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A story about the disclosure of how much each employee contributed to a cash gift in a company group chat has sparked debate about the proper way to handle cash gifts among colleagues.

According to a recent post on the online community 'Insider,' a thread titled "Is It Normal for the Amount of Cash Gifts to Be Disclosed in the Company Group Chat?" was shared.

The author, referred to as A, wrote, "I want to share an awkward experience I had at work," and explained, "A team member recently got married, so we collected cash gifts as a group and delivered them together."

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The author continued, "Each person sent their amount, and the person in charge of accounting organized and delivered the total, but then the problem arose. Suddenly, a list showing 'who contributed how much' was posted in the group chat. Both names and amounts were fully disclosed."

A added, "At first, I thought I had misread, but everyone else just carried on as if nothing happened. To be honest, it felt uncomfortable to have the amounts compared so openly and to feel self-conscious about it."

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The author went on, "What’s even more awkward is that you can sense who gave more and who gave less, and it subtly affects the atmosphere. Is it normal at companies to share the exact amounts of cash gifts, or is this crossing the line?"

Reactions to the story were divided. Some commenters said, "Transparent accounting is the principle. Disclosing the amounts prevents misunderstandings and is simply efficient," "If it’s a group collection, that’s how it’s usually done. Since it’s not an individual contribution, the recipient should know who to repay," and "Maybe you’re upset because you gave less than others." On the other hand, others responded, "It’s basic etiquette not to disclose the amounts. Making them public is crossing the line," and "It’s not being overly sensitive at all. It’s simply rude."

Congratulatory money image. Photo by The Asia Business Daily database

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Meanwhile, according to the '2025 Money Report' released by Kakao Pay based on a year’s worth of remittance data, the average amount sent for wedding cash gift envelopes surpassed 100,000 won for the first time. This is double the amount compared to 50,000 won in 2019, just five years ago. In a survey conducted by Incruit last year with 844 employees, 61.8% of respondents said that 100,000 won is the appropriate amount for a wedding cash gift.

On online communities, it’s not uncommon to find comments such as, "50,000 won is inconsiderate if you think about the meal cost," and "If you’re not close, it’s more polite not to attend at all," reflecting the current trend of higher cash gift expectations.