An office gift that keeps on giving
November 25, 2015 12:06 PM Subscribe
I have a staff of 25 and I'm looking for a holiday gift that will give everyone a little lift every day they are at the office. In the past, my go-to gift was gift cards, but they seem so impersonal and forgettable. Some ideas that come to mind are:
- new Keurigs and stock an assortment of coffees, teas, and ciders
- snack cabinet and stock it with snacks and drinks
- personalized stationery
I can spend up to about $400 intially and I'm willing to spend about $50- $100 a month to keep up supplies throughout the year. We have a very casual office and most folks like food and drink. I prefer something they can enjoy on their own (no group lunches, etc.). I would love to hear what YOU would like your boss to do. Thx!
I can spend up to about $400 intially and I'm willing to spend about $50- $100 a month to keep up supplies throughout the year. We have a very casual office and most folks like food and drink. I prefer something they can enjoy on their own (no group lunches, etc.). I would love to hear what YOU would like your boss to do. Thx!
What about a subscription snack service, like naturebox?
posted by pintapicasso at 12:16 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by pintapicasso at 12:16 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
not sure $50-$100 is going to keep up with an office drinking keurigs or eating snacks. for example it looks like keurig pods are around 50c each. if one person has one coffee a day, 20 days a month, that's 25*20*0.5 = $250.
so maybe something once a week - some kind of subscription that comes on fridays? even there, you've only got $1 per person.
tricky question. sorry i am not being more positive. not trying to shoot things down, just realised the numbers aren't great.
posted by andrewcooke at 12:23 PM on November 25, 2015
so maybe something once a week - some kind of subscription that comes on fridays? even there, you've only got $1 per person.
tricky question. sorry i am not being more positive. not trying to shoot things down, just realised the numbers aren't great.
posted by andrewcooke at 12:23 PM on November 25, 2015
Buy Uber Eats lunch for the office on Mondays for a few months? Works out to about $10/person, and there are several choices available each day. I say Monday because it's a nice perk that makes Mondays more bearable.
I once worked in an artsy office where everyone was ok to drink, and on Thursday afternoons the boss used to make up a tray of some kind of fun cocktail - Dark and Stormys with strong ginger beer, or Old Fashioneds with a twist of orange peel, or frosty craft beers, or whatever. He would bring them to us at our desks on a tray while we kept working. That was great.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 12:29 PM on November 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
I once worked in an artsy office where everyone was ok to drink, and on Thursday afternoons the boss used to make up a tray of some kind of fun cocktail - Dark and Stormys with strong ginger beer, or Old Fashioneds with a twist of orange peel, or frosty craft beers, or whatever. He would bring them to us at our desks on a tray while we kept working. That was great.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 12:29 PM on November 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
On your budget I'd say donuts and muffins/other breakfast for the office once per week. We have a snack cabinet at our work and it's good, but around week two of the month you end up with nothing but Butterfingers and hummus. Then it's a sad rest of the month. I would think it could get pretty pricey throughout the year, plus having the snacks there ALL the time is harder to resist for people who like to avoid delicious snacks. Once per week is easier to avoid.
posted by clone boulevard at 1:05 PM on November 25, 2015
posted by clone boulevard at 1:05 PM on November 25, 2015
Non-food idea: gifting air purifying, low maintenance plants (or spend the planned follow up money on the care of plants) for desks, getting some larger plants for around the office, and perhaps gifting a beautiful flower arrangement for everyone too would be lovely. It makes a real difference to have something alive and green in office spaces.
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 1:35 PM on November 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 1:35 PM on November 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
Play station 4 and a big flat screen tv. Stress relief and team building in one.
posted by pearlybob at 1:41 PM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by pearlybob at 1:41 PM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Giant breakfast or lunch initially, and then bagels/donuts/muffins every Friday morning for the rest of the year? Knowing it's going to be a bagel day is at work really nice to look forward to when you're getting ready in the morning!
posted by jabes at 2:34 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jabes at 2:34 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm sure you've thought of this, but are you able to just ask each of them? It might well be that someone fawns over some, like, weird $25 desk toy thing that would bring them immense joy but would never splurge on themselves. Or someone else would secretly kill for a super-swanky staple remover. Or whatever.
