Please stop buying plaques as gifts for retirees/farewells

[Anonymous]

In my experience, colleagues usually sign a giant version of the agency's seal, which is then framed.

What is odd is that we haven't celebrated anyone who retired since DRP. So senior people are just disappearing. Some do invite us to a last-minute after-work happy hour.

[Anonymous]

An Apple Watch is a terrific gift that would totally bring a smile to my face. It feels like your team put thought into it and what he would like/use.

It actually isn't a great gift, since they are disposable/perishable items. A real watch would last decades, but no smart watch would have a useful life beyond five or so years. The battery in an Apple watch isn't even replaceable. The whole point of most retirement gifts (including plaques, watches, etc.) is to be mementos that can be kept for many years.

[Anonymous]

Most people are not liked, were not there that long or not leaving for a good place. that impacts parties.

I have always never got anything. Luckily my current company has a policy last day at work if retiring we do a luncheon in our Board room. Fully paid for by company, your restaurant of choice. Could be nice place, you can decline of course. But if say yes you decide who to invite and it can be current or prior co-workers usually a 25-35 year tenured person invites old coworkers or boss they loved too. Then we give them a nice physical gift and put a $1,000 bonus last paycheck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the past two weeks, I've attended retirement parties for two former colleagues. At both events, they received large, plain, wooden plaques with challenge coins and a generic inscription from their coworkers, which neither recipient seemed particularly excited about receiving. From my own experience, having received numerous plaques throughout my career, I can confirm that they have usually ended up in my attic collecting dust. Plaques are overdone, take up too much space, feel outdated--reminiscent of corporate culture from the 80s and uninspired.

What are more meaningful alternatives?

We purchase gifts that are meaningful to the person - so they are usually not a surprise. We've done jewelry, donations to a charity of their choice, tickets to sporting events, and experiences (we found a company that we provide a dollar amount to and the person can then choose and schedule the type of activity they want - anything from skydiving to wine tastings to cooking classes - and can be used all over the world). Our team is so much happier with this approach as we used to do crystal engraved gifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

An Apple Watch is a terrific gift that would totally bring a smile to my face. It feels like your team put thought into it and what he would like/use.

It actually isn't a great gift, since they are disposable/perishable items. A real watch would last decades, but no smart watch would have a useful life beyond five or so years. The battery in an Apple watch isn't even replaceable. The whole point of most retirement gifts (including plaques, watches, etc.) is to be mementos that can be kept for many years.

so, true...I actually have one of my dad's retirement gifts hanging on my wall, lol. Mostly because I miss him so much, but also, it was a nice gift. It's a nicely framed aerial photo of the plant he used to work in in Baltimore Harbor. The back is signed by his coworkers, most referencing an odd memory about my dad. For example, one wrote, "enjoy your snowplow adventures at the beach" (where my parents retired). I remember dad telling me about the "snowplow" incident when I was in high school. And it's a story we'd laugh about in his old age when we looked at the photo.

I also kept my dad's corporate retirement gift, an inscribed Seth Thomas mantle clock as it still works and is pretty, but dad threw away his plaques shortly after retirement.

[Anonymous]

Plaques are not a thing in my circle.

[Anonymous]

I agree. Plaque like/collection is largely a baby boomer thing. My dad was born on the cusp of the Silent Generation/Boomer, and he loved receiving and holding on to his plaques. He had a spare bedroom full of them. After he passed, my baby boomer aunt was surprised that my sister and me (Xennials) had zero interested in holding on to his plaques. We briefly read them, smiled politely, and promptly tossed them into the landfill. Moral of the story is that it’s okay to let a tradition die or come up with new ones.

[Anonymous]

I don’t want a plaque, pen, watch, etc. A coworker got Audible credits.

[Anonymous]

Don’t want a plaque. Luckily my fed agency is too cheap for that and has no budget. A free congratulatory email is more their style.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the past two weeks, I've attended retirement parties for two former colleagues. At both events, they received large, plain, wooden plaques with challenge coins and a generic inscription from their coworkers, which neither recipient seemed particularly excited about receiving. From my own experience, having received numerous plaques throughout my career, I can confirm that they have usually ended up in my attic collecting dust. Plaques are overdone, take up too much space, feel outdated--reminiscent of corporate culture from the 80s and uninspired.

What are more meaningful alternatives?

At my employer, where we have many employees retiring, we generally buy them a steel bucket from the hardware store. On their last day it is presented to them and the team all gathers and says in unison “Now get out of here, and take your bucket with you!” Many laughs (and a few tears, too.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody knows what to do anymore.

People miss significant gifts like watches.

Most retirement presents aren't useful - except for gift cards.

My team did give an Apple Watch to a guy that was retiring after 35-40 years. They had collected a lot of cash.

Sometimes the party is the best present. A lot of people get no recognition.

I just retire from the govt. and got a plaque. I appreciate the sentiment but what the heck? Am I supposed to hang it in my home? Nope. It is hiding in my
Closet along with the other plaques I received. Just give me a card with some thoughtful notes and a nice coffee gathering in the morning.

That's the thing, there is no thought/ sentiment behind it because everyone receives a plaque. At this point, it screams box checking.

So, as somebody who has had to organize dozens of farewell parties/gifts for employees over the years - sorry, but the exercise is not for you, it's for the office. People want to "do something" and feel that something will be done for them when they leave. That's why you get a plaque.

I realize you'd probably like a gift card, but your colleagues and my boss think that's too impersonal (too easy) so we don't do that.

You're not getting a thoughtful personal gift even if we have a lot of money collected because (a) I am organizing this on top of my real job and I'm busy, and (b) I have to think about the expectations being set / already set in past years, in the sense that one employee can't be seen to get a significantly nicer or more thoughtful gift than another employee. If we collect more than the plaque costs, you get nicer food at the party. If we collect less, I make up the difference out of my own pocket.

You and your boss suck. You think you are fooling anyone with this attitude? I’m too busy to spend five minutes to think about a more meaningful gift than a plaque that goes straight into a dumpster after I worked for your company for decades? Also pretty weird that you make up the difference out of your pocket. Your boss told you to do that?

[Anonymous]

We had many retirements in the past few years and once the manager retired in 2019 there was never another party or gift. The new manager said it wasn't her job to plan parties or buy gifts and she didn't delegate it. Then of course covid was a great excuse. I felt bad for all these people who worked there 30+ years and didn't get any sort of farewell. Usually someone would bring in cookies out of the goodness of their heart.
Of course now no one stays more than a few years because it makes no financial sense to stay in one workplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had many retirements in the past few years and once the manager retired in 2019 there was never another party or gift. The new manager said it wasn't her job to plan parties or buy gifts and she didn't delegate it. Then of course covid was a great excuse. I felt bad for all these people who worked there 30+ years and didn't get any sort of farewell. Usually someone would bring in cookies out of the goodness of their heart.
Of course now no one stays more than a few years because it makes no financial sense to stay in one workplace.

Bad manager who doesn’t understand that creating a team environment and keeping up team morale is part of her job. That said, nothing prevents coworkers from pooling together some funds to throw a little party. Doesn’t sound like you have a real team there

[Anonymous]

ask Chat GPT for some suggestions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, colleagues usually sign a giant version of the agency's seal, which is then framed.

What is odd is that we haven't celebrated anyone who retired since DRP. So senior people are just disappearing. Some do invite us to a last-minute after-work happy hour.

I was a fairly senior person who took the first DRP (I was planning to retire this year anyway.) On my last day in the office I ordered up a massive trash can and basically dumped my office. This included numerous awards/plaques/citations etc. As I was doing this, my director (who was a big reason why I was planning to retire) stopped by and asked if I wanted a party "so I could get my retirement plaque". It took all I had not to laugh out loud and told him no thanks I'm good.

I went to lunch with a couple of my favorite coworkers and called it a career. I don't didn't want or need any more stuff at this point in my life.