January 5, 2026 at 1:55 am

Employee Saw HR Asking For PTO Donations To Keep The Company Afloat, But The Manipulative Corporate Spin Became Impossible To Ignore

by Benjamin Cottrell

employee looking angry at her desk

Pexels/Reddit

Some companies love to mask bad decisions behind feel-good language.

One employee was appalled to find their company begging their employees to give away their PTO as part of the “season of giving.”

But this worked clocked their manipulation almost immediately.

You’ll want to keep reading for this one.

Company asks employees to donate PTO “during this season of giving”

My partner got a company-wide email from HR the other day asking employees to DONATE their PTO.

Apparently they have a PTO bank that employees can tap into when they have medical emergencies.

But there was a very obvious problem with this.

Great. Love it.

Except they want their employees to pay the wages of other employees.

And they use manipulative tactics to do it — framing it around a “season of giving.”

Saying “we need your generosity” and “your donations allow employees to continue receiving income.”

Simultaneously cringe and existentially tragic.

It seems like some companies just get bolder and bolder by the day.

This British redditor can’t help but be appalled by this company’s behavior.

Screenshot 2025 11 30 at 3.30.44 PM Employee Saw HR Asking For PTO Donations To Keep The Company Afloat, But The Manipulative Corporate Spin Became Impossible To Ignore

The employees of this company deserve way better than this.

Screenshot 2025 11 30 at 3.31.20 PM Employee Saw HR Asking For PTO Donations To Keep The Company Afloat, But The Manipulative Corporate Spin Became Impossible To Ignore

Behavior like this all boils down to unfettered greed.

Screenshot 2025 11 30 at 3.31.55 PM Employee Saw HR Asking For PTO Donations To Keep The Company Afloat, But The Manipulative Corporate Spin Became Impossible To Ignore

If the employer wants to give out more PTO, then they should give out more PTO.

Screenshot 2025 11 30 at 3.32.21 PM Employee Saw HR Asking For PTO Donations To Keep The Company Afloat, But The Manipulative Corporate Spin Became Impossible To Ignore

“Give us your earned wages to pay someone else” isn’t compassion — it’s cost-cutting with a smiley face sticker.

If this company wants seasonal cheer, maybe they should start by respecting employees’ time instead of trying to rob them of it.

Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were traveling for business.

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.