I relented last week and gave up money because one of the plants they're/we're buying is for a former boss of mine whom I still see as a mentor or sorts. She's casually homophobic and super-churchy (sends a lot of those watercolor "Good Morning! The Struggle™ is real! Jesus Loves You!" meme emails each morning, 'cause fuck them rules), but otherwise she's the best of the worst, and, politically, a good one to have on my side when needed.
I thought our workplace had finally crawled out of the stone age with the newfound lack of potlucks (due to the lockdowns), but my boss's tip has been moist ever since the mandates were rolled back some time ago. Everybody's playing catch-up now, so they're booking potlucks for any and every possible reason. I can already smell the mushy green beans and the Red 40 from the hot dogs.
Same here. Always hated management lunches -- especially the ones that aren't mandatory, but kinda mandatory anyway. Boss always wanted to complain about myself and the only other person under 40 passing the time with our smartphones at the table, obviously disinterested in the "adults" making depressingly vicarious critiques of the lives of the athletic and locally famous, whining about millenials/zillenials, Facebook "news" items, the price of a foot massage in Pan Tang, and bragging about how much money so-and-so spent on food or drink last weekend to feel a spark of something in their personal life.
It's the season for those holiday lunches to start back up again, but the last few times I've managed to get away with going home, or the gym across the street, to do some overhead presses. Hoping to continue to do the same this year if necessary. Nothing worse than spending money on food or company you can't even enjoy.
Some fucking goober: "We're going to Parrain's again. You should come. We are a team, y'know."
Me: "Parrain's? Again?? With the fucking golliwog dolls on the walls? Nah, I'll pass. I'd prefer to lift, if that's not going to hurt anybody."
Goober: Golliwog? Lif? Where's that?!?"
Me: "..."
Yep. Anything but the wages is but a tease.