beforehand, there was no obligation to split the bill equally.
Others argued that farewell gifts should always be voluntary and planned openly. “They shouldn’t spend your money on your behalf without consent,” a user said, adding that collections should be informed well in advance and funded only through voluntary contributions. Some suggested paying only what one feels comfortable with, rather than an equal share decided unilaterally.
Many others also shared similar workplace experiences. One user recalled refusing to pay more than the usual contribution when colleagues bought an expensive gift for a team lead on notice period without consulting the team. Another said they had outright declined to contribute in a comparable situation and felt justified in doing so.
A common suggestion was to address the matter calmly but firmly: “You should definitely talk about it, saying you’re not against the spending but would like a more open discussion about it going forward.” Others were more blunt, saying that the employee had every right to reject the demand altogether.
An employee of an Indian company has flagged what several office-goers silently resent, and that is being asked to pay for an expensive farewell gift they never agreed to.
In a post on Reddit’s r/IndianWorkplace, the employee shared their experience in a post titled, “Team split a Rs 15,000 farewell gift bill without asking. Am I wrong to feel annoyed?”
The employee, in the Reddit post, said that three teammates who were close to a colleague on their notice period, decided to buy a farewell gift worth Rs 15,000 without informing the rest of the team. A message, soon after, was circulated asking around 13 colleagues to contribute Rs 1,150 each.
The employee said the problem was not the farewell gift itself, but the lack of consent and transparency.
This was nothing but partiality, the employee implied, explaining that three team members had left earlier but no similar gift was organised or funded by the same colleagues.
“This feels less like a team gesture and more like a personal gift that was later turned into a group expense,” the employee said, asking whether it was better to pay and move on or call out the issue.
Read the post here:
In the comments section of the post, several users agreed that no one should be expected to fund a decision they were not part of. The amount, users said, was irrelevant. “It’s not about Rs 1,150. It’s about consent,” one user said, adding that unless the gift and its cost were discussed beforehand, there was no obligation to split the bill equally.
Others argued that farewell gifts should always be voluntary and planned openly. “They shouldn’t spend your money on your behalf without consent,” a user said, adding that collections should be informed well in advance and funded only through voluntary contributions. Some suggested paying only what one feels comfortable with, rather than an equal share decided unilaterally.
Many others also shared similar workplace experiences. One user recalled refusing to pay more than the usual contribution when colleagues bought an expensive gift for a team lead on notice period without consulting the team. Another said they had outright declined to contribute in a comparable situation and felt justified in doing so.
A common suggestion was to address the matter calmly but firmly: “You should definitely talk about it, saying you’re not against the spending but would like a more open discussion about it going forward.” Others were more blunt, saying that the employee had every right to reject the demand altogether.