Coerced donations

[spinbaby]

More and more often I'm having people tell me that their employers asked them to donate to a charity or a political candidate with the clear message that their head is on the chopping block if they don't. Is this legal? It makes me ill to think of people basically having to pay to keep their jobs.

[Brickbat]

1. Part of Citizens United means that corporations could mobilize employees to work on behalf of PACs

and candidates. They're also allowed to give "gifts" to employees who meet goals, if they want. In the inherently coercive U.S. work environment, you can see it's ripe for abuse.

[SheilaT]

2. In the past I worked at companies

that coerced employees to donate to the United Way. When I was very young I went along with it, but eventually said no, because I'd rather give my money directly to the charities I personally prefer. More than once I was told I was the ONLY person in the office who wasn't contributing, and that apparently made my boss look bad.

It is wrong to coerce employees to donate to any cause whatsoever.

[Brickbat]

3. Yep, employers lose their shit over United Way giving.

[4139]

4. United Way is evil... One in employer in my past put intense pressure on me to donate annually ...

Some sort of recognition if all/most employees do it

The first week on the job my employer was squeezing me for both biweekly pay withhold for PAC donation and for United Way. I had been unemployed for the prior year.... I was pissed.

I settled on the PAC

[spinbaby]

5. And then...

The CEO who pressured employees into donating gets to go to some dinner and get praised for the effort.

I don't want to go into details because I don't want anyone to lose their jobs, but I've recently met someone who was told that he had to not only donate to Ted Cruz but also attend the fundraising dinner.