Seen a memo like this in your workplace? What do you think it means?

[raccoon]

To: All Employees

I am constantly amazed and impressed by the number of times I hear stories of how an employee is involved in civic organizations, serves on boards of community organizations, and participates in all types of volunteer activities. This is truly an example of how XYZ employees are supportive and involved in the communities which we serve.

I would like to capture this noteworthy information. Will you please e-mail Soandso with the voluntary activities you have been involved with over the past two years? Once again, these activities can be everything from serving on boards … to memberships … to serving as a mentor … to environmental cleanups … etc., etc.

I will be developing a comprehensive list to illustrate how XYZ gives back to the community. This list will not show names, just activities.

Please have this list to Soandso by the end of the month.

Thank you for all you do.


John Smith
CEO
XYZ Company

[whathehell]

1. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'd wonder if they were trying to learn

too much about my life e.g, my political affiliations,etc.

[SirRevolutionary]

32. Right on

Never trust corporate douchebaggery

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. No, but I can guess the ultimate source of it

http://www.uschamber.com/bclc/default

[OneGrassRoot]

3. That's interesting...

It's likely a straightforward request. They want to put out a newsletter showing how their employees are community-minded, maybe even for marketing purposes, depending on the company.

I'm enough of a skeptic, however, to consider that they're gathering information that could potentially be used against employees, even if that isn't the initial intent. If it's an apolitical company, probably not, but we just never know how innocent things can come back to bite us on the ass these days, if they are corrupted in some way.

Interesting question though. I suppose it depends on the company and what business they're in, how well the employees know the owners/managers, how much they trust them, etc.

[gopiscrap]

75. A COMPANY NEVER DOES ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR ITSELF

All business is evil in this nation because our capitalistic system has gotten out of hand. All employers are in it for themselves. DON'T TRUST THE FUCKERS

[yellowcanine]

4. It means the company is trying to take credit for what employees do on their own time.

It is highly inappropriate imo. If they give them administrative leave to do some pro bono work, ok. But if the employees are doing it on their own time, the company gets no credit.

[Viking12]

8. Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner.

[niyad]

10. excellent point

[snagglepuss]

12. +1

[madmom]

31. That was my first thought also. n/t

[cark]

33. Not quite that sinister

I would imagine they would like to give credit to their employees for being good citizens. Many people enjoy getting a little pat on the back for their hard work by having their name published. If you have been to any team building/leadership seminars, that is one of the ways they suggest 'rewarding' employees, printing their names in newspapers and newsletters. A lot of people like a little attention.

As an added bonus it reflects well on the company, having charitable and community involved employees.

[yellowcanine]

38. Read the OP again - they are not talking about publicly recognizing the employees.

They are talking about making public how "company xyz gives back to the community." Not the same thing at all.

[yellowcanine]

39. Relevant sentence from the OP......

"This is truly an example of how XYZ employees are supportive and involved in the communities which we serve."

[Ikonoklast]

45. This is the correct answer.

Funny how a corporation is quick to disavow the employee who is serial killer in his spare time.

Take the good with bad, or don't take any.

[GreenPartyVoter]

48. Yep

[Canuckistanian]

56. +1 First thing I thought of

The company itself didn't do a damn thing to get involved with the community or volunteer work.

But they're trying to look good in their Annual Report or when making PR statements.

Don't report it. Let the company earn it themselves.

[Liberal_in_LA]

60. +2

[Sparkly]

64. I think it's valid. Places where I've worked brag about their employees all the time.

"So-and-so won this award," "So-and-so published an article," even "So-and-so had a baby."

Nothing wrong with encouraging people to do good deeds, and stating that you value it.

[snooper2]

67. I guess we will never know since the OP never responded to their own thread

Maybe the company does give off time to do charitable work....

mine hosts events and gives employees time off...

[lukasahero]

5. Call me naive, but

I think it means the company wants to highlight the volunteer activities of its employees... :shrug: ?

I'm guessing you think it's some kind of conspiracy for the company to either take credit where none is due or screw the employee somehow?

[cdsilv]

9. If I do it on my own time, I do it, not the company.

The company should not try to take credit for my altruism.

