Forum: workplace.stackexchange.com
Tags: <united-states><ethics><payroll>
Title: Company is taking money out of our paycheck to buy the CEO's book
Question: My corporation just sent out an email that they will be deducting pay from everyone's paycheck for each of us to purchase a copy of our CEO's book, since his sales have been down lately. It's only $11, but it's really bothering me since it's $11 * 250 employees, or $2750 being stolen from the staff, and none of us consented to this. How would you recommend pushing back against this?

Answers:
sents: text: There are multiple ways you can handle this.
text: Direct confrontation.
text: Reply to that email, copying HR, saying that you do not consent to this.
text: Indirect confrontation.
text: If you have a manager/superior you trust, ask them to intercede.
text: This is something that a good leader would fight on your behalf.
text: Anonymous confrontation.
text: Anonymously email HR saying that this is not ok and they need to not do this or it will be reported to legal authorities as it is theft.
text: Skip trying to handle it internally and just report it to legal authorities Don't do anything and be taken advantage of.
text: Not one I would normally pick, but sometimes you're not in a position to risk losing employment or causing problems at work
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/1893/Kevin
score: 75
sents: text: I would print the email (being sure that my name doesn't appear) and mail the printout to the state's Attorney General office anonymously with a printed note that this is illegal.
text: On the letter I would note CC of the appropriate labor board and the company's HR department.
text: I would mail the CC copies anonymously too.
text: Then I would drop the matter.
text: (I assume that you don't have a Union...)
text: If the manure does hit the rotary oscillator, you want to be as far away as possible.
text: HR is not your friend.
text: Your coworkers may pat you on the back for creating a stink about the matter and getting their $11 back, but upper level management doesn't like this sort of attention.
text: If it was discovered that you started the brouhaha then you would have cut your throat.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/43165/MaxW
score: 52
sents: text: I would reply with: "
text: No thank you".
text: Simple, polite, and if they do garnish your wages
text: then you have a clear case of theft/fraud.
text: If it is a dumb joke from pay roll, then you called their bluff.
text: If you get serious back lash, you can say you were going planning to buy it yourself already (a lie, to give you time to find a job with a less toxic ceo)
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/21018/DarcyThomas
score: 15
sents: text: Considering the amount of money its costing I would personally go with a soft protest and have some fun with it to raise employee spirits and create some camaraderie about it.
text: One idea already suggested is to read the book in work time.
text: Other things could be: Get as many employees as possible to to give it a 1 star review on Amazon (Anonymously).
text: You could even explain in your review what the author/
text: his company has done Use it around the office for menial/trivial things e.g. using it as a notepad to take work notes, tearing out pages to wipe a spill etc Send out a bulk email asking all employees if they want to buy a copy of your book (or a variation of that e.g. buy something of yours from etsy/buy cookies from your child etc), since the company has set a precedent for it now.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/34136/rdab
score: 4
sents: text: There is a response that everybody forgets, which is "talk to your colleagues".
text: If enough of you refuse to buy the book and threaten court action then seriously, what is the company going to do?
text: Fire everyone?
text: Forcing employees to by a book is essentially withholding wages, which is illegal in pretty much every jurisdiction.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/886/DJClayworth
score: 3
sents: text: Since it is so important to the company that you buy this book, you are likely expected to read it at work time.
text: I think the CEO would be really pleased that all 250 employees read his book carefully.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/16101/gnasher729
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
You should talk to your colleagues and discuss options or ask a manager to intercede. You anonymously email HR or even the Attorney General as this is illegal.
There are number of ways you could deal with this. You could start by discussing the matter with your other colleagues or boss to try and resolve the issue peacefully. Failing this, you could then contact HR, informing them that you do not consent to this. Then finally, you may want to report the matter to the relevant legal authorities.