No good deed goes unpunished...

[MyGhastIsFlabbered]

I used to organise the secret Santa in my old job - started a new job in January this year. Anyway, I heard the last few people found it stressful so I volunteered to do it this year.

Today I sent out an email to everyone to ask who was interested - I asked for everyone's e-mail address so I could do a random draw online and it would remain secret, and for a few likes/dislikes from each participant as we've got quite a high turnover of staff and this would make it easier to buy something that the recipient would actually appreciate rather than random tat. This approach worked really well in my last place of work.

Within minutes I'd had an email from one of the managers saying I had to know who had drawn who in case I had to chase people up.

A few minutes later I had an email from a different manager saying I'd made it far too complicated and time consuming, that half the fun of secret Santa was not knowing what to get someone and then reviving a random gift. I then got a warning not to let it interfere with my normal futures.

I'm tempted to tell them to organise it themselves now - I'm so pissed off

Reply to each email with ‘I’m sorry you feel that way, I’ll hand over the organization to you’ or words to that effect.
And watch them scuttle away 😊

Save yourself a lot of hassle and don't annoy the other staff by doing it. Send another email tomorrow saying that the idea is no longer a runner. You mention a high turnover of staff - so chances are staff don't all really know each other well and some may even be gone by Christmas, leaving others without a gift.

I've had a lot of people already reply saying what a good idea and they want to take part. I'll cobble together some bullshit to keep everyone happy but I wont do it next year.

I would definitely back out of doing it this year too. Sounds like it’s going to be an awkward nightmare.

Use elfster.com. its a free site, people sign up online, they can put in a wish list, you set an amount, set a date ifyou want an automated draw. You can even join in without finding out who is buying for you. And best if all, I you need to fix out who someone is assigned you can,but only of you go and look!!

It makes it so much easier!

A) well surely you know who signed up and who gave a present and who received a present so if one is missing then it's obvious... with secret Santa its only secret until the exchange day, everyone knows who gave what because you hand it to each other no one ever sits baffled by who got them a gift.

B) tell him he can just write surprise me on his list and technically can buy whatever he wants... its suggestions if someone wants them (I assume it would be things like 'likes Gin and Marvel' not 'Want items w230976 from xxx catalogue only' lol).

Ungrateful swine!

I would email the managers back saying 'thanks for the feedback, agree it's too complicated' then send everyone else an email saying 'managers x and y have rightly raised concerns about this being too time consuming and distracting, so we have decided not to proceed this year', so that you've been scrupulously professional but your colleagues know exactly who to blame.