Gift giving at work can be tricky. Do you give a gift to your boss? To the people under you? The secretary? Will it makes things awkward if you give a gift to someone and they don’t reciprocate? Or the other way around? We have some simple tips for you to take into consideration during this holiday season.

1. Check your company’s policy. Some companies have guidelines on gift giving - either officially spelled out in a workplace manual, or more informal unwritten rules. Ask colleagues what protocol is, and especially what people tend to get the boss. It’s better to go with the crowd on this.
2. Never give inappropriate gifts. Think conservative. Even if you know someone well, stay away from lingerie, perfume, makeup, massage oil, or anything that could be construed as too personal.
3. Give donations in colleagues’ names. Donating to charity can help you avoid giving useless clutter, and help someone who needs it. Almost all charities allow you to donate in someone’s name, and recipients are usually very happy to be honored in this way. Try to find a charity that is meaningful to the recipient, and stay away from controversial organizations.
4. Try not to give useless gifts. Everybody ends up with a lot of clutter around the holidays. Try not to give gifts that will just end up in a landfill. If you have trouble thinking of anything your colleague might like, gift cards are an excellent way to go!
5. Think inclusively. If you are working with a team of people and wish to give gifts, give to everyone on your team. Nothing will make the office awkward as quickly as leaving one or two people out.
6. Organize a gift swap. This is one of the most popular ways to deal with gift giving at work. “Secret Santas” or other organized gift exchanges are great ways to celebrate the holidays. People can draw names and buy gifts (usually with a set price range) for colleagues. Alternatively, everyone can buy a gift that could work for anyone (with a set price range) and wrap it. Then names are drawn and people take turns choosing a gift.

Whatever gift you choose, don’t forget to search DealLocker for discounts and coupons from all your favorite stores!

This entry was posted on Monday, December 3rd, 2007 at 4:33 pm and is filed under Shopping Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.