What holiday gift should I get my two direct reports?

[Anonymous]

Cash is not appropriate

[Anonymous]

Cash. No one wants some crappy gift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like gift giving in the workplace. Can you give them a couple extra hours or a day off?

So much this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fed- I like my boss and my direct reports a lot, but haven't exchanged gifts ever. My first year I got a jar of peanuts.

Gifts should come from the workplace, not from managers in my opinion.

I’m a Fed and my manager always did a small thing of nice chocolate and a card. I’m aware chocolate isn’t appropriate for some people for various health related reasons. But it can be handed off to spouse, kids, a friend. Anyway, given all the ethics rules, it was a nice gesture.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Not a fed. Private industry. Also, this is coming from me, not the company.

[Anonymous]

My goodness. Can we stop the gift-giving to all and sundry?

Just don't create that expectation. Treat them well all year, and express your gratitude by praising their skills and promoting their professional careers.

[Anonymous]

I had a boss once ask us each (all remote) where our favorite cafes or places to grab lunch were and then mailed us each a gift card to that place, suggested we coordinate lunches, and we had a lunch time chat. It was nice to have lunch “together”.

[Anonymous]

Our office does a holiday party at an outside venue around lunchtime (11:30-2:30) with entertainment, raffles, etc. Food and bar.

I feel like that should be enough.

Some teams do an additional lunch or happy hour. I find that somewhat tricky since we have some remote team members, others who constantly mask and won’t eat/drink around others, etc.

I have a dozen direct reports, so I can only do a token sort of gift (noting a $30 gift quickly jumps to nearly $50 when you factor in tax and shipping). I tend to stick with food items (citrus from FL, cookies or chocolates from a small business, etc). Our office has a policy against using the corporate card to purchase anything remotely holiday related (meaning nothing Christmas related) and we can’t buy gift cards for staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our office does a holiday party at an outside venue around lunchtime (11:30-2:30) with entertainment, raffles, etc. Food and bar.

I feel like that should be enough.

Some teams do an additional lunch or happy hour. I find that somewhat tricky since we have some remote team members, others who constantly mask and won’t eat/drink around others, etc.

I have a dozen direct reports, so I can only do a token sort of gift (noting a $30 gift quickly jumps to nearly $50 when you factor in tax and shipping). I tend to stick with food items (citrus from FL, cookies or chocolates from a small business, etc). Our office has a policy against using the corporate card to purchase anything remotely holiday related (meaning nothing Christmas related) and we can’t buy gift cards for staff.

Excuses Excuses. I had a job with a similar rule. My Bosses wife would send Omaha Steaks, Harry and David Gift baskets etc. to my wife. There was no rule my bosses spouse could not buy my spouse a xmas gift. She would make sure to do it on her personal credit card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kinda inappropriate.

Yes it is.

I have 15 I don't personally do anything for but I made sure they're all getting a good bonus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A small Xmas box (really cute) from Target with a $25 gift card, travel Lysol and hand sanitizer.

Lysol? Just go with the gift card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A small Xmas box (really cute) from Target with a $25 gift card, travel Lysol and hand sanitizer.

Lysol? Just go with the gift card.

Agree. I don't want lysol, hand sanitizer and a xmas box. Just do a gift card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our office does a holiday party at an outside venue around lunchtime (11:30-2:30) with entertainment, raffles, etc. Food and bar.

I feel like that should be enough.

Some teams do an additional lunch or happy hour. I find that somewhat tricky since we have some remote team members, others who constantly mask and won’t eat/drink around others, etc.

I have a dozen direct reports, so I can only do a token sort of gift (noting a $30 gift quickly jumps to nearly $50 when you factor in tax and shipping). I tend to stick with food items (citrus from FL, cookies or chocolates from a small business, etc). Our office has a policy against using the corporate card to purchase anything remotely holiday related (meaning nothing Christmas related) and we can’t buy gift cards for staff.

Excuses Excuses. I had a job with a similar rule. My Bosses wife would send Omaha Steaks, Harry and David Gift baskets etc. to my wife. There was no rule my bosses spouse could not buy my spouse a xmas gift. She would make sure to do it on her personal credit card.

That's just weird. I'm an adult I don't need a gift and I would not want anything from the bosses wife. Silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A small Xmas box (really cute) from Target with a $25 gift card, travel Lysol and hand sanitizer.

Lysol? Just go with the gift card.

Not everyone shops at Target, we don't. I would not want lysol or hand sanitizer. No more junk.

[Anonymous]

My manager always asks - what’s your drink of choice? Coffee, tea, beer, wine, other? And everyone gets a gift basket of whatever they say. So I got a nice wine selection sent to me. I think that’s a nice way to do it. You can budget as low or high as you want (a bottle of wine vs a whole gift basket)