I work with seniors and when one of our seniors passed away and one of the family members to this particular person gave a car to our administrator. The giver is also a senior who is depressed and suicidal but not confused or having any dementia. there's been a lot of discussion among the employees about whether this should be reported and if so who do we report it to? The person who received the gift has been inconsistent in their story at first stating that it was a loan and then stating it was a gift. Person has also bad mouthed the person who gave the gift before and after receiving it.
Strength in numbers, losing so many staff would be very difficult for the facility.
I used to work for an organization where accepting a gift of that value would be illegal. There was dollar limit of gifts we could accept. Even under that value, I didn't accept anything since the appearance of impropriety is just as bad as actual impropriety.
If you want to report it, I'm sure there is some anonymous mechanism in your organization. If not in that facility, then at the corporation that runs it. I would think especially in a health care environment, it would be a must.
I would feel very uncomfortable accepting a gift over $25.00 and if this is an administrator of a business that is for profit it sure can cast a bad light, almost like a bribe.
I volunteer for a Not for Profit Hospice and any gift over $25.00 is turned in to the administration and that is used for supplying services for underfunded individuals, some gifts are used as incentives during "silent auction" fund raisers or if a family has a particular request that normally would be difficult to fulfill.
If you have a corporate office I would make sure they were aware of the "gift"
I am sure if you check with HR there must be a policy that is in writing about this very thing. If so it would be reported to HR.
If nothing else the employee should be paying tax on the value of the "gift"
Seems to me that a gift of an automobile is totally inappropriate and questionable, at best. Illegal? I have no idea. But I do know my mother's ALF has policies regarding gift giving at the holidays and strict rules pertaining to how to go about it.
Good luck!
Who the donor is, what the donor's state of mind is, what the nature of the gift was and whether or not the recipient is duly grateful and deserving don't enter into it, which should make the situation beautifully simple. The facility must have a required code of conduct, the receipt of gifts will be covered, see what it says and act accordingly.
Mind you. Bear in mind that the recipient sounds like a bit of a story-teller, and that the whole tale could be a work of fiction or at least heavily embroidered. Have you actually seen the car? Are you sure she didn't buy it from the family member, for example?
Anyway. Bring the discussion to the attention of the administrator's line manager before the rumours stir up more trouble and ill-feeling.
I am not saying don't do it, just be aware there maybe consequences. Employers are usually required to have an Employee handbook. It should be in that handbook what ur allowed to receive monetarily as a "gift". It doesn't matter if its loan or a gift, I will bet its not allowed. Thats why the Administrators story keeps changing, its not allowed.