I used to work at a very large, well-known factory. Every year, they would throw a little Christmas party in the big lunchroom for everyone, with free lunch for the day complete with a fake Santa handing out Christmas gifts.
One year, we got Yeti mugs that had our company’s logo on the side. They were actually pretty nice! Navy blue with the outline of our state and a little heart on the location of our job as well as the company’s name and motto.
Next paycheck, we all noticed a deduction of $30 with the word “gift” next to it. Now I guess this wasn’t the first year they’ve done this, but it’s the first a few of us noticed.
A coworker of mine went to HR asking to return the gift because they couldn’t afford the extra $30 for a mug they didn’t want. HR told them it’s standard for Christmas gifts and there was no way around it. We paid $30 for a “gift.”
Anyway, I quit that job due to my boss harrassing/assaulting me, but that’s a story for another time.