HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING IN THE WORKPLACE-EXPECTED OR INAPPROPRIATE?

The Holiday time is a stressful time of year for most people. Prepping for family gatherings, cooking more than usual, shopping for gifts, and trying to keep up with daily responsibilities at work and with family can be totally exhausting and overwhelming. Shopping for family and friends is already a lot to think about, but what about professional colleagues, co-workers, clients, and referral relationships? Should you add those people to your shopping list too? There has been a controversy over gift giving in the workplace for decades. I have broken down holiday gift giving based on what has worked well for me!

HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING TO:

Employees: If you are a business owner, and you want to build team morale and help retain your team, it is expected that you provide a cash gift to your employees. In some instances, gift cards can be appropriate but only if you are 100% confident that the gift card is for something that your employees value. BEST GIFT: CASH OR GIFT CARDS

Boss: It is not expected for employees to give gifts to their boss at the holidays but if you have a close relationship with your boss than a small gesture of baked goods or small gadget for their favorite hobby can be a nice gesture to show your appreciation for their leadership style and management. Remember that bosses don’t often get a “thank you” for what they do. Holiday time can be a good opportunity to express your appreciation for your boss, even if it is simply a heartfelt holiday card! BEST GIFT: CARD OR SMALL GESTURE ITEM FOR A HOBBY

Co-Workers: Gift giving to co-workers can be confusing especially if you work in a large corporation or facility. Some co-workers choose to do a “Secret Santa” type of gift giving as a fun activity during the holidays but overall gift giving to co-workers is not expected so you do not need to feel obligated to give gifts to co-workers. If you work in a small department, and you are particularly close-knit group of people, perhaps holiday baked goods could be a small gesture to build camaraderie and spread holiday cheer! BEST GIFT: NOT NECESSARY OR BAKED GOODS

Clients: If you work in an industry that relies heavily on loyal clients, and you have a handful (less than 30) of “whale” type of clients, who support the bulk of your annual revenue than the holiday season can be a great opportunity to show your appreciation for these important clients. Giving gifts that have their company logo using companies like 4 Imprint can be a very nice gesture. You can also give gifts with your company logo to keep your company top of mind, and there is always the fail-safe corporate holiday gift basket from companies like Harry and David. BEST GIFT: PROMOTIONAL ITEMS OR GIFT BASKETS

Referral Relationships: These relationships are critical in many industries. If you have people who are strong referral sources and send you 100s of clients/patients/customers per year, then it is critical to stay top of mind for these people so that they do not seek alternatives to your service. Promotional items with your company name can make great gifts especially if the items are something can be used almost every day (travel coffee mugs, note pads, mouse pads or desk calendar, pens, etc). If your referral sources, see your name regularly they will keep you and your company top of mind. If you don’t like to give promotional items, then giving something that makes the person think of you is always a good option. Perhaps something specific to your hometown, your business specialty, or some other item that will remind them of you is alwasy a good choice.  BEST GIFTS: PROMOTIONAL ITEM OR SOMETHING PERSONAL THAT REMINDS THEM OF YOU

Holiday gift giving in the workplace is certainly not expected or obligatory, but the holidays can be the perfect time to show appreciation for people in your professional world who you value. For many people, this is the only time per year that they take the time to express their appreciation! You might want to take advantage of the professional gift giving opportunities of the season!