Office collections for birthdays, weddings and leaving dos are a common workplace tradition, but they often stir up awkward questions about fairness, obligation and unspoken team dynamics. Workers who spoke to the BBC, all anonymously given the sensitivity of the topic, described varying approaches: many only contribute if they have worked directly with the colleague, while others admit personal feelings towards someone influence whether they give at all. The issue can be particularly tricky for junior staff facing peer pressure to contribute, and for senior managers who may face near-constant requests from large teams.

According to analysis by GiftRound of more than 5,000 contributions, the average amount given in the first three months of the year was £11.65. Workers described giving anywhere from a handful of loose change up to £20 for close colleagues, while one former senior civil servant managing over 200 people said he ended up spending hundreds of pounds on people he barely knew before adopting a policy of only giving cash to those he'd had direct contact with. The shift towards online collections, which often display contribution amounts alongside names, has made it harder to quietly opt out or give smaller amounts discreetly.