Please stop buying plaques as gifts for retirees/farewells

[Anonymous]

I worked for an airline, which is as close as you can get to government in terms of spending and bureaucracy, and my team did something that I really appreciated if you moved to another team or retired.

One of the people in our team was an artist on the side and made beautiful, realistic, detailed black-and-white pencil drawings of our planes at hubs and destinations around the world. He would make originals for retirees and had a portfolio of prints for team-switchers or people moving on to other companies. The airport and plane was always selected to have meaning. He would have them framed and then everyone on the team would sign the back.

I didn’t love my job there, but I have brought my print to multiple states and houses and I really appreciate it. Everything else from old jobs has disappeared but it’s one work-related thing I’ll hang on to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I missed this comment earlier and just commented about my plane art from my time at an airline. I love the framed aerial photo idea even more! What a special way to celebrate someone, especially if their career was tied to a really specific place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dad was retired military. He had a large office full of plaques and certificates on the wall (over 30 of them) from his years in the navy and government contracting. We “donated” all of them through an estate company. No one wanted them even the one from his retirement ceremony. I have no idea what relatives are supposed to do with these things.

Respectfully, why would anyone else want plaques that belonged to a stranger?

I think they can be recycled by ripping off the metal engraved or printed plate, then a new one can be attached to the wood. I have no idea who organizes this or wants the old plaques. Maybe ask a plaque making shop if you end up with a bunch from a relative.

During my career, I received various awards, plaques, ribbons and coins and displayed them in my office. When I retired, I took them all home and threw them in the trash there. I suppose if I had ever won "Engineer of the Year", I might have kept it for my kids to put out at my memorial, but out of 16,000 employees I never got that recognition.

[Anonymous]

Better to just do a gift card. My old company did a party and a gift card to Amazon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dad was retired military. He had a large office full of plaques and certificates on the wall (over 30 of them) from his years in the navy and government contracting. We “donated” all of them through an estate company. No one wanted them even the one from his retirement ceremony. I have no idea what relatives are supposed to do with these things.

Respectfully, why would anyone else want plaques that belonged to a stranger?

I think they can be recycled by ripping off the metal engraved or printed plate, then a new one can be attached to the wood. I have no idea who organizes this or wants the old plaques. Maybe ask a plaque making shop if you end up with a bunch from a relative.

During my career, I received various awards, plaques, ribbons and coins and displayed them in my office. When I retired, I took them all home and threw them in the trash there. I suppose if I had ever won "Engineer of the Year", I might have kept it for my kids to put out at my memorial, but out of 16,000 employees I never got that recognition.

When I quit my last company I threw about a dozen crystal trophies in the dumpster for awards I won plus a whole bunch of deal tombstones.

Wasteful, but nobody else is ever going to want them and they take up a lot of space I don't have.

[Anonymous]

When my military dad passed away, the only items I kept were memorabilia honoring his service. He retired from the VA after 30 years, but I didn't keep any of the plaques from his time as a federal employee.

[Anonymous]

Np, I'd want something small and personalized like challenge coins for each office I have worked at during my federal career. Just the coins-- no plaque.

My agency has a gift shop, and most of the offices have coins, so this would be easy to do and low cost because the coins are only about $6 each.

This is a memorable, personalized, and low-cost option for anyone looking for a way to make a retirement special for their coworkers. And since they are small, they likely would not get tossed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Np, I'd want something small and personalized like challenge coins for each office I have worked at during my federal career. Just the coins-- no plaque.

My agency has a gift shop, and most of the offices have coins, so this would be easy to do and low cost because the coins are only about $6 each.

This is a memorable, personalized, and low-cost option for anyone looking for a way to make a retirement special for their coworkers. And since they are small, they likely would not get tossed.

Huh. At my work you can't buy the coins - they are given to you by the head of the office when you depart or when there is a significant accomplishment. They are not otherwise available.