Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Office gifts - help please!

31 replies

Mrbay · 29/10/2020 12:45

Hi All

I've been tasked to get everyone a gift in our office (which I am really grateful that the company is doing this).

To get some engagement and raise moral, it'll be in the style of name out of hat, pick a prize via video call as all WFH. However, I am a bit stuck on what to offer.

Budget is £2k excluding VAT, 44 people. 60/40 female, aged between 22 - 65, average age is 35. Some single people, mostly married with children.

So far, I have some take away vouchers, shopping vouchers (recipient's choice) local cheese hamper, pamper vouchers, family day out climbing, dinner on the company oh and water activity vouchers.

Anything that you would really love to receive? I'm trying not to buy tat that people with just drop off at their local charity shop, plus our company tries to be as green as possible so it wouldn't align with our company values.

Thank you!!

OP posts:
throwaway100000 · 29/10/2020 12:53

So around £45 per person excluding VAT.

They don’t receive the gift at random but rather can choose? Most people will go for the shopping voucher then so no point wasting money by buying the other vouchers beforehand.

In terms of vouchers, no there’s nothing else I’d rather receive. A £45 Amazon (or whatever retailer) would be top choice.

CovidClara · 29/10/2020 12:54

It would certainly not raise morale to pick a number from a hat-you need to send everyone the same. Sounds like zoom secret santa hell. Think about how much some people get upset by secret santa. So Joe gets a £100 gift voucher and Marge gets a chocolate Santa? Even the value is the same you are deciding what people would want and are bound to get it wrong.

An M&S or JL Gift voucher for as much as you can afford.

CovidClara · 29/10/2020 12:57

At £45 a person how will you afford a meal out or a family day climbing? The only way to do that is if some people get £5 spent on them. Sounds really really awful and divisive.

If you value people then get them decent gift they can chose. If you are a company that likes ritual humiliation then go ahead with this?

RicStar · 29/10/2020 13:01

We are getting all staff a jl hamper - net value is about the same and about same size company - I voted for vouchers but other directors wanted a physical gift - its a nice hamper chosen in the end, everyone gets the same or could opt to get nothing- not alternative offered, no drama.

throwaway100000 · 29/10/2020 13:08

Yeah just get everyone the same, a hamper is perfect.

Not going to lie, some of your gift ideas are a bit naff. Rock climbing, water activities etc might not go ahead with COVID and are a bit of a stale prize in comparison with a £45 gift voucher at a good retailer. Same with the cheese hamper, most would rather the shop voucher.

NoGoodPunsLeft · 29/10/2020 13:11

I agree, the same value voucher for everyone.

Amazon/just eat/anywhere you can shop online

Bearbehind · 29/10/2020 13:11

Totally agree that unless the budget is split equally across all the employees that this is a horribly cringeworthy and divisive thing to do, especially on a video call

The gifts don’t necessarily have to be the same thing but they do each need to be the same value

The choosing your own is a really bad idea too as the last people are unlikely to end up with anything remotely suitable for them - if the gifts are different they should be preallocated to the recipients

CovidClara · 29/10/2020 13:12

Plus depending on the value they are taxable. Imagine having to pay tax on your gift of a voucher for family climbing or a water activity.

NoGoodPunsLeft · 29/10/2020 13:12

And re: being green they can be e-vouchers

triceratops12 · 29/10/2020 13:14

It's got to be the same for everyone, also if I got a water activity voucher that's my hell, and also covid. Stick to what everyone loves such as M&S, John Lewis, Amazon

CovidClara · 29/10/2020 13:16

Oh and it needs to be a gift for the person- not their family.

TrickyD · 29/10/2020 13:41

It sounds like a really stupid way of arranging things, but as the OP seems to be half way through it, it is rather too late to suggest scrapping the lucky dip and giving the same equal value gifts all round.

Better system next year is called for.

Gingerkittykat · 29/10/2020 13:53

Don't do the number out of a hat, I don't know why you think it will be morale-boosting and not just cringe, I'm sure big burly Dave from accounts is dying for a pamper voucher and lactose intolerant Sally will love some cheese.

Original poster
Mrbay · 29/10/2020 14:22

Thanks for your comments, I'm only planning so nothing has been purchased.

We've done something similar a few years back and it went down well, however the prizes were linked to events/things the company had achieved. No everyone got a prize last time but we did have an all expenses paid for dinner/party and drinks so no one felt left out.

