Colleague’s Birthday

[Anonymous]

What’s a birthday gift for a colleague that’s says, I’m obligated by social norms to recognize your birthday, but I don’t care for you nor your back stabbing, sabotaging behavior? Needs to be more than just a birthday card…

[Anonymous]

Can you explain why it needs to be more? I'd do candy or flowers or coffee.

[Anonymous]

Why do you need to do ANYTHING for a colleague?

[Anonymous]

I have never once bought a birthday gift for a colleague. IMO that's over the top and ridiculous unless you are also close friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never once bought a birthday gift for a colleague. IMO that's over the top and ridiculous unless you are also close friends.

+1.

[Anonymous]

A bejeweled dagger

[Anonymous]

How about just an email...or a Hey Enjoy your day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never once bought a birthday gift for a colleague. IMO that's over the top and ridiculous unless you are also close friends.

+1. [/quote

Cheap! Not a single co-worker? Yikes. Op, why do you feel obligated to get a gift for someone you don't like?

[Anonymous]

A food, dessert or candy you know they don't like

[Anonymous]

A $10 giftcard to Starbucks. It says "Here's a token gift that I spent no time thinking about and spent the bare minimum on."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never once bought a birthday gift for a colleague. IMO that's over the top and ridiculous unless you are also close friends.

+1. [/quote

Cheap! Not a single co-worker? Yikes. Op, why do you feel obligated to get a gift for someone you don't like?

I’m not cheap, it’s just it’s not something that’s done, in my experience. Where do you work where it’s normal to do this? I’m in the private sector and have worked at a number of different companies. No, I’ve never bought a birthday gift for a coworker and no one has done it for me either. I don’t even know when my coworkers birthdays even are.

[Anonymous]

Why? I've never given a birthday gift to a colleague. My team does recognize birthdays. Pre-covid, by the dept head bringing in a cake for everyone to share. Now we're mostly remote so it's just a "happy birthday" message in the team slack.

[Anonymous]

Slack them "Happy birthday!"

Done.

[Anonymous]

Gift card. It's an obligatory gift that quietly suggests not much thought went into it. $10 max; no envelope. Bonus points if you get it from a place that she's not fond of.

[Anonymous]

Do not give a gift. It’s not the norm.