Office gifts

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kschwab0203
kschwab0203 Posts: 610 Member
in Chit-Chat
I hate the awkwardness of office gifts! Do you give them? Do you not?

One job I was at, I was the only one that gave gifts to co-workers...I felt stupid.

My last job, sometimes people would give sometimes they wouldn't and it always seemed like the year they would give I didn't get the memo and showed up empty handed...I felt stupid.

I've only been at this company for 4 months and this morning I had a co-worker give me a gift...appreciated and very unexpected. So now do I need to go out at lunch and get her something? This is just to stressful.

Replies

  • km8907
    km8907 Posts: 3,861 Member
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    My office does secret Santa. Some co-workers brought in little candy bags for people. Don't feel obligated.
  • MsAmandaNJ
    MsAmandaNJ Posts: 1,248 Member
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    I say thank her for the gift and thinking of you. Some people give gifts because they expect something in return, others just feel good giving. No need to run out and buy something, even a little handmade thank you card would probably make her smile.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    km8907 wrote: »
    My office does secret Santa. Some co-workers brought in little candy bags for people. Don't feel obligated.

    Same here. Guys draw names, girls draw names. Guys generally give each other booze and gift cards for meat stores (we call it the "man" store). Girls give each other <insert silly holiday stuff here>. That way you're buying one gift and one only. Everyone else, as they want, bring in food. No obligations.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    kschwab0203 wrote: »
    I hate the awkwardness of office gifts! Do you give them? Do you not?

    One job I was at, I was the only one that gave gifts to co-workers...I felt stupid.

    My last job, sometimes people would give sometimes they wouldn't and it always seemed like the year they would give I didn't get the memo and showed up empty handed...I felt stupid.

    I've only been at this company for 4 months and this morning I had a co-worker give me a gift...appreciated and very unexpected. So now do I need to go out at lunch and get her something? This is just to stressful.

    We do a Secret Santa exchange with a limit of $20. I also go everyone $5 gift cards for coffee this year and hand made cards, plus I got one co-worker and ornament of her dog! LOL. I don't go above and beyond, but it's only because I don't have the extra money around the holidays.
  • 4whirly
    4whirly Posts: 7 Member
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    A thank you is enough.

    My prior company used to do a white elephant party. The price limit was $10 and all of the gifts were cheap booze. I always threw mine away as soon as I got home. It was a waste of time and money.

    Instead of obligatory gifts, I much prefer ones given sincerely. A coworker bought me coffee recently to thank me for helping out on a project. That was nice.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    My office has a sign up for secret santa...I never participate. I have to delve out enough cash on family and friends as it is...there are over 100 People in my office and I don't have time for that kind of nonsense.
  • denversillygoose
    denversillygoose Posts: 708 Member
    edited December 2016
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    I don't do office gifts anymore, but we did receive this lovely item from my SO's boss. They actually took 2 days out of their work schedule and made these for employees and clients. I've tried to be sweet about it, but there's craft herpes all over my house.

    met2xyhd2qaq.jpg

    It's a candle holder?
  • Lucy1752
    Lucy1752 Posts: 499 Member
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    I do small gifts (candles and candy this year) for my department of 8 and then candy canes for the building, which is 34 more people. I get a coffee card for our staff accountant because, well, you know...purse strings.
  • sunburntgalaxy
    sunburntgalaxy Posts: 455 Member
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    I do a Christmas card and a small candy bar for everyone, even though I know I won't get anything in return. I try to pick cards that fit each person's personality (dog cards for the dog people, cat cards for the cat people, zombie cards for the Walking Dead fans). If I do happen to get something that is nice but I really just like to give more than receive, and I do it for everyone because I would feel bad leaving someone out (even the one girl who can only be called truly evil in our office gets one).
  • synchkat
    synchkat Posts: 37,368 Member
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    When I worked I would tend to help out everyone and was friendly and talked to everyone so I'd get gifts from lots of people. I'd just do them up a box of cookies that I made or maybe make something that I knew was their favourite. A gift can be the smallest thing but I always think if it's thoughtful and shows you listened at some point it means the most. Of course there was the boss guy who would always suggest we do to an S&M club. OMG I forgot about him. I would give him tea cause he liked tea no leather just tea
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Dh got a couple of things from co-workers this year- cookies, homemade salsa, candle. It was not an organized gift exchange and wasn't everyone. He didn't get a gift for anyone although did bring food to share with the group.
    I don't think you have to reciprocate if someone gives you a gift. Just say say thank you.
  • brewer054
    brewer054 Posts: 32 Member
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    All my coworkers and I chipped in and got something for our Director (bourbon balls, a gift card to a 5-star restaurant in the next city, and some kind of other sweet.) Then my Director and I pitched in and got our caterer a gift card for TPAC (Theatre of Performing Arts) and a 1-night stay at Opryland.

    I got a $25 gift card to Cracker Barrell from our caterer, and some of my clients have mailed gifts to my office (mostly sweets that are very tempting.) One client brought me some Reindeer-Poo that his wife made; that tub didn't even make it to the parking lot.

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