Employees need to belanja Boss for CNY dinner (收工酒), yes or nay?

Question

There's this "culture" that's going on in my company where I find it really ridiculous, we've been doing it for 2 years straight and i've had enough.

As CNY is just around the corner, many companies/bosses will start to belanja employees to appreciate their hard work, right? However, in my company it's the other way round. Instead of Bosses appreciating the employees, we are FORCED to belanja our bosses to eat because we got our year end bonus. We go to atas chinese restaurant (酒楼), even malay employees are forced to be there even if they can't eat anything.

"Dont go can dy la?" You may ask. Cannot, cause you'll still need to pay even if you're not there... What's even more ridiculous is if we are not there, we will have to pay "double" the amount.

For those who get bigger bonus will need to pay even more, the amount range from RM100 - 300... and most of us usually pay RM 200 and above...

Just curious if this happens often in other companies, or is it just my company?

Accepted Answer

As an HR expert, I understand your frustration with the practice of employees belanja-ing their bosses for the CNY dinner. It is indeed an unusual approach and not a common practice in many companies. Typically, during festive seasons like CNY, it is the employers or bosses who show appreciation and gratitude towards their employees for their hard work throughout the year. This is usually done by organizing a company-sponsored dinner or event to celebrate together and express appreciation. In some cases, employers may also provide bonuses or gifts to the employees as a token of appreciation. However, it is important to note that different companies may have different cultural practices and traditions. If this practice in your company is causing discomfort and burden to the employees, it would be advisable to raise this concern and discuss it with the HR department or management. They may evaluate the situation and consider alternative ways to appreciate and celebrate the festive season without putting undue financial pressure on the employees. Open communication and feedback can often lead to positive changes in company practices.