Maybe it's just because I work in government with the accompanying lack of frills, but the kind of workplace gift that would get me excited is the sort of thing that's a better and fancier version of whatever is already there to help me get shit done. Like, I can buy my own food but there's no way I'm going to pay out of pocket for a blinged-out paper cutter even though the one I have to use is super annoying.
posted by threeants at 2:48 PM on November 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
Maybe it's just because I work in government with the accompanying lack of frills, but the kind of workplace gift that would get me excited is the sort of thing that's a better and fancier version of whatever is already there to help me get shit done. Like, I can buy my own food but there's no way I'm going to pay out of pocket for a blinged-out paper cutter even though the one I have to use is super annoying.
posted by threeants at 2:48 PM on November 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
I would like it if my boss gave us all water bottles with the company logo or something that matched our personality. Most of us buy sodas from fast food restaurants and drag them around all day, and this could be used to either hold our soda OR help us actually drink water like normal healthy people.
posted by tofu_crouton at 2:48 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tofu_crouton at 2:48 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
The only idea above I think is good, other than gift cards, is plants. Our supervisor sprang for plants awhile ago and it does make a big difference, and everyone seems to like them.
Frankly, when I look around my office and think about my crowd of family/friends there are just too many people who don't drink, don't drink certain things (alcohol, coffee, tea), are on various diets (both for weight loss and other health), managing food allergies/intolerances (gluten, dairy, seafood) to make consumables worth it or fair.
I'd jump at a massage, but my dad (retired now from senior management) is probably on the Asperger's spectrum and when massages came up in conversation awhile ago he said he found them "creepy" because he "hates being touched. At all." There is absolutely no reason why anyone at his office would have known this. I don't play videogames, and my sister doesn't because some of them give her seizures.
Right now my office is organising a roast lunch + golf game + drinks for Christmas, during + after work hours, at our own expense. This is awful for so many reasons - I don't really eat meat or drink, I don't play golf, don't want to spend $100 on it, and have to pick my kid up from daycare anyway. Just... ugh.
Anyway - this is absolutely Ask A Manager territory, and this is pretty much why gift cards were invented. I LOVE them. I just found out we all get $50 gift card this year and I'm stoked. $50 I can guiltlessly spend on nail polish, magazines, and stationary? WOO HOO! It's not just the monetary value - it's the "bonus" aspect, the permission to do something nice for yourself. If I got it cash, I'd just chuck it into my retirement account or pay bills or something. I work for local government, and if we spend the $50 in our catchment area we can submit the receipt and get reimbursed (thus fuelling local economy, too). You can get around this if you really want - I process the reimbursements and we do have a few folks who just go to the grocery store or something. But MANY do go get a new purse, or go to the bookstore, etc. There was a motion to stop doing this and there was an absolutely uproar.
posted by jrobin276 at 2:51 PM on November 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
Frankly, when I look around my office and think about my crowd of family/friends there are just too many people who don't drink, don't drink certain things (alcohol, coffee, tea), are on various diets (both for weight loss and other health), managing food allergies/intolerances (gluten, dairy, seafood) to make consumables worth it or fair.
I'd jump at a massage, but my dad (retired now from senior management) is probably on the Asperger's spectrum and when massages came up in conversation awhile ago he said he found them "creepy" because he "hates being touched. At all." There is absolutely no reason why anyone at his office would have known this. I don't play videogames, and my sister doesn't because some of them give her seizures.
Right now my office is organising a roast lunch + golf game + drinks for Christmas, during + after work hours, at our own expense. This is awful for so many reasons - I don't really eat meat or drink, I don't play golf, don't want to spend $100 on it, and have to pick my kid up from daycare anyway. Just... ugh.
Anyway - this is absolutely Ask A Manager territory, and this is pretty much why gift cards were invented. I LOVE them. I just found out we all get $50 gift card this year and I'm stoked. $50 I can guiltlessly spend on nail polish, magazines, and stationary? WOO HOO! It's not just the monetary value - it's the "bonus" aspect, the permission to do something nice for yourself. If I got it cash, I'd just chuck it into my retirement account or pay bills or something. I work for local government, and if we spend the $50 in our catchment area we can submit the receipt and get reimbursed (thus fuelling local economy, too). You can get around this if you really want - I process the reimbursements and we do have a few folks who just go to the grocery store or something. But MANY do go get a new purse, or go to the bookstore, etc. There was a motion to stop doing this and there was an absolutely uproar.
posted by jrobin276 at 2:51 PM on November 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
jrobin's comment reminded me... last year we had a work party with ample door prizes. Some of them had a value of $100+, and there were some Amazon gift cards in the mix. What everyone was fighting for, however, were gift cards for the local dinner + movie theatre. People were trading higher value presents to get their hands on one of those.
posted by tofu_crouton at 2:55 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tofu_crouton at 2:55 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Better ventilation or plants are good ideas.