[TornadoTN]

15. Thats a very valid point

I think most companies probably do it to toot their own horn. But there are some that actually use it as way to increase awareness in volunteerism and giving back. We do a lot of charitable giving, but we also try to give incentives to employees that volunteer and give them extra money as a reward for doing so - regardless of their leaning.

The CEO of my company is strong Republican, but he's fine with giving employees a kick back for volunteering at organizations of their choice, even if they go to causes that he personally wouldn't agree with. I think it's a fair deal all around and does give back to the community at large.

[lukasahero]

16. If the company says

"our employees volunteer for..." then they are not taking credit, they are giving credit to the employees. God this place is such a nut-house.

I've worked for companies that made contributions to the organizations where employees volunteered. What a shame that people are so freakin' paranoid that the potential for such is lost.

[yellowcanine]

27. "I will be developing a comprehensive list to illustrate how XYZ gives back to the community."

Check the OP. Sounds to me like it is the company taking the credit based on that sentence.
And there was no mention of a company donation plan. You would think that would be in the email if that were the intent. I do call you naive.

[lukasahero]

40. Naive but gainfully employed

with an excellent company that rewards charitable participation. I'm fine with that.

:hi:

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lukasahero]

55. Fuck you. eom

[niyad]

11. it's a sad commentary on business, but it is very hard to trust any company's motives for anything

these days.

[lukasahero]

19. Maybe for you

I've seldom had that problem. I've worked in HR and realize that the people who request these things are people just like us who are trying to do the best job they can. They are not trying to fuck everyone over. Really, they're not.

[TornadoTN]

23. I think some of the paranoia is justified

I mean, who wouldn't feel like that after all of the corporate criminality we've seen over the past decade or so?

But like you said, the vast majority of these are innocent promotions to increase awareness of volunteerism and yes, to promote the company by showing how dedicated their employees are to the community. I've put it elsewhere in this thread about my own company, so I won't go into it again, but some actually do use it to promote the greater good.

[yellowcanine]

28. Maybe not but this particular one crossed a line. A person in HR should know where that line is.

UNLESS a company is giving comp time or administrative leave for volunteer activities of employees they have no business taking any credit. Period. Doing otherwise is a formula for abuse and corruption. The outside charitable activities of employees become part of their evaluation - in other words, volunteer for the "right" organizations and you will get promoted.

[Arkansas Granny]

24. This sentence indicates to me that the company wants to take credit for these activities:

"I will be developing a comprehensive list to illustrate how XYZ gives back to the community. This list will not show names, just activities."

[yellowcanine]

30. Yep - that sentence crosses a line which should not be crossed. And you can be sure that a lawyer

for a fired or non promoted employee will quickly seize on this to try to make the case that John Doe got fired or did not get promoted because he was not volunteering enough or for the "right" charities.

[TornadoTN]

6. Most likely it's an innocent promotional tool being used by the company

I've put together several of these types of things for my own company, but we have a pretty diverse mix of political leanings, so it's was a pretty nice list. We put them out in areas business journal and several newspapers picked it up. We have since implemented an incentive program for employees that get involved in volunteer and civic organizations - the more you are involved in these and the more time you put in, you get a percentage calculation added onto your year-end bonus. It's really improved morale and helped out the community as well.

Of course, some companies might use it to profile employees and use it for nefarious reasons. I'd do some homework on it and if you feel uncomfortable, don't do it.

[Berry Cool]

7. Your employers are asking you to collect information on yourself to make them look good.

They want to take credit for your charity work by claiming the charity you contribute to as part of their own corporate charitable contributions by saying "Employees of Company X devote their time and funds to countless organizations such as _______, ______, _______..." That way, it looks a little less bad if the company itself has to say it's not making as many direct cash contributions to those organizations of late because it's on a tighter budget.

[valerief]

13. I would "forget" to respond. nt

[dmallind]

14. Maybe....what it says?

Companies can use this info for any number of reasons. From advertising themselves to new employee applicants (I'm sure many people, like me, have been seeing a lot of company employment application websites these days - many of them touting just this thing) to dealing with local governments trying to get favorable reviews of zoning applications or to counteract resident complaints, and even to looking for tax breaks. It's also valuable as an internal morale booster to show how much the workforce as a whole does. It can even be an honest altruistic gesture to spur on others to join in.

