AIBU about Christmas presents from work?

[Merryoldgoat]

I work for a company that treats employees well imo - good pay, holiday, sickness, decent pensions. Paid for Christmas party, free lunches and we work 40 hour weeks but lunch is paid so it’s a standard 8-4 or 9-5

We don’t have a big budget for Christmas gifts - just a little token of £15 ish each.

We get a bottle of fizz and some Belgian chocolates.

The real gift is the party - three courses and booze for the whole lunch which is a nice evening, not compulsory, not ridiculously boozy and no daft enforced fun.

A lot of preamble for the main subject.

EVERY year someone complains how ‘boring’ wine and chocolates are, but has no better idea for 50 odd very mixed staff.

It’s Christmas - it’s easy to give them away if you don’t want them. It’s a token - not a symbol of value - that’s what we’re well paid for!

Full disclosure: I’m lumbered with buying. No one else wants to. I’m not buying personalised gifts for 50 people!

So

YABU - crap gift better to have nothing

YANBU - it’s not very exciting but as a small token it’s fine.

NB: non drinkers have an alcohol free option of course.

OK but you don't get to tell people they are wrong because your to stubborn to listen to their valid reasoning.

Your employees are complaining... that means something IS wrong, you are dismiss that instead of listening which is just shit management.

Maybe you shouldn't be the person to do that specific job.

Exactly. People aren't happy and you're just saying TOUGH SHIT. Which is not really going to improve morale and make people feel listened to.

I don't drink or eat chocolates.
I would still be very grateful for the gesture and just pass them on!

Wtaf?!

I have a house full of cheap white wine, odd desert wines and a LOT of Champaign.

Everyone I know does too... it sort of creeps into your life, you give it to the school for xmas fayre then win a different bloody one in the raffle. You give it as a gift and it keeps getting re-gifted round until its back to you in a circle because no one wants or drinks it. I have never bought wine/champagne in my life and I swear its multiplying like a wet gremlin in my house.

I know functioning alcoholic that won't even take it.

Red wine DH will drink, Rose Prosseco I'll try a glass of to be polite (don't really like it though) but the shit that gets given/won is never anything people seem to drink.

Chocolate I could probably gift quite easy but shit wine is a pain in the ass.

Do not pander to these people. We have people where I work who complain. FFS - it’s a work day, free meal and drink, you can claim travel expenses and they still whinge!! Boils my piss

No, I’m saying that for a £15 token gift where there is no consensus and you obviously can’t get anything especially special wine and choc is fine.

There are 50 benefitting. About 5 moan but have no reasonable alternative.

if I had a load of staff arriving at my office saying ‘vouchers would be better’ that’s one thing but they aren’t.

I literally asked them ‘would you prefer vouchers for £15?’ And they said ‘no - it’d just go in everyday stuff’.

There’s loads I would also prefer but as a token from an employer I think it’s fine.

The OP just says someone complains not most or a lot of employees. I don’t think that means something is wrong. People complain about everything and there isn’t a universally liked present. People will complain that they want a physical present not a voucher or that the voucher is the wrong one.

See - I’d like that!!

I’d be happy with fizz and chocolates I don’t what more people expect???

A possible alternative is a voucher or gift card but I think people would then probably complain about the shop isn’t where they shop or something!

My work (retail) gave everyone ten pounds in cash.
I was off the week they were handed out so I've been forgotten about 🥲

I would love that over wine and chocolates.

Wine and chocs lovely
Alternatively panatone and prcessco.

My mum loved it when I gifted her a stollen cake, I was given.

Vouchers would be my least favourite.

You can't make everyone happy so carry on what you are doing.

I think it's nice to receive a physical gift. For some people that may be the only gift they receive.

I’ll forward them to you 👍

I don't think wine is fine. Lots of people don't drink wine. Even people who drink other alcohol.

Those that do drink wine are often fussy and only like it when it's red or white.

Maybe a voucher then....Amazon have so many partners and be used online?

PS no I don't work for Amazon 😁

I would be happy with that, working in a secondary school where we don’t get anything!

As long as there’s a non alcohol version as well, I think it’s fine & a nice gesture.

In my early twenties I was gifted a bottle of champagne by my boss. I took it home to my parents and we drank it on Christmas Day as an upgrade to the usual Prosecco and they were so delighted to have it and so proud that I was in a job where I got champagne as a Christmas gift. It’s actually a very touching memory.

Now in management position in my current job, we provide:

• Christmas party with posh meal and drinks- people complain about having to travel to it
• christmas gift - switched to vouchers after complaints about wine, people complain about the type of voucher
• biscuits in the office kitchen- people complain it should be fruit etc etc

And we had to stop giving gifts as Employee Recognition awards due to the moaning from people who didn’t receive them 🤣

Amazon voucher as can be spent literally anything

Then people will moan Amazon isn’t an ethical company

Op can't win

Someone will always moan

They are ungrateful !!

There are some people on here who might need some lessons in manners, or to at least stop being so entitled!

It is a gift, it is extra to the contractual payments, the employer doesn't have to do it - as the recipient you don't get to tell the gift giver what gift to give. A bottle of sparkling wine and some chocolates is a simple gift recognising that Christmas is a time to say thank you and a time when (most) people are probably entertaining at some point so the drink and chocolate will probably be used...

If you don't like it then accept it gracefully and either give it to another colleague who is less entitled, or give it away to someone else - the postie / the binman / pop into your local shop and give it to them / drop it off at the doctor's surgery, or local vet / give it to a local charity / wander out into the streets and give it to the first person you meet - there are many people out there who would be grateful if you can't be!

I can see that there is a logic in saying that there is also an option for a voucher - if the OP wants the extra hassle, but I wouldn't go any more complex than that as it is simply a thank you gift.

Well done OP on not being riled by the idiot answers on here...

Sounds more than enough to me. I work for the NHS. We get a 'free coffee' voucher to spend at the hospital Costa. Only allowed a small, syrups are extra and no ordering from the festive menus.

You give wine as a Christmas gift? What do you do about your Muslim employees? I would much prefer a £15 Amazon voucher.