Yesterday, I wrote about a scenario involving coffee in the workplace. Let me give you another story involving coffee and see if you agree with the boss’s opinion.
*This is a different workplace from the story yesterday.
The boss was spending his own money to buy coffee for the break room. He was buying coffee, coffee filters, sweetener and powdered creamer.
After spending his own money for months, he realized two things. 1. He was spending A LOT. And 2. The coffee was going FAST.
He declared to everyone in the building that they ALL needed to fork over some cash every month for coffee expenses.
“I don’t think so.” Was the response he received from a lot of people because they weren’t actually drinking the coffee. Why should they have to contribute to the coffee habits of their fellow employees.
The boss finally settled on leaving a can next to the coffeemaker. Anyone who made themselves a cup of coffee was expected to make a donation.
My question is this: should the people who didn’t drink coffee have been forced to pay? Were they not being team players because they refused? Thoughts?
I think the two situations are different. This involves a commodity you choose not to partake in. If you aren’t consuming it, you shouldn’t pay for it. Washing the dishes does cost you time, but it’s often work time, and doesn’t occur too frequently. If everyone helps do a chore, it can build unity. It’s not a financial cost.
No they shouldn’t be forced to pay for it.
And asking for donations is tacky and inevitably the response to donating will be unequal, there will always be people who will consistently pay and people who won’t who both consume the coffee.
The boss took it upon himself to provide the coffee, if it became an expense he didn’t want to pay for anymore he should just stop and explain why. People will likely think he is being cheap, but that is a can of worms he opened by providing then deciding having coffee for his employees was more money than he was willing to spend.