Sure it could also be a dark Machiavellian conspiracy where a company wants to weed out all the liberals to prevent them complaining about the corp's dark plot to clone Dick Cheney a few million times and take over the world.

[Newsjock]

17. It's none of their damn business

Perhaps I used to be somewhat more accommodating, but in this environment where CEOs fire employees at the drop of a hat, cut health insurance amid skyrocketing costs, and pay themselves obscene amounts in the process, I no longer trust my employer to have my best interests in mind.

You lose either way on this. Anything you say can and will be used against you, but silence will be taken as "not being a team player."

I might respond by saying something like: "Dear Soandso: Please be assured that any voluntary activities in which I participate are done on my own time, and that while doing so I never present myself as an official representative of XYZ Company. If you have any specific questions or concerns about my personal activities, please detail them to me in writing, and I will be happy to respond. Thank you."

[KharmaTrain]

18. Sure...Where's The Check???

Sounds more like a PR move than a new big brother gimmick. If a company wants to know your political bent, it's not that hard...just ask around the office or use the Google and see what contributions you've made (or posts you've made) as well as getting your voting record. One whose determined to get information or dirt on you have many, many ways to do it these days. I worked at one company where certain staff members were paid a little extra for keeping tracks on subordinates...so if you're worried about your boss knowing about your political activities or ideology, good chance he/she already knows it.

Now if said employer wants to know about my other activities...especially non-profits, then lets see some folding green. My synagogue could sure use a few bucks in return for him using my name (and reputation) to make his look better.

Good chance if I got such a request, I'd circular file it.

[Kingofalldems]

20. What would happen if someone put down 'union organizer'

and sent it in?

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

22. I provide ecstasy to school kids in the neighborhood....free of charge

...for the first week.

[tomm2thumbs]

77. I volunteer to stop sneezes at cocaine parties (holds finger out)

I hate it when the finger arrives late

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

21. This is not surprising....

The company obviously wants to brag about being a good corporate citizen and wants to include all the volunteerism of its employees. Now you could argue that this is not entirely honest, unless the company provides paid time for community service and/or actively encourages its employees to be involved. To the extent that the company is genuinely committed to being a force for good in the community, it's a reasonable request. If they're just looking for a cheesy press release...meh.

[cornermouse]

25. They're looking for PR to put out either within the company

or to the public. I don't know when anyone has the time to volunteer for anything any more between work, home responsibilities, kids, and kids' activities,

[hayu_lol]

26. The BIDNESS of BIDNESS is BIDNESS...

It is none of a company's business what an employee does on their own time and with their own money.

It is strictly the employee's business so long as the activities are legal.

Some of you appear to believe that this info request is benign. It might be...it might not be. What is 'good' for this management is one thing...if the company is bought out, it might not be good then for the employee.

Better to keep this sort of info to yourself.

[MineralMan]

29. Lots of companies publicize the charitable activities of their

employees. Insofar as it stimulates customers to select the company, it generally improves business.

I suppose it's possible that some company might want the information for nefarious uses, but I'd think that was rare. I'm pretty sure that looking at how the owners and management behaves in other areas might lend a clue. Particularly if they are active in charitable volunteerism themselves.

As an employee, I'd think you knew better than anyone here on DU what sort of people run your company. Assess that, then make a decision. The advice here is all over the place, since nobody knows your company or its management.

[Demit]

34. You can always email & say you don't have any volunteer activities.

You preserve your privacy, which you are perfectly entitled to do. But, two things:

One, you should consider how that might mean you are not very proud of your volunteer activities;

Two, then you can't go to them & ask for matching contributions, which so many organizations ask you to do & which so many companies are happy to provide.


Your choice totally.

[LanternWaste]

35. My office has been doing this a few years...

My office has been doing this a few years. It allows management to single out both personal and office achievements when giving recognition awards during office banquets and parties and in the office newsletter.

[Berry Cool]

36. It's not particularly nefarious

unless you believe all corporate PR is nefarious, which I personally don't. It's just a way for the employer to try to polish its image a bit by taking credit for what its employees do. Not evil, just a fact.

[sufrommich]

37. It means your company is going to try and take credit for

the good works of its employees. Happens all the time.

[Nikki Stone1]

41. This is a memo that just BEGS for a joke answer. You can borrow mine:

MEMO
To: Soandso
From: Nikki
Re: Giving Back to the Community

Over the years I have volunteered for so many organizations, it's hard to keep count. My family hasn't seen me for dinner in years! Here is a brief listing of my many act of self sacrifice for the community:

1. Save the Naugas!

These poor little creatures are heartlessly killed to make naugahyde every year. Our organization finds farms, usually upstate with a lot of beagles, where the naugas can run free and live out the greatest expression of their sweet souls. Our next project is to get naugas the right to vote.

2. The Historical Society for the Preservation of Brothels.

So often, the backbreaking work of brothels is marginalized and falls into the waste bin of American history. Yet, the brothel was an important institution in the settlement of the American West. The fact that all males making the trek to the Pacific did not end up establishing same-sex marriage laws in California a hundred years ago is chiefly due to the presence of brothels and their hard working women. Our organization saves historic brothels and restores them to their estimated former glories. Our ultimate goal is to make them working brothels, complete with gaudy mirrors and women dressed in historical lingerie.

3. Museum of Performance Art Location Parts.

Performance art is fleeting, unless of course, it is filmed, but the film itself is actually an entirely different artistic experience and can't be actually referred to as "performance", only "film of performance in some particular time and place". Since human action cannot be preserved, our museum preserves, instead, the locations of the performance art pieces, or, more correctly, pieces of the locations of the performance art pieces. Our exhibits include plaster from the wall of the Reuben Gallery, New York, where Allan Kaprow's 'Admission Piece: 18 Happenings in 6 Parts' occurred in 1959; a piece gravel from the street at Black Mountain College on which an early George Maciunas piece was performed; and a wood splinter from Yoko Ono's Chambers Street apartment in Manhattan where Ono staged her earliest conceptual work, "Painting to Be Stepped On". These pieces of pieces form a conceptual whole, which becomes its own, somewhat recursive piece. I am the curator of preserved blades of grass.

4. Election Summer Camp for Children.

This program, occurring every summer in the foothills of Virginia, helps grade school children to prepare for a life in politics. They learn the importance of political image and learn how to develop their own images that will sell. They learn how to use language to mitigate facts, and advanced students take couses like "Creative Adverbial Usages" and "The Meme: Your Ticket to World Domination." They learn how to placate their party's base without losing the center, and how to cover up scandals, which, in this age group usually include kissing and peeing one's pants. The final project is a week-long election, in which 10 of the best students compete in primary race, in which only two of them per party are taken seriously. The winners in each party then choose a running mate from the group of their former rivals, based on whatever seems expedient. The project ends with a computer simulated national election in which Florida changes its vote count several times. My role in this summer camp is to play the part of the corporation organizing the "grass roots campaigns".

[mike_c]

43. LOL-- this is rec worthy all by itself!

:rofl:

We have a staff member or faculty member-- I don't know which-- who sends around occasional memos from "Charles B. Franklin"-- fictitious, I gather, that are all about "efficiency" issues in the workplace. They're hilarious, and absolutely deadpan, like your response in this thread!

[Nikki Stone1]

46. Those memos sound hilarious.

It helps take the edge off when work gets so weird you feel like you've gone through the wormhole.

[Ikonoklast]

47. I donate to The Pro-Vivesection League.

We've been misunderstood for many a year.


Care to join? We're always looking for new members...









If you live past the Initiation Rituals first, that is, then you can become a member.

[Nikki Stone1]

51. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:rofl:

[Cleita]

49. As to your #2 point.

http://wallace-id.com/business.html

Scroll down the list of attractions to the Oasis Bordello Museum. It seems it's been done! :rofl:

[Nikki Stone1]

52. That's a great find!

:rofl:

OMG!

[jmowreader]

62. I think they preserved the wrong one

One of the five houses in Wallace was the U&I Rooms--also known, thanks to frequent forays by University of Idaho football players from Moscow to Wallace, as "University of Idaho, North Campus."

[Nikki Stone1]

70. Jeez!

:rofl:

[jmowreader]

72. Being a kid in Idaho in the 1970s was...well, different

I went to Basic Training at Fort Dix with a lot of people who lived in large cities like NYC and Philly. They just couldn't wrap their heads around the reality of North Idaho...the student body of my whole three-year high school was under 300 the year I graduated. (Remove story about classmate drowning in the city sewage lagoon.)

Anyway, there aren't very many high schools in North Idaho, so any Away game you play involves a bus trip of one to three hours. Wallace was our cross-town rival, and they were 60 miles away. When we went to games there, they always sent two buses--one with the team on it, one full of parents who made damn good and sure all the students, and ONLY the students, got on the team bus. Everyone in North Idaho knew about the five houses. Polite people...well, they didn't talk about the houses much. But the kids all knew and talked about them.

There was this running joke in North Idaho that the houses were responsible for making Wallace football players tough. Actually, it was the Sunshine Mine that made Wallace football players tough: there was no rule against recruiting high school football players in the 1970s. The Sunshine Mine therefore employed a football recruiter. If someone looked really promising they would hire the player's father to work in the mine. (The Sunshine Mine paid extremely well.)

[GreenPartyVoter]

50. That is freakin hysterical!

[varelse]

57. That memo is a master work

:rofl:

[AllentownJake]

58. Make number 4 an OP

:rofl:

[lonestarnot]

74. Agree!

[Nikki Stone1]

78. OK. I'll give it a shot.

...

[AwakeAtLast]

71. The Naugas will thank you!

:rofl:

[lonestarnot]

73. Rich.

:D

[Matariki]

42. I once worked at a place that gave some paid hours for community volunteer work

Their intentions seemed honorable.

Hard to tell with the memo in the OP, but they could have honorable intentions as well.

Actually it reads like they are trying to get some good & free PR on the merits of their employees off hour activities though.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

63. Non-profits have to do this now

I work for one and we all get up to 4 hours a years paid time to volunteer. Employer has to report this data on annual info return to IRS(Form 990)

[jberryhill]

53. Make Up Stuff Like Volunteer Obama Death Panel Member... heh. /nt

[Earth_First]

54. Sounds like a round-up to me!

IT'S A TRAP!

[RagAss]

59. Tell them you joined the Taliban !

[jmowreader]

61. Just send him this--typed, of course

Dear Mr. Smith,

I am most pleased that you are taking an interest in our volunteer activities. With that in mind, I must report that I volunteer as the legislative director for the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, membership committee chairman for the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, and fundraising chair for the John Dillinger Died For You Society.

As you do not intend to publish names on your list, I do not intend to provide mine.

Sincerely,
A Loyal Employee

[mdmc]

65. Why wouldn't a company want credit for the good acts of their employees

?

[snooper2]

66. the MAN's out to get you!

wants to know the evil charitable going's on you been messin' round with...












:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[gleaner]

68. I would think it meant they were out to get me ...

I worked for a singularly unpleasant federal agency which did track its employees' activities so they could toast you with them later.

I was a union steward there and one of my steward ly duties was to warn new employees not to use the credit union because the agency monitored the accounts to see where your money came from and where it went.

So, if I had seen that sucker I would have:hide: or run screaming for the hills. I liked the alternative memo upstream, though. It is the tragic plight of the naugas which speaks to me.:rofl:

[ohheckyeah]

69. If XYZ wants to give back to the community,

maybe the company should do something as a company, like donate money to food banks instead of trying to take the credit for what the individual employees do.

[tomm2thumbs]

76. My read? It is a bit self-serving on their part on how it is phrased

At least they are out front enough to make it clear they are doing to make the company appear to be giving back when in fact it is the individuals themselves who are giving back.

[PeaceNikki]

79. I guess I am far less cynical than many here.

I think it's awesome that an employer displays pride in the civic responsibility of the people they employ. I think it's commendable that they recognize the wonderful work that their people do, on and/or off "the clock". I think it's a GOOD thing that they support and encourage their employees to be proud of what they do.

There's no bullying in that memo that forces the employee to share their good deeds. Either participate in their recognition or don't.