Office etiquette question - maternity leaving collections?

Nope we just do the one too. when she leaves to go on maternity

We have a collection when they leave. The manager might send some flowers when they have the babybut no collection would be done.

Two collections is a bit much IMO - although could the second collection be for flowers rather than full on gifts?

I would only expect one to be done, TBH. It seems very cheeky to do two.

Two collections does sound a bit greedy to me but then I've never worked in an office.

I think we just do the one collection, and then hold enough back for a bunch of flowers for when the baby arrives. Two cards though. One aimed very much at the mother (good luck, sorry you are leaving, if only for a few months - type of thing), and then a congratulations on the birth one.

Is it the same person doing the second collection as did the first?

When I went on maternity leave I got a gift when I left and then the company as a whole sent a bunch of flowers when the baby arrived. There's no way I would have expected 2 gifts

Yes, it is the same person doing both. And she is talking about getting more gifts. I may suggest she send some flowers this time round.

Never heard of this!

We tended just to do a collection for when the mother leaves in the past.

for my first baby I was very jammy - my department paid for me to have a posh hair cut as my leaving gift and then I got a little top and pair of pants for the baby when it was born. I certainly didn't expect all that!

normally one collection is enough, I think.

There have been 3 people on maternity leave since I've started here. The 3 offices, all go out for a meal, when the person is leaving. Then once the baby is born, we have a collection and send the card/present/flowers to the new mum.

Only 1 collection and as someone on mat leave I definitely wouldn't expect 2 collections, in fact I would be shocked if I got 2 lots of presents - in fact I was very pleased to get 1 set of pressies!?

? I missed the baby part of this reply first time and thought your department had bought you a playboy style underwear outfit.

Sounds like the collector likes shopping! Did mum have a rough time (just an idea)?

I think they do two here too - our it feels that way with the constant email reminders. Also the fathers get it too. I don't get that. I think that should stay with a collection from his immediate team/department rather than a company wide one.

As a fairly large company where this, plus leaving & retirements are common, I've decided that I now only do contributions for those I know or work closely with, In my circumstances, I think they are lucky enough to be pregnant in the first place so bah humbug,?

I think two collections is a bit much to be honest.If it were me I would have doen what you did and just signed the card for the second collection. When I went on maternity leave it was from a very small department so I didnt really expected much to be honest but I got some realyl nice clothes for my baby.Then when she was born my line manager came around to see her and brought a card signed by everyone and loads of home made cakes which I thought was a lovely thing to do esp given we were living off take aways at the time, I would not have expected a second collection at all.

I never got anything this time (tight buggers) so I think 1 is more than enough.

Last time they did a collection that I didn't get for 8 months.... funnily enough my card went missing too..... The customers had to get involved before I got the money from the commitee I work for!

That's far too extreme having 2 collections.

I usually pop something in the ONE collection prior to them leaving and then if it's a particularly close friend, I will buy them something when the baby is born (so I put a not as much donation in the office collection.)

Can't believe the cheek of it asking you for 2 collections. Also, if I was the lady on maternity, I'd be highly embarrassed in the office having 2 collections.

How odd!

Two collections seems OTT to me. There was a collection for me when I went on maternity leave and when I had my daughter some of my friends from work got us gifts, but they were from the individuals and not from a collection.

I would suggest that the girl doing the collections do the same, if she wants to get a gift for the baby then she can get one from her.

You don't think she could be pregnant do you and trying to set a new precedent (cynical, moi?).

For me at work there was a collection when i went on maternity leave and they sent me some flowers when my son was born

I'm lucky in that we don't do collections. The company just forks out for such gifts. Birth/Baby £200, wedding £200 and then leaving gift is £100 per year of work.

I think two collections is a bit much tbh.

It's usually when the person goes on maternity leave but when I left for maternity leave I didn't even get a card - or when I had MissSun ?

That's what we do - our company sends the new parent flowers with a wee teddy or similar but there's not a second collection for that.

Def only one collection - two is cheeky. And being a stingy moo I only put in ££ if I know the individual on more than a nodding acquaintance basis. Otherwise I'd end up totally skint all the time with the number of 'begging' envelopes that come my way.

Lucky you, whoever it was said the company coughs up a wad on such occasions!

Only one collection. When I went on maternity leave I was given a present (a teddy and vouchers) that people had chipped in for. Then when the baby was born I received flowers from the office, paid for from the office budget.

Yeah, 2 is a bit much.

We always did one just when the mum to be was leaving (or, when the baby was born if the Dad was in the office). If I knew/liked the person I would contribute. If not, I didn't. When the card went round for signing, I signed it if I had contributed as I felt it was a list of the people the gift was from.

I remember a guy's wife was having their 3rd baby, in very quick succession, and I had contributed to the first 2 gifts. I was in a grump that day, I looked in the envelope, and I said "FFS, not again! There is enough money in there to buy them some feckin condoms!" and passed it on ?

In our office there was only one collection for the maternity leaving present.

Once baby was born the Boss would buy flowers and gift from their own money and send that from everyone

Both times when I left to go on maternity leave I had a gift for me and a gift for baby - from my colleagues. Then when the babies were born, I was sent a bunch of flowers and some fab cakes, but those were financed by the company, not my colleagues.

I have a 7 month old baby and didn't get any presents when I left on maternity leave, had them when I had the baby. It's too much to expect everyone to pay twice for one person in my opinion.

We only do one for the maternity leave. The company send flowers once the baby is born anyway.