To ask if your manager acknowledges your birthday with a gift?

[Merryoldgoat]

Where I currently work we don’t do birthday collections etc (which I am grateful for).

Would you generally expect to give a present to your direct report? Or receive one from your manager? If so, what kind of value would a gift like that be?

I’m newish to this dynamic and don’t want to embarrass or offend anyone or do something stupid.

no. I'd just say happy birthday if I saw them on the day. grownups don't need cards or presents at work.

No. In the companies I have worked for, the person with the birthday brings in cakes.

Otherwise, nothing.

Definitely not! Although my manager gave me champagne at Christmas which was nice of him.

Nope, in 25yrs of working I've never had a present from my line manager. A 'Happy Birthday' is kind, being told to take a longer lunch, or encouraged to make sure I leave on time is always lovely.

No we do team gifts but wouldn't expect something just from my manager. A card is ok!

Yes had a birthday present from various managers for probably about 30 of my 40 working years.
Usually something like a bottle of wine/chocolates nothing too personal. I think it’s nice that your manager acknowledges it’s your birthday.

@Merryoldgoat

Where I currently work we don’t do birthday collections etc (which I am grateful for).

Would you generally expect to give a present to your direct report? Or receive one from your manager? If so, what kind of value would a gift like that be?

I’m newish to this dynamic and don’t want to embarrass or offend anyone or do something stupid.

Not a chance, they are work colleagues, not friends.

I used to run a team of 15 before changing roles. No chance I'd buy want to spend out on 15 people.

My manager does.

I work in independent retail and I'm always given a card and lovely gifts from where I work (obviously serves as good advertisement but she always picks so thoughtfully and choose things I may have previously commented on.)

I think even a card and token gift would be appreciated.

Yes, we get the day off work in addition to our annual leave allowance and they send us a small hamper. Last years was from Hotel Chocolat.

We usually do a cake just in our dept and all have a bit with our coffee in the afternoon but everyone chips in a pound or whatever wouldn't expect anything directly from a manager and have never had that in a previous job either.

Yes my last manager did. Partly because she also happened to be my husbands auntie and we're quite close to her.

No. Never.

No. This was about the first year I've had birthday greetings (via email of course) at all from a manager, and that was only because I'd mentioned a 'significant' one was upcoming and it turned out he and another person in the team share the same day (jan 1st!) so it prompted some discussion of statistical probabilities,

Nope, it’s never been a thing where I work. Team or birthday person might bring in a cake. If the team are aware of a ‘big’ birthday, they might get a bigger cake and a present.

No, but for a big birthday (40th, 50th, 60th) we usually do a small team collection and buy a bottle of wine and some flowers or something similar. It wouldn't be for a 'normal' birthday and it wouldn't be solely from the team leader/management.

I used to work for a gin distillery, family run business!
We used to get a card and a couple of bottles of gin on our birthdays

In the companies I have worked for, the person with the birthday brings in cakes.

I used to work somewhere that happened.

Ok, thanks all.

We’re working remotely 80% so I won’t see her so I was thinking I’d leave her a little gift she can grab on her day at the office as a surprise - precious little fun stuff these bloody days.

As there are only two of us in the ‘team’ it won’t be too onerous.

No. I manage a team of around 40 people. Have never given anyone a birthday gift. And I've never got or expected one from my managers.

We used to pay £5 a month and that bought everyone in the team a card and cake on their birthday. I wouldn't expect a gift from a manager unless it was a big birthday.

@NoPupIsTooSmall

No, but for a big birthday (40th, 50th, 60th) we usually do a small team collection and buy a bottle of wine and some flowers or something similar. It wouldn't be for a 'normal' birthday and it wouldn't be solely from the team leader/management.

It is a big birthday! This is helpful thank you.

Ha ha ha ha.

No.

No. We did go through a phase where one of the team (always the same person) organised a card for whoever's birthday. I always found it a bit unnecessary and slightly awkward tbh. I have had managers give a gift at Christmas though (eg champagne, molton brown gift set). I prefer that 🙂

Under the circumstances you describe, OP, that would be a nice gesture. Just chocolates or a bottle type of thing.

No defo not unless it were a big bday and I'd get a bottle of wine and card probably as a gesture.