Do I Have to Donate to My Co-Worker’s Divorce Fund?

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While I sympathize with her hardship, asking colleagues to contribute to legal expenses for a personal matter feels inappropriate.

By Kwame Anthony Appiah

Kwame Anthony Appiah has been the The New York Times Magazine’s Ethicist columnist since 2015 and teaches philosophy at N.Y.U.

I work in a large medical center. A manager in my department is going through a difficult divorce while caring for young children. She has been here more than 20 years and is well known to many, though I’ve been in the department only a little while and don’t know her well. Still, she has always been kind and willing to help when needed.