What holiday gift should I get my two direct reports?

[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)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well in late 2008 she funded the bonus pool as she felt bad for staff. She convinced her husband to give up his salary for year and bonus. Cost her 6 million. She was so generous in the past all the VPs offered to give up their bonus for staff (Not salary) I was one below VP which was highest level not asked to give voluntarily give up bonus. I got a $120,000 bonus March 2009.

She was wonderful women. The CEOs wife and his secretary really ran the company as far as staff concerned.

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]

Last year I gave my three direct reports $50 Amazon gift cards. This year I'm down to one and will probably give her a $75 Amazon 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.

I’ve gone my whole life without ever buying or using Lysol and I’m going to keep it that way lol.

[Anonymous]

For all the Starbucks givers - I have a box of those rattling around that never get used. I give them away (but not as gifts because I can't necessarily know what's on them - I have to just say "do you want this?"). Save your money or pick something else, please.

[Anonymous]

$50 gift cards to Politics and Prose or another local bookstore. If they’re not readers they can either re-gift or buy a gift for someone else, but it’s more personal than Amazon or Visa (and most of the time it leads to a nice discussion about that book they’re wanting to read…)