No company match for PP donations :(

[froggy76]

We are going through our annual giving campaign and my employer will no longer match my Planned Parenthood donations. I guess I understand that they want to avoid controversy, but I'm still annoyed. They also pulled the Boy Scouts off the list last year when they refused to allow gay scoutmasters.

Anyone else running into this problem? Guess I just need to double up my contributions.

[WOT?*]

Um, I don't think I like your employer right now, at least not on this subject. That's not a controversy issue. That's a BS excuse. They're picking their controversies, as in "the ones the loud religious right Hobby Lobby, Chick-Fil-A fans won't agree with." Are they refusing to match donations to the local pregnancy crisis centers as well? Or is it because the loud extremist will protest, whereas the more progressive, liberal supports of PP are safely tucked away just doing their thing and supporting their charities without threatening to bomb those they don't agree with.

[froggy76]

My employer is really progressive, so it's definitely disappointing. I'll try to contact someone to find out why.

[IIOY]

Sept 25, 2015 7:57:22 GMT -5 @astrid said:

If my employer's philosophy was conservative, and I worked in the private sector, I would consider working elsewhere.

I'm 100% in favor of PP and wish everyone could support it, but leaving an employer over something like this seems extreme. Companies have a thousand reasons for wanting to avoid controversy that don't necessarily have anything to do with a political philosophy.  I honestly can't imagine walking away from a job for this and no other reason, particularly when good jobs are tough to come by.

[iammalcolmx]

OP please don't quit your job just because of this.

[tacosforlife]

Sept 25, 2015 8:05:54 GMT -5 IIOY said:

Sept 25, 2015 7:57:22 GMT -5 @astrid said:

If my employer's philosophy was conservative, and I worked in the private sector, I would consider working elsewhere.

I'm 100% in favor of PP and wish everyone could support it, but leaving an employer over something like this seems extreme. Companies have a thousand reasons for wanting to avoid controversy that don't necessarily have anything to do with a political philosophy.  I honestly can't imagine walking away from a job for this and no other reason, particularly when good jobs are tough to come by.

Also, nothing OP said indicates the employer is conservative. The employer also stopped matching gifts to BSA because of its anti-gay positions. Sounds to me like OP's employer is trying to avoid controversy from all angles.

Also, LOL to the "Just find another job!"

[msmerymac]

Sure I'd consider another job.

And then likely not do anything about it.

I would, however, track down the reasoning and figure out how consistent they are about this. It seems like matching gifts to any qualified non-profit would actually be less controversial than picking and choosing. They could just point to their consistent policy if anyone complained.

How many employees are there? Is it actually likely people would complain that the company could match PP donations?

(Also, as an aside, I thought social conservatives were arguing that the government shouldn't fund abortions - which we all know is not true anyway. Isn't private charitable donation a conservative philosophy?)

[froggy76]

Sept 25, 2015 7:57:22 GMT -5 @astrid said:

If my employer's philosophy was conservative, and I worked in the private sector, I would consider working elsewhere.

Well, I don't know that I would, but that's not even the situation here. As I mentioned, they also discontinued the match for Boy Scouts when they wouldn't allow gay scoutmasters. And lit up all the corporate offices in rainbow colors for marriage equality. So, I don't think it has much to do with a conservative philosophy.

[StrawberryBlondie]

I'm pretty sure my company doesn't match donations to any of that's even remotely controversial or political. Doesn't bother me and its definitely something I'd consider a new job over.

[froggy76]

Well, all this anger was for nothing anyway. I went through the system again and it no longer said "ineligible" when I tried to get the match for PP. Now it's showing up that I can get it. Either the system was buggy (likely) or they actually changed it.

Phew- Now I don't have to quit my job!

[gpw]

Sept 25, 2015 7:57:22 GMT -5 @astrid said:

If my employer's philosophy was conservative, and I worked in the private sector, I would consider working elsewhere.

Right.  Because jobs are just waiting around every corner to be snapped up.  Seriously, this is privilege at its finest. 

Barf.

[atlas]

Glad you get to keep your job! That was close

[debatethis]

Sept 25, 2015 9:09:11 GMT -5 gpw said:

Sept 25, 2015 7:57:22 GMT -5 @astrid said:

If my employer's philosophy was conservative, and I worked in the private sector, I would consider working elsewhere.

Right.  Because jobs are just waiting around every corner to be snapped up.  Seriously, this is privilege at its finest. 

Barf.

Exactly. I am about as far left as you can get and I work for big pharma. There are many days when I feel like I need to take a shower and write to my congressmen about funding single payer healthcare, but the fact remains that I need the income and the health benefits because I sure as shit am not going to be compensated as well as I am in any other sector beyond finance, tech or pharma. It's a sad state of affairs, but it is what it is.

[granthamite]

Sept 25, 2015 8:58:49 GMT -5 froggy76 said:

Sept 25, 2015 7:57:22 GMT -5 @astrid said:

If my employer's philosophy was conservative, and I worked in the private sector, I would consider working elsewhere.

Well, I don't know that I would, but that's not even the situation here. As I mentioned, they also discontinued the match for Boy Scouts when they wouldn't allow gay scoutmasters. And lit up all the corporate offices in rainbow colors for marriage equality. So, I don't think it has much to do with a conservative philosophy.

somewhat related to the OP - since the BSA lifted the ban this summer, does your company still refuse matching gifts to them?

[froggy76]

Sept 25, 2015 13:47:27 GMT -5 granthamite said:

Sept 25, 2015 8:58:49 GMT -5 froggy76 said:

Well, I don't know that I would, but that's not even the situation here. As I mentioned, they also discontinued the match for Boy Scouts when they wouldn't allow gay scoutmasters. And lit up all the corporate offices in rainbow colors for marriage equality. So, I don't think it has much to do with a conservative philosophy.

somewhat related to the OP - since the BSA lifted the ban this summer, does your company still refuse matching gifts to them?

The ban was lifted on 7/27/15 and they will match gifts made after that date, but not before.

[Awkward]

I'm glad you figured out the match! If it makes you feel better, seeing this post prompted me to pulling the trigger on setting up automatic charitable donations through my employer. My employer DOES match to my local PP organization at 100%, which means an extra $300 a year for a group I know will appreciate it.

[zelda25]

Sept 25, 2015 8:10:03 GMT -5 @astrid said:

Sept 25, 2015 8:05:55 GMT -5 TR said:

I didn't say she should leave while yelling obscenities and then drive her car into the building.  I said I would consider another job.

LOL for days! I don't know where you are, but in my city, decent jobs are pretty fucking hard to come by if you're not in one of a small handful of industries.