Are we allowed to thank people?

C reported on an odd event. A moment came where a group of volunteers were leaving and a spokesperson was asked say a word of thanks.

The response to this was:

"when I was first asked to do this, I wondered if we normally do this, do we thank people before they leave?"

Wow, talk about a Protestant work ethic. First, that it would be against tradition to thank volunteers. Secondly, that there wouldn't be a recognition of how much it says about your company if you have to think about whether its okay to thank people and then to not be aware that sharing this thought with the gathering of folks might be as bad as not thanking people at all. Sometimes its better to keep these thoughts to ourselves and be gracious. Was this verbalized in case someone complains that it was wrong to thank the volunteers?

Yup, sign me up. I want to volunteer where even being asked to thank volunteers becomes a well thought out decision.

I don't get it. Gee, I used to thank employees for their work a few times a year usually around Christmas and around Staff Appreciation Day. Sometimes for no reason at all or when they had really pulled together - and yet these were paid employees. I wonder if this is a cultural thing and if anyone else other than C and I think its weird.