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Rewarding your employees with thoughtful gifts during the holiday season can help encourage a hard-working and energetic work environment. But what kind of gifts should you give to your employees? It doesn't matter how big or small the company is, it's important to show each person some appreciation and gratitude during the holiday season.
Giving gifts to employees can be a great motivating factor or job reward if you’re giving gifts to everyone that everyone can enjoy. However, if gifts are distributed in an inappropriate or unfair manner, you may cross the line into bias or unethical corporate conduct.
As an employer, you want to avoid this and reward all employees accordingly. The trick to giving presents to coworkers is to achieve a proper balance when adhering to your firm's gift exchange policy.
Guide To gift giving
Check your company's gift giving policies
It's a good idea to review your firm's gift policies before making a shopping list. Such policies assist organizations in avoiding potential conflicts of interest.
Since gifts can be exchanged between workers and clients, distributors, suppliers, work candidates and other relevant stakeholders regularly, it's a good idea to have clear company gift policies in place to avoid issues.
Employees should not be forced to participate
Some employees might feel uncomfortable if your office is collecting funds for a group gift for a colleague. When people are pressured to offer more than they can spare, it can lead to dissatisfaction, rejection and resentment.
Giving a basket of fruit or bouquet from the entire team to a team member who has a newborn, is recovering from an illness or has recently experienced a loss is most likely a welcome gesture. When there's not enough funds available to cover expenses, ask for volunteers. However, you should never put pressure on an employee to contribute.
Keep track of your gift giving budget
Keep fixed spending restrictions in place for office gifts. If a gift exceeds the limit, it can make colleagues unhappy and might lead to misunderstandings about your motivations.
Professionalism is essential
You should think about how your gift decisions in the workplace express your values. You should consider how the receiver-as well as onlookers-may view your gift. Don't give anything too personal that could be misconstrued as favoritism, or items that aren't normally permitted in the office.
Don't offer gifts during performance assessments
When it comes to giving gifts at work, timing is key. Giving a gift right before an performance review may send the wrong message. Although your motivations may be sincere, your actions may be misinterpreted. Likewise, if you expect an internal position to be vacant soon, this isn't the time to offer gifts to hiring managers.
Do not offer gifts to your bosses. It is appropriate for a supervisor or manager to give gifts to employees and coworkers can exchange gifts laterally, but employees should not give gifts to their bosses. Workers should not feel obligated to buy presents for the people that sign their paychecks.
Custom gift boxes for every employee
Prepaid Cards or Gift Cards
The simplest and easiest gift box contains just one item: the gift card. Though these aren’t technically gift boxes, gift cards can be dressed up in a customized mailer or box with your logo. For additional personalization, consider adding a thoughtful message with the gift card.
Gift cards, specifically Mastercard® or Visa® prepaid cards, are the #1 rated gift by employees for 14 years in a row. Employees love them because they can purchase from any store or retailer, and employers love them because ordering is simple and seamless. Just contact a bulk gift card supplier (like Blackhawk Network) and make your order.
Coffee/tea gift box
Odds are that everyone knows an avid coffee or tea drinker in the office. Fuel their morning habit with a coffee or tea-themed gift box. You can give your employees a customized mug with their name on it, their favorite beverage packets or some chocolate for added sweetness. With employees rating food and beverage gift cards at the top of their wishlists, throw in a gift card to their favorite coffee shop. Employees will appreciate you footing the bill while also receiving a variety of customized gifts.
Home & office gift box
With many of us continuing to work from home, a home goods gift box is the perfect way to show your employees appreciation. You can include office supplies, like a power bank or luxury pen, but with so many varied needs and lifestyles, your best bet is to also give a home goods gift card from a reputable brand like Lowe’s, Wayfair, or a multi-brand gift card with multiple home and office brands. Your employees can have fun decorating their home office spaces and even share photos of their upgrades to each other.
Health and wellness gift box
Having a culture of wellness and appreciation not only signals to your employees that you value them and their wellbeing, but that you want them to bring their whole, authentic selves to work. With many employees hesitant to invest in high-end wellness treatments, why not pay the tab for them? Give them a health and wellness gift box with all the essentials, like a stress ball, essential oils, candles, or a subscription to a meditation app. Pair that with a SpaFinder gift card or Zeel Massage gift card for extra relaxation.
Fine dining and wine gift box
Let’s face it-you can’t go wrong with food. For the foodies in your office, give them a box with wine and chocolate. If you know someone is an avid cook or wine connoisseur, you can even throw in a cookbook or wine making kit. Though purchasing a ready-made food basket may seem simple enough, it’s important to take food allergies and preferences into account. In addition to a gift basket, purchase a gift card to your employees’ favorite restaurant or brewery. That way, even if your employees don’t drink wine or don’t eat some of the ready-made food items, they can still indulge in a night out with family or loved ones.
Do you want to buy gift cards in bulk for your employees?
Blackhawk Network is the industry leader in employee prepaid cards and gift cards throughout the United States. Our card portfolio offers all the options you need, including cards that are exclusively ours.
We know choosing the perfect gift for your employees can be extremely difficult and time-consuming, so we offer a full portfolio of comprehensive gift cards unsurpassed in the industry.
From Disney® to Safeway® to The Cheesecake Factory®, we partner with the world’s most beloved brands so you can give gifts that please anyone. Reach out to us now to start a conversation with one of our experts.