Or, one or more mini fridges, or a single bigger fridge (if you can put a down payment on one with the $400), so people don't have to fight for space to store the particular snacks they prefer. Or a hotplate or grill, if that's allowed and wanted or needed by most people. Anything to promote people's ability to enjoy their preferred healthy foods at work (because it's hard to do that, in some places). But "more fridge" would probably go the furthest for everyone. (I'd be pretty sad if the gift were snacks, and I had to keep refusing unwanted donuts, muffins, cookies, croissants, pizza etc. Or even the particular fruits/veg I dislike.)
Or, some of it could go towards a matching program for the cost of ergonomic devices / tools people might need, e.g. 10 - 30 %. (The amount you've got would be less than helpful for 25 employees, but that's what I'd hope everyone would be able to have access to.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 3:05 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Or, one or more mini fridges, or a single bigger fridge (if you can put a down payment on one with the $400), so people don't have to fight for space to store the particular snacks they prefer. Or a hotplate or grill, if that's allowed and wanted or needed by most people. Anything to promote people's ability to enjoy their preferred healthy foods at work (because it's hard to do that, in some places). But "more fridge" would probably go the furthest for everyone. (I'd be pretty sad if the gift were snacks, and I had to keep refusing unwanted donuts, muffins, cookies, croissants, pizza etc. Or even the particular fruits/veg I dislike.)
Or, some of it could go towards a matching program for the cost of ergonomic devices / tools people might need, e.g. 10 - 30 %. (The amount you've got would be less than helpful for 25 employees, but that's what I'd hope everyone would be able to have access to.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 3:05 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Love the idea of getting office plants, but I'm a plant person (not everyone is, or even notices them).
I work from home but occasionally go to the office when I'm in a non-home city where there's an office. Once per week, usually on a grumble-inducing day (Monday or Tuesday), lunch is on the house. Each office manager keeps a list of five or so nearby restaurants that everyone likes and morning of emails around a link to the menu of the place of the day (it's a bit random an up to the office manager to pick which place it'll be, so people in the office seem to like that aspect of forced variety). Lunch arrives and, while there's no requirement to do so, most people end up eating and chatting and laughing together in the common room. It's a nice tradition!
Granted, you can't do this on the budget you've outlined, but a monthly spread of of edible treats would be a much-appreciated gesture no matter how you go about it.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 3:26 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I work from home but occasionally go to the office when I'm in a non-home city where there's an office. Once per week, usually on a grumble-inducing day (Monday or Tuesday), lunch is on the house. Each office manager keeps a list of five or so nearby restaurants that everyone likes and morning of emails around a link to the menu of the place of the day (it's a bit random an up to the office manager to pick which place it'll be, so people in the office seem to like that aspect of forced variety). Lunch arrives and, while there's no requirement to do so, most people end up eating and chatting and laughing together in the common room. It's a nice tradition!
Granted, you can't do this on the budget you've outlined, but a monthly spread of of edible treats would be a much-appreciated gesture no matter how you go about it.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 3:26 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I like the snack cabinet idea. You could ask for volunteers to restock it monthly so people have a chance to get what they want, or you could use naturebox or something.
posted by BibiRose at 3:35 PM on November 25, 2015
posted by BibiRose at 3:35 PM on November 25, 2015
I also think you need to be careful with many of the consumable ideas here. I eat a low-carb diet (which is really not all that unusual though people tend not to talk about it) and it's hard enough avoiding the onslaught of free bagels/muffins/cookies/candy that gets brought in to work. I wouldn't be terribly pleased if my end of the year reward was explicitly in the form of more carby snacks - a snack cabinet or even NatureBox (supposedly healthy but their carb counts are still high if you're serious about this).
Not everyone will like Keurig coffee pods (lots of people I know think it makes terrible coffee).
Honestly this is why gift cards exist - you really can't please everyone with a thoughtful gift. Last year my manager's manager gave everyone Starbucks gift cards - boring but it's hard to not find something you could drink or eat at Starbucks and it took a long time to use up that balance - compared to the equivalent amount at Amazon, say (though I'll never be unhappy with an Amazon gift card).
posted by peacheater at 4:02 PM on November 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
Not everyone will like Keurig coffee pods (lots of people I know think it makes terrible coffee).
Honestly this is why gift cards exist - you really can't please everyone with a thoughtful gift. Last year my manager's manager gave everyone Starbucks gift cards - boring but it's hard to not find something you could drink or eat at Starbucks and it took a long time to use up that balance - compared to the equivalent amount at Amazon, say (though I'll never be unhappy with an Amazon gift card).
posted by peacheater at 4:02 PM on November 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
Extra time off is always a hit too... give a little advance warning, and just close the office for a day/afternoon. Everyone's busy this time of year, and everyone has something they could go do (even if it's just seeing a movie and taking some time "out").
posted by jrobin276 at 4:21 PM on November 25, 2015 [13 favorites]
posted by jrobin276 at 4:21 PM on November 25, 2015 [13 favorites]
I would love to hear what YOU would like your boss to do. Thx!
I would like my boss to give me cash. I work because I need money, not because I need coffee (which I don't drink), food (which I eat too much of already), video games (which I don't play), or plants (which I tend to kill). An employer that picks what I want is an employer that is deciding that they know better what to do with my money than I do. That sort of employer is the sort of employer I don't want to work for.
posted by saeculorum at 4:31 PM on November 25, 2015 [15 favorites]
I would like my boss to give me cash. I work because I need money, not because I need coffee (which I don't drink), food (which I eat too much of already), video games (which I don't play), or plants (which I tend to kill). An employer that picks what I want is an employer that is deciding that they know better what to do with my money than I do. That sort of employer is the sort of employer I don't want to work for.
posted by saeculorum at 4:31 PM on November 25, 2015 [15 favorites]
That's right - our office gives you a choice of $50 gift card (reimbursement) OR a ham. So maybe you could have a few options like, gift card - massage voucher - dinner+movie voucher?
(And really - my office provides plants, snacks, coffee pods, tea just as a matter of course not as a "gift". It's really just basic acknowledgement that I'm here 8+ hours a day - more time than at home - and they want this time to not suck.)
posted by jrobin276 at 6:21 PM on November 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
(And really - my office provides plants, snacks, coffee pods, tea just as a matter of course not as a "gift". It's really just basic acknowledgement that I'm here 8+ hours a day - more time than at home - and they want this time to not suck.)
posted by jrobin276 at 6:21 PM on November 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
Do you have a watercooler nearby that outputs hot water? Teavana loose tea + good disposable hot cups with lids (Chinet comfort cups are my favorite!) would be a nice morale booster. Since not everyone is a tea drinker, this would be best in combination with other items that would appeal to everyone else.
Having everyone personalize a chocolate bar seems like a superfun activity.
posted by Gable Oak at 10:35 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Having everyone personalize a chocolate bar seems like a superfun activity.
posted by Gable Oak at 10:35 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh and some event at work set up a wedding-favor-style candy bar w/ bags. Man, what I would have done for an invite to that! It would be very easy to include the more health-conscious with things like nuts, dried fruits, veggie chips.
posted by Gable Oak at 10:45 PM on November 25, 2015
posted by Gable Oak at 10:45 PM on November 25, 2015
Since you've mentioned in your OP that folks in your office like food and drink, I would go with a food gift - Bagel /Doughnut Friday or something.
It depends on the culture of the office. I work in a very gluttonous office - NOTHING makes us happier than carby snacks but of course it may be different if the office has many people with diets or allergies.
posted by Ziggy500 at 2:37 AM on November 26, 2015
It depends on the culture of the office. I work in a very gluttonous office - NOTHING makes us happier than carby snacks but of course it may be different if the office has many people with diets or allergies.
posted by Ziggy500 at 2:37 AM on November 26, 2015
Getting a Keurig was a big hit in our office. The boss did/does not supply K-Cups for all, we all got our own stash of whatever we liked. That was kind of fun in and of itself, trading them with each other and trying different things.
If you get a model that won't let you brew non-authorized pods, there are hacks, or devices to get around that, and I suggest getting one. This lets people bring in their own coffee in a reusable pod, or try non-authorized brands (which tend to be better tasting IMHO)
And at some supplier functions we've given away medium/small fake leather folios with our company logo stamped on them. And once a nice pen/stylus/laser pointer combo with the logo. It may seem super boring, but everyone at work who wasn't involved in the supplier thing was jealous of us who were because we got ones of our own. I still use my one from 4 years ago daily.
posted by Caravantea at 4:26 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you get a model that won't let you brew non-authorized pods, there are hacks, or devices to get around that, and I suggest getting one. This lets people bring in their own coffee in a reusable pod, or try non-authorized brands (which tend to be better tasting IMHO)
And at some supplier functions we've given away medium/small fake leather folios with our company logo stamped on them. And once a nice pen/stylus/laser pointer combo with the logo. It may seem super boring, but everyone at work who wasn't involved in the supplier thing was jealous of us who were because we got ones of our own. I still use my one from 4 years ago daily.
posted by Caravantea at 4:26 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm a boss and an employee. Time off is the way to go. Ideally close the office for an extra day if you can swing it. Give people a day or two advance notice. Let them know with a nice note telling them how much you appreciate them.
Most of the other ideas besides gift cards and massages strike me as just nice things that nice employers already provide. Especially the plants. Monday lunches or first Monday lunches where they get to pick from a menu ... that could be helpful because everyone needs to eat and it saves packing a lunch that day. But really, nothing says I'm grateful for your work like a day off.
posted by semacd at 5:30 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Most of the other ideas besides gift cards and massages strike me as just nice things that nice employers already provide. Especially the plants. Monday lunches or first Monday lunches where they get to pick from a menu ... that could be helpful because everyone needs to eat and it saves packing a lunch that day. But really, nothing says I'm grateful for your work like a day off.
posted by semacd at 5:30 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
The desk is a land of contrasts: I would hate getting a plant, for the record. It's just more clutter for one, and I already have enough of that. What happens when it inevitably dies?
We're in an office where gifts are not possible, but the one thing that everyone appreciates is that upper-ups tell us every year that attendance will not be required on the afternoon of the 24th. That extra half-day is golden.
posted by bonehead at 6:14 AM on November 26, 2015
We're in an office where gifts are not possible, but the one thing that everyone appreciates is that upper-ups tell us every year that attendance will not be required on the afternoon of the 24th. That extra half-day is golden.
posted by bonehead at 6:14 AM on November 26, 2015
Cash money. Gift certificates. Time off. In that order. Anything else is not going to be desired by all employees.
We each got our own little desk plant one year for the holidays when I worked at Lockheed Martin. They ended up having spider mites. Nothing says "happy holidays, you valuable employee" like a good dose of spider mites.
Soooo like I said, $$$.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 5:21 PM on November 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
We each got our own little desk plant one year for the holidays when I worked at Lockheed Martin. They ended up having spider mites. Nothing says "happy holidays, you valuable employee" like a good dose of spider mites.
Soooo like I said, $$$.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 5:21 PM on November 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Better than a K-cup thing would be an actual espresso machine.
posted by schrodycat at 6:13 PM on November 26, 2015
posted by schrodycat at 6:13 PM on November 26, 2015
If you do snacks or something, just be warned that people will forget that it was a holiday thing and just assume you are providing snacks on an ongoing basis, which will make it hard to stop.
I am apparently the only person in the U.S. who freaking hates receiving gift cards. I never remember to use them and then they expire or I lose them. I just found a prepaid Visa for $100 in my wallet that was an Employee Appreciation gift from my last job that is 3 years old and is now expired and worthless.
I'd get something durable for the office that will not need to be replaced in an ongoing basis like a good coffee machine, or a one-time thing that will be fun and not turn into an expectation.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 8:12 AM on November 27, 2015
I am apparently the only person in the U.S. who freaking hates receiving gift cards. I never remember to use them and then they expire or I lose them. I just found a prepaid Visa for $100 in my wallet that was an Employee Appreciation gift from my last job that is 3 years old and is now expired and worthless.
I'd get something durable for the office that will not need to be replaced in an ongoing basis like a good coffee machine, or a one-time thing that will be fun and not turn into an expectation.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 8:12 AM on November 27, 2015
Just popped in to suggest personalized note pads. 5x8 size with the person's name at the top, with or without company logo. I love those things. Or, fancy pens maybe? Not like fountain pens, just fancier pens than you usually buy. One firm also gave us coffee mugs with our names on them.
posted by bluesky78987 at 11:49 AM on November 27, 2015
posted by bluesky78987 at 11:49 AM on November 27, 2015
I once worked in an office that had a salt water fish tank, and all the employees thought it was the coolest thing ever. It was a great to take a break during the day and watch the goings on in the tank for a few minutes, and it was something that we never tired of.
They seem to be available in your price range, and the ongoing budget could go towards someone coming by to maintain it every week.
posted by MexicanYenta at 8:13 PM on November 28, 2015
They seem to be available in your price range, and the ongoing budget could go towards someone coming by to maintain it every week.
posted by MexicanYenta at 8:13 PM on November 28, 2015
« Older How to navigate the 'current boss as work... | We're going to be new home buyers and we have some... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
LOVED when an old boss did this. It'll run you more than 100, but maybe you can find a training school near you where students need practice hours.
posted by archimago at 12:12 PM on November 25, 2015 [11 favorites]