You may be wondering, “should I give my boss a Christmas gift?” It’s an important question. Your answer will depend on your relationship with him or her. If you are feeling generous and want to show your appreciation for all the hard work they have done this year, then yes! But if you don’t get along very well, it might not be worth it.
As a HR Director I am often asked this question each holiday season. Is it appropriate to buy a Christmas gift for my boss or supervisor? As a general rule of thumb, if you are the employee and your boss or supervisor is buying gifts for subordinates it’s not appropriate to give them anything.
If on the other hand they buy Christmas gifts for all employees then there isn’t an issue with giving a little something in return. Or if their gift-giving is limited only to managers and above than that presents no problem either. If you know what kind of gift exchange will take place then just follow suit unless someone asks you directly not to do so. In this case simply don’t be offended by their wishes but still adhere to proper etiquette when it comes time to open your own present from them!
It can make sense sometimes though why some people may feel uncomfortable receiving a holiday present from people they don’t really like at work. Or, if you don’t buy a gift for them you may feel weird if they surprise you with a gift. These are the situations when it’s perfectly okay to politely decline their gift.
Sometimes you should be more concerned about other people giving enough to your coworkers, managers and supervisors too if that is part of office tradition rather than just considering whether or not you should give them a gift at all!
I was blown away one year when I received a nice bottle of wine from a co-worker who I really disliked. I know they disliked me just as much and we never go along. I think it was actually their way of making me look bad in front of others.
If you’re thinking about giving your boss a gift, this is something that should be carefully considered. If it’s just an annual gift exchange between everyone in the office then there really isn’t any reason to get them anything other than that!
However, if you’ve been doing well at work and gone out of your way for the past year or so then perhaps getting them a small token would not go amiss. You can either opt for some nice stationary (so they have somewhere decent to write!) or maybe a book which might inspire/educate them in their job.
A Christmas gift from employees to employers needn’t always be expensive but when looking around online outlets such as Amazon , I noticed they do sell all sorts gift kits labeled perfect gift for co-workers or perfect gift for your boss. people have already been thinking about it and try to make it easy.
he is my down to earth opinion. If you have worked with co-workers for one year or more, then an inexpensive gift is a nice gesture. It doesn’t have to be expensive, remember it’s the thought that counts.
-Buy a gift card.
-Give them an iPad case with their name on it, to protect the device they use every day in front of customers and employees! A nice gesture if you’re willing to spend more money
-If they like coffee or tea then give them some delicious flavored tea bags/coffee beans that are not available at your local supermarket (make sure these goods are high quality!) Or make cupcakes yourself for everyone in the office–delicious treats can be part of any holiday celebration.
-Swing by the Dollar Store and buy them some funny holiday beer mugs or other trinkets. making it a gag gift can help keeping the pressure off others to also give gifts.
I hope this blog post helped you understand what kind of gifts might please bosses when celebrating holidays together during work hours. As I said earlier: It’s best to say no than yes but don’t feel