While it’s not required, present exchanges are popular around the year-end. Whether it’s for a specific holiday–Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, or New Year’s–or just to celebrate another year in the books, bosses everywhere are looking for presents.
Employees are looking for presents for bosses too–but let’s remember the advice from Miss Manners: Presents only go one direction–down. (One-holiday exception: a secret Santa or Pollyanna game where you can opt-in or out!) So, managers, don’t expect any presents and if you’ve received them in the past, you can let it be known that you love your staff, but they should not buy you anything.
Now that we’ve got the etiquette out of the way, I went and asked real people about presents that they loved. Remember, your employees may or may not love these things. For instance, before you buy alcohol, make sure your employees drink. And don’t forget about dietary requirements before you buy that holiday basket filled with shrimp, pork, and peanut butter.
To read the list (thanks for your suggestions!) click here:
37 Holiday Presents that Employees Loved Getting from Their Bosses
(Newsletter subscribers, sorry for the double post! I put the wrong link in the first time.)
Hey, mine made the list: 85 employees allowed to order whatever we wanted — up to $30 each — from Amazon! I should have noted that the Manager had to pay for that out of her own pocket, $2,550. We were all modestly-paid Federal employees, so that was a significant percentage of her pay and much appreciated. She retired the following year and died shortly thereafter, from Mesothelioma, God rest her soul! I worked in that same office for 12 more years, and that was the only time we got a significant gift from management. By the way, Numbers 15 and 16 are duplicates.
Great list! I prefer the generic over the personal, though, especially if the gift must be bought with the boss’s personal money. When the boss steps into the role of your sister instead of your manager, that’s socially awkward in my opinion. I’d rather the company offer a grocery or Amazon certificate to all workers, or give time off, and keep it impersonally and comfortably business-like.
Gifts are nice I guess, but I’d prefer a raise over a gift any day!
I would be extremely upset about the Weight Watchers coupon. That one is a minefield of bad feelings and I wouldn’t recommend it in a workplace with overweight employees.
She was very specific about this one–she talked about WW all the time and loved the present. This type of thing should only be given in those circumstances! Random WW gifts should never be given!