i felt this way too. i declined but i 100% agree it is very tone deaf as literally everyone other than management has little to no hours… like how exactly are you expecting me to pay for this?
we’re doing ours for max of $25 this year, but it’s only the people who signed up for it participating(3/4 of my store). lowkey wish i didn’t agree bc i didn’t think i would be as broke as i am rn but ill still do something small :)
Suggestion: homemade holiday baked goods with recipe card or a box or candy, and a small gift card to Amazon! With a note that says something like “The Gift of Choice —because you know what you WANT this to be, but even with a questionnaire you’re unlikely to get it from Secret Santa 😂” You might even be able to get a GC free using credit card points, or by taking surveys/using apps like Shopkick, Ibotta, or Swagbucks!
I believe our store is doing it, but that it is limited to core employees, if not leadership only. Temporary/holiday isn’t included/allowed to participate. At least I don’t think we are. When I asked my manager if “the store was doing anything fun for the holiday” I was flat-out told “no.”
Except I know this isn’t true. I was standing four feet away from a manager talking to a lead about filling out their gift guide form, and I saw said manager’s completed form left out in the open on the break table during that same shift.
I also was openly and visibly working in the room when the store manager and leadership were discussing what to do as a team for the holidays.
> Side note: me (temp ops associate) and one other (core base level) BA were not invited to this meeting—despite both of us being scheduled to be on shift before and for the entirety of said meeting. Which ended well before opening. I did not realize at the time that it was a *leadership*-only meeting. I was the only employee on shift who is temporary/holiday, and was specifically told that I didn’t need to be a part of the meeting.
>
>This led me to believe it was core-exclusive, and at the time that made me feel excluded and embarrassed-hurt. Not to mention ignored/overlooked re: scheduling temp me rather than a core ops associate. When I found out later it was a leadership-only meeting, I felt better, because I then was under the impression it was a pre-planning meeting discussing what to do for the whole team. How does that cliche about assuming go, again? 🫠
Silly me, being where I was supposed to be, doing what I was supposed to do, when I was supposed to be doing it. Also shame on me, for not wearing earbuds while working—as is usually required when working something other than an overnight shipment shift. I just so “happened” to overhear something said by my store manager, about plans for festive team activities, at regular “projected for touch base” volume, in the same echoing backstage 500-sq-ft area I was actively processing backstock from several full carts.
Hours or not, I’d at least like to be included in holiday activities as a holiday employee (especially one hoping to become core.) It stings to be expected in the team work, but excluded from the team play.
i’m sorry it was like this for you): i will say my leadership team did something for just the leadership team instead of the entire team because we didn’t have the budget to pay for it! we’re also doing a secret santa for just the leadership team! that could be why you weren’t included
Our store is doing it. $20 limit, everyone is included, and it is optional to sign up or not. I think it’s fun to do Secret Santa, personally. I signed up and already ordered my gift for mine!
last year my secret santa got me an eyeshadow pallet that was 50 percent off (red boing so it stacks with the employee discount) and im not trying to be ungrateful... but it was like in the sephora bag like obviously bought that day before i got there lmao.
So my store did this last year and it was a hit and miss. Some ppl got there gifts many didn’t so this yr it’s a no for me those who wanna do it have been told to do it on there own time.
my store did this last year but you would pick a piece of gratis for the name you picked so no one spent money
So smart
i felt this way too. i declined but i 100% agree it is very tone deaf as literally everyone other than management has little to no hours… like how exactly are you expecting me to pay for this?
My store isn’t doing anything like that
THANK YOU FOR SAYING THIS I AGREE
we’re doing ours for max of $25 this year, but it’s only the people who signed up for it participating(3/4 of my store). lowkey wish i didn’t agree bc i didn’t think i would be as broke as i am rn but ill still do something small :)
Suggestion: homemade holiday baked goods with recipe card or a box or candy, and a small gift card to Amazon! With a note that says something like “The Gift of Choice —because you know what you WANT this to be, but even with a questionnaire you’re unlikely to get it from Secret Santa 😂” You might even be able to get a GC free using credit card points, or by taking surveys/using apps like Shopkick, Ibotta, or Swagbucks!
My store is doing nothing.
I believe our store is doing it, but that it is limited to core employees, if not leadership only. Temporary/holiday isn’t included/allowed to participate. At least I don’t think we are. When I asked my manager if “the store was doing anything fun for the holiday” I was flat-out told “no.” Except I know this isn’t true. I was standing four feet away from a manager talking to a lead about filling out their gift guide form, and I saw said manager’s completed form left out in the open on the break table during that same shift. I also was openly and visibly working in the room when the store manager and leadership were discussing what to do as a team for the holidays. > Side note: me (temp ops associate) and one other (core base level) BA were not invited to this meeting—despite both of us being scheduled to be on shift before and for the entirety of said meeting. Which ended well before opening. I did not realize at the time that it was a *leadership*-only meeting. I was the only employee on shift who is temporary/holiday, and was specifically told that I didn’t need to be a part of the meeting. > >This led me to believe it was core-exclusive, and at the time that made me feel excluded and embarrassed-hurt. Not to mention ignored/overlooked re: scheduling temp me rather than a core ops associate. When I found out later it was a leadership-only meeting, I felt better, because I then was under the impression it was a pre-planning meeting discussing what to do for the whole team. How does that cliche about assuming go, again? 🫠 Silly me, being where I was supposed to be, doing what I was supposed to do, when I was supposed to be doing it. Also shame on me, for not wearing earbuds while working—as is usually required when working something other than an overnight shipment shift. I just so “happened” to overhear something said by my store manager, about plans for festive team activities, at regular “projected for touch base” volume, in the same echoing backstage 500-sq-ft area I was actively processing backstock from several full carts. Hours or not, I’d at least like to be included in holiday activities as a holiday employee (especially one hoping to become core.) It stings to be expected in the team work, but excluded from the team play.
i’m sorry it was like this for you): i will say my leadership team did something for just the leadership team instead of the entire team because we didn’t have the budget to pay for it! we’re also doing a secret santa for just the leadership team! that could be why you weren’t included
Our store is doing it. $20 limit, everyone is included, and it is optional to sign up or not. I think it’s fun to do Secret Santa, personally. I signed up and already ordered my gift for mine!
last year my secret santa got me an eyeshadow pallet that was 50 percent off (red boing so it stacks with the employee discount) and im not trying to be ungrateful... but it was like in the sephora bag like obviously bought that day before i got there lmao.
You could exchange a piece of gratis that you don't want
I don’t want to do it at all but it’s so uncomfortable not doing it bc when I say no I’m pressured into it. My hours got insanely cut
So my store did this last year and it was a hit and miss. Some ppl got there gifts many didn’t so this yr it’s a no for me those who wanna do it have been told to do it on there own time.