Office Gift-Giving: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The holiday spirit of office gift-giving is alive and well this year, according to a recent survey from Accountemps. Most HR managers feel it's appropriate for employees to give gifts to their managers and for managers to return the favor. But if your budget is tight, don't fret: You shouldn't have to spend more than $20 on this tradition. Still, before whipping out your credit card here, you should get a sense of your office culture, as well as your relationship with the intended recipient. "As much as people enjoy giving presents, this can be a sensitive issue in the workplