Corporate Politics

You know how there some things that companies do that really annoy you? Well, the way companies force the United Way down their employees throats is one of those things that really annoys me. Especially when they go out of their way to make a big deal about it. If they'd just announce the campaign and report on it's success at the end, then that'd be fine, but to have activity after activity and email after email to the point of annoyance is a bit to far. What's really too far is sending out a list of all company employees who contributed more than $1000.

Yes, you read that correctly. I just got a list of every employee who gave more than $1000 to United Way. Not only does it list these employees, but it breaks them down by contribution levels. $1000-2499, $2500-4999, $5000-9999, and $10000 and above. So, now I know that every director, executive vp, and c-level executive donates heavily to United Way, or at least it seems that way by looking at this list. It makes me wonder if this is a requirement for that position because I now know someone is tracking this info, and that whole thought really bothers me. What if you give to other charities? What if you've got a sick relative that you're caring for instead of donating to charities? Most importantly, why is this anyone's business but your own?

It seems to me that there have to be privacy violations with sending this list out. There may also be labor law violations by giving the impression that donations to company sponsored charities are requirements for advancement. The whole thing is just offensive to me.

Dear United Way, I choose not to donate to your charity because of how you work with companies on your charity campaigns and how the companies I've worked for who have these campaigns attempt to coerce their employees to donate to your charity. I think what you're doing is a good thing, but your tactics bother me so I choose to donate to other charities who behave more appropriately for the work they're trying to accomplish.