Holiday Office Gift Giving Guide
Dr. Greg Ketchum, 12/11/04
Well the holidays
are here and for
many people in the
office that raises
the question of
gift giving at work.
Remember the Seinfeld
episode where George
C. decides to make
up a charity, the
Human Fund, and
then gives cards
to co-workers saying
that a donation
had been made in
their name to the
“Human Fund.” Well,
that’s one way to
handle it, but I
wouldn’t recommend
it.
The big questions
for most people
are “do I give gifts
at work, what’s
expected, who do
I give to, what
do I give?”
First, here are
some examples of
critical mistakes
and key success
factors concerning
holiday office gift
giving.
3 Critical Mistakes
- Don’t be a “re-gifter.”
- Don’t give booze
or anything remotely
sexual or too
personal.
- Don’t be obvious
about excluding
someone.
3 Key Success Factors
- Find out the
office customs
& policy before
giving.
- Give to those
who’ve supported
you throughout
the year. Thank
you.
- Be sensitive
to cultural factors.
Here
are some action
steps to help you
successfully navigate
your way through
the challenge of
holiday office gift
giving.
Action Steps
- Set a Limit:
Spend no more
than the IRS allows,
which is $25.
Most companies
encourage gifts
in the $15 to
$20 range.
- A Gift for
the Boss: Avoid
the politics and
appearance of
brown nosing by
taking up a collection
and buying a team
gift.
- Alternatives
to Individual
Gifts: Give
to the whole team
by treating the
office to coffee,
pastry and other
snacks one morning
during the holidays.
If All Else Fails And You’re Caught Without a Gift
- Volunteer:
Suggest that you
will organize
a day for your
team members to
volunteer at a
local charity.
Be prepared, identify
some charities,
and keep this
in your back pocket.
Following these
simple action steps
can help you avoid
those awkward “I
got a gift but I
didn’t get anything
for anyone” situations.
If you’ve got work or career topics you’d
like to see us address just send me an email
at drgreg@talentplanet.com.
Additional Resources
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32906-2004Dec3.html/?nav=lb
http://www.lhj.com/lhj/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/lhj/story/data/OfficeGiftGivingEtiquette_10082004.xml
http://couponing.about.com/od/seasonalsavingszone/a/giftsatwork.htm
http://monster.typepad.com/monsterblog/2004/11/office_giftgivi.html
®2004 Gregory A.
Ketchum, Ph.D. All
rights reserved.
