Office farewells

Something a little lighter this week - office gift giving. DT writes: "This issue has caused me distress in the past and continues to surface regularly. How much money should I give to a temp's farewell collection? How long does a temp need to be with a company before they are entitled to the obligatory card? And what should I write on it?

I feel a deep resentment towards these temps as they are normally travelling around Australia leading lives that are more interesting than mine while sporting deep brown tans." Sounds like DT might have his tongue firmly planted in his cheek (yes, I know DT is male because he provided his full name).

However, he raises a very good point. Nowadays, it's not unusual for workplaces to include a good mix of contractors and temps as well as permanent staff. There is also a fairly good churn rate in many organisations. This can mean all too regular requests to cough up when that oversized envelope hits your desk as it makes the rounds of the office.

My personal view is that there should be no stigma attached to not contributing to an office farewell present or card. If you don't know the person either sign "best wishes" and your name or skip it altogether. It should be up to you. I would also like to take this opportunity to make a plea for a better range of office farewell cards - most look like they were created in the 1970s.

I reckon a card and an optional team lunch should cover things. The present thing is out of control.