What's the new thing for celebrating promotions?

July 24, 2020 10:38 AM

I have some co-workers whose work I direct in part, and they have been promoted. Normally I would take people out to lunch to celebrate, but that's not possible in the conventional sense right now. What should I do?

The lunch was doubly nice because almost everyone eats lunch and it would be an opportunity for team socialization. I can drop things off at their residences. Limit $50, $25 would be better.

One person likes to kayak. The other likes to play tennis and rides their bike to work.

posted by wnissen to Work & Money (9 answers total)

Can you still buy them lunch, and eat it outside - together-ish, socially distanced? Is it too weird to visit them / socialize at their homes?
posted by hydra77 at 10:55 AM on July 24, 2020

I paid for a colleague’s delivery lunch (reimbursed her) and we had about five of us eating lunch together via Zoom.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:10 AM on July 24, 2020 [5 favorites]

We’ve been doing Zoom happy hours for this kind of thing at my office. I love the idea of ordering a meal—or maybe a gift basket?—for the celebrant, but think that eating together on camera is too awkward.
posted by capricorn at 11:28 AM on July 24, 2020

have a nice bottle of wine/beer/liquor delivered to them if that is allowed by your company reimbursement policy, or if they don't drink or its not allowed, something like a food treat - baked goods, fancy cheese basket, etc.
posted by slow graffiti at 11:31 AM on July 24, 2020 [5 favorites]

I think individual notes of congratulation would be nice, in addition to any physical experience you may be able to provide, especially these days. (Perhaps you have already done this.)
posted by ferret branca at 11:42 AM on July 24, 2020

Seconding slow graffiti's recommendation of having nice drinks or food delivered. (I actually just got a promotion and am now feeling a bit annoyed that I didn't get one, but I suspect even food isn't allowed by my company's reimbursement policy.)
posted by madcaptenor at 12:01 PM on July 24, 2020

Response by poster: Ah, should have mentioned, this is coming out of my own pocket, no restrictions except within the bounds of the law and professional propriety.
posted by wnissen at 1:38 PM on July 24, 2020

I have gotten some friends gift certificates for a food delivery service, so they can order what they want when they want
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:42 PM on July 24, 2020 [1 favorite]

Nth the above, on my team it is a tradition to order people McDonald's delivery as a celebration. This was even the case before COVID but is definitely the case now! Maybe you could even do something slightly nicer than McDonald's :-).
posted by phoenixy at 3:41 PM on July 24, 2020