My director is keen to do the same again this year, but initially thought about only having 10 gifts, I didn't think this was ok as only 1/4 of us would get something.

Regarding VAT, if I physically buy something on behalf of the company I can claim the VAT but vouchers do not attract VAT. With vouchers I have to keep the value at £50 or below, other that will need to be put on the employee's P11D and subject to NI and tax.

Trying to stay away from alcohol as that is such a personal purchase.

OP posts:
CovidClara · 29/10/2020 15:45

I think when people are at a boozy event a raffle would work

I think when they are perched on the edge of the bed in December on a zoom call, paying their own heating bill it wouldn't

Forresttheout · 29/10/2020 15:57

I agree with PP at an all expenses paid event a raffle/lucky dip works gives everyone a bit of entertainment and the event is the main gift the rest are just lucky extras. Via zoom with everyone sat at home I don't think it would be well received and could breed resentment if some people are getting high value vouchers and others nothing. It will look like the company didn't want to buy everyone a gift so this was the 'fun' way out.
I would take the budget/number of people so £45 each and buy vouchers for everyone. Ideally for a generic place such as JL, M&S etc. but if you really want to add an element of lucky dip or surprise buy for a selection of more niche places cheese shop, chocolate shop, fancy deli near by or online etc. and do it that way although as pp. mentioned its a bit awkward if you get a vegan winning the cheese shop, someone whos teetotal the wine etc but you will know of the 44 people if that'll be an issue

NoSleepInTheHeat · 29/10/2020 16:10

I wouldn’t do the activities vouchers, lots of people wouldn’t use them.

My work just sent us a Chilly water bottle, it was a nice surprise and all my colleagues liked the idea.
Food hampers/chocolates are always good as can be regifted or offered to guests if the recipient isn’t keen.

Different value gifts are fine IMO, this is how a raffle works 🤷🏼‍♀️ as long as everybody gets something

katy1213 · 29/10/2020 16:15

My morale would be raised far more by a John Lewis voucher arriving by post (that I could use for a Waitrose shop) rather than a long and dreary Zoom meeting trying to look vaguely pleased and grateful for a pamper voucher/climbing day/ water activity ( straight into the bin!) or a meal voucher so stingy that it won't even cover a set menu and a bottle of wine.
Don't try to be fun and different - you'll only sow seeds of discontent.

Didiusfalco · 29/10/2020 16:31

Totally agree, would try to veto this. Your boss is trying to recreate something that’s not possible when everyone is at the end of a hard year sat home alone. A nice gesture of a voucher would be much better for morale.

Didiusfalco · 29/10/2020 16:33

If you have to do this can I suggest £40 voucher for everyone, plus a £5 silly secret Santa to bring some ‘fun’ that your boss seems to want.

Wearywithteens · 29/10/2020 16:35

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

pandamoniummm · 29/10/2020 16:37

I'm staggered that your company is doing this to be honest. How many people are out of a job and lets just flash our cash around on cheese hampers and John Lewis vouchers.

CovidClara · 29/10/2020 16:37

@Didiusfalco

If you have to do this can I suggest £40 voucher for everyone, plus a £5 silly secret Santa to bring some ‘fun’ that your boss seems to want.
You could post them in advance and everyone could open their secret santa on line (my internet connection would be very very poor that day)
Original poster
Mrbay · 29/10/2020 17:25

@pandamoniummm

I'm staggered that your company is doing this to be honest. How many people are out of a job and lets just flash our cash around on cheese hampers and John Lewis vouchers.
Oh why? We've been lucky to have been able to work our normal hours for the is year, the company spending money on retail is helping others keep their jobs.

Thank you all for the comments, I'll keep off doing it via Zoom and whatever happens I'm sure some will feel annoyed/peed off so I'll stop trying to appease everyone 😊

OP posts:
throwaway100000 · 29/10/2020 17:51

@pandamoniummm

I'm staggered that your company is doing this to be honest. How many people are out of a job and lets just flash our cash around on cheese hampers and John Lewis vouchers.
You’ll be staggered to find that a significant amount of employers do something similar for Christmas as a thanks - and have so for years! Mass unemployment or redundancy isn’t the fault of OP’s company, or their staff. It’s not like this £2k gift fund would sustain a new employee’s salary.

I think a JL voucher would be amazing. They could spend that on anything from food to tech. I like the idea of using the remaining funds for novelty gifts for the “fun” aspect.