Work Secret Friend/ Act of Kindness

[figgyitypudding]

I work in a school and we're normally quite tight-knit. Obviously we can't be together as a staff at the moment so I was wondering about asking people to sign up for a termly gift exchange thing.

It would work a bit like Secret Santa, with people being selected as someone else's secret friend, and at some random point in the term, they leave a gift for them. It would be voluntary, so no-one will have to be included unless they want to be.

Is it twee and a pain in the arse?

What budget do you think would be reasonable and realistic?

Would a questionnaire like the attached image make things easier?

Thank you!

God, no, not for me, people will just buy some random shite and some won’t be able to afford it, or forget to do it. Ans secret friend is so childish. Sorry op, not for me. That’s something for kids.

Absolutely not for me either.

Actually would be mortified if I was asked to sign up for this.

Twee, PITA, and it will just lead to bad feeling as some people inevitably won't do it when they've signed up, some will do rubbish/inappropriate gifts, and some will go over the top

Unanimous so far!

We have adopted this in school, complete pita & popularity contest. Only about 6 gifts given with a staff of 120. Created a huge number of unnecessary whole school emails then some gushing thanks and speculating who it is who’s left them a gift. If you want to but someone a gift, please just buy for them and give it to them, much nicer!

We used to do something like this in my workplace. And it was twee and a pain in the arse. We don't do it any more.

A departmental secret Santa is quite enough.

Twee and a pain in the arse I'm afraid.

Also depends when you were thinking... It would be a bit close to Christmas now for me to participate.

No! Secret Santa is bad enough. Give something nice and well thought out, receive a load of crap!

I ALWAYS land up giving far more than I receive. Spent far too much on SS this year. No. Think it is another stress fro staff to have to do along with the 'make a funny video lip syncing to this song', 'make a video for our poor Sixth form', run eleventy million co curricular events just like normal.

Dear God no. The actual secret Santa is done grudgingly by all but a very enthusiastic few.

We did it at my work and it was genuinely really lovely. Having said that, I never received anything which was a bit disappointing (although I loved giving the gifts)

How do you even control it

So for example if six people sign up then they only buy for each other? What if they have to buy for someone they don’t like in the six. Or someone buys someone else a joke gift and they take offence, or someone signs up, gets their gift and then doesn’t return the favour as they are skint, so one of the six don’t get anything. Or someone buys someone something nice, and they get a return gift of something from the pound shop and they get pissed off? Or the head signs up and the poor sod who gets them feels under pressure to make it good.

It’s got disaster written all over it, just like secret Santa always ends up with someone being fucked off.

I'd hate this

We do it on an annual basis, but you sign up for it to be included. You then leave a little note explaining what you did and don't really like for your secret friend to have. I have enjoyed picking out little things and had some lovely things over the years. A magazine, chocolate, wine, flowers, a little note to boost me at a difficult time. Not twee for me!