Charitable Coercion

The workplace where I am currently contracting plans to take part in the Wrong Trousers Day on Friday 29^th June this year. There’s nothing wrong with that you might conclude and mostly, I would go along with you. However, I do have this underlying disquiet about any form of charity event in the workplace. People feel obliged to give as they are subject to peer pressure. That they might give to charities of their own choosing outside the workplace is something not seen and so does not count – sponsoring a colleague’s cycle ride for Africa or some other worthy cause is expected even if they would rather poke out both eyes with a burnt stick than give money that will end up in some kleptocratic dictator’s Swiss bank account.

People might have moral, religious or even non-religious objections to the chosen charity. Actually, you wouldn’t have to explain your reasons to me anyway – that you don’t wish to support a particular charity is fine by me; it’s your business, not mine. And, frankly, charity being a personal thing, it should be nothing to do with the employer either. If the business wishes to donate some of its profit to a chosen charity, then fine. Again, I have no problem with this. I do, however, have a moral objection to giving to certain charities and will resist any attempts to make me give.

Despite the jolly posters announcing the event, there is a dark side to Friday’s fun and games. Employees are being asked to donate £1 for the pleasure of coming into work in the “wrong” trousers. Okay, fine, if people want to, I wouldn’t stop them. I won’t take part myself, partly because I find the whole thing a bit silly and because the employer’s chosen charity is not one I would choose to support. Ah, but, it ain’t that easy. In order to “encourage” everyone to take part, people who wear the “wrong” wrong trousers (i.e. wear normal clothing) will be hit for £2.

If this wasn’t a charity, people would be using words like “blackmail” and “extortion” to describe this behaviour – but “it’s for charidee, mate” seems to excuse any unethical behaviour these days. I don’t like unethical behaviour and I don’t like people demanding that I give them money. When Bob Geldof demanded that we “…give us the fucking money…” he made damn sure that I would never give him any of mine and I never have.

So, on Friday, I’ll be the tight git refusing to pay up and no one will understand my objection even if I take the time to try and explain…

Note: The Wrong Trousers Foundation has nothing to do with the coercion that is going on in the workplace. They simply ask that people take part and pay to do so.