There is a discussion at my job which has become so silly I have to share it with someone. You good people are dutifully drafted. Discussing this occupied the last hour before most of us left for home after work. A co-worker has been waiting for some time to celebrate Christmas. So much so, that she had begun to plan the Christmas exchange roughly in July. Well today she asked her manager if it was alright to have one. He though it was OK. IF she 1-Sent an email to everyone who may be involved involved, 2-Caped the gift cost at $10.00 US, 3-Not have an exchange at the department Holiday gettogeather, 4-Don't pressure anyone to participate, and 5-Get a concensus of the department to participate. She received this as some method to stop the giving. And vented during lunch! I advised her to wait a couple of days for her to calm down, send the e-mail ect, and work on her boss to get a better "buy in" with the idea. She assured me she was calm by the end of lunch. I also suggested that ultimately if a gift exchange is really wanted it can be done on our personal time after work. You guessed it. She and her boss locked horns at the end of the day. She left upset, he felt, attacked, and frustrated. After that roughly 3 of us remaining quazi supervisors, which includes him, myself, and one other, spent time discussing the problem and potential resolutions. Including, avoiding the department function and having the gift exchange on our-their own time. Chuckle. What I can't understand is why all the aingst over an excercise of giving cheer. We'll see what the conversation will be about for lunch tomorrow. However I think I can guess. BTW. What should I give for a gift? I was thinking of a quaelude and some bubble bath. I could enclose it with a card which says "Here, take a chill pill." =:-) > Bsteph

I LOVE your GIFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First of all, if I may ask, what is her problem about christmas, this is bizarre to say the least....to lock horns with management over an early gift exchange because she has glove anxiety over xmas is strange.....

Well I think she likes Christmas and wants to have the exchange at the correct time although she is starting the crude planning very early. She thing is with sending e-mails to everyone in the department. I've heard second hand that she does not know how to send them. I can't believe that because I know she knows how to read them. What he boss wants her to do is to have more thought for the gift exchange and not pressure people onto feeling that they have to give one or/and participate. Not to mention feel left out if they decide not to. Supposedly she just does not get it. Unfortunately I went to a seminar today during lunch so I didn't hear the scuttlebut. Maybe I'll risk stiring up some trouble and ask around. Bsteph

The local hardware store started selling Christmas decoration about two weeks ago!!! So much for waiting for the day after Thanksgiving. Yeah I don't always agree with his point of view but he sounded very reasonable with this one. Bsteph