Totally OK to opt out if you don't like a charity. Nobody's business but yours and they can think what they want. You can just say 'I prefer to donate ___ amount to ____ charity instead'

I hate companies that make you do things that have nothing to do with your job title...seriously it needs to stop

are just employee paid marketing.

It's time for workplaces to stop trying to get employees to buy gifts for one another or donate to a certain charity. People need to be able to buy gifts for friends or family of their own choosing even if that means none at all. Not everyone celebrates Christmas and if they do just let them do it their own way. There needs to be some more separation of personal and professional life. This is overstepping bounds.

I like an opt-in Secret Santa that people can do if they choose, but expecting everyone to donate to a pre-selected charity seems unreasonable. Can you just not do it without discussing it with anyone? Also, I'm curious about what the charity is and why you don't want to support them.

Yes!!!!!!!!!!

We have a tradition at our office where the staff buy goofy gifts for the partners - tacky Christmas ties, funky socks, or sometimes we do Christmas baking. A couple of years ago, we decided to collect the usual $10 we get from each staff member and combined it all to donate to a local charity (local to our office). The partners loved it - they thought it was such a great idea to give back. We're doing it again this year and have chosen another local-to-our-office charity. One staff member is now refusing to participate because it isn't a charity that benefits her neighbourhood out in the valley. What she's forgetting is that it's not about her and the donation is not on her behalf - it's on behalf of the partners. Just a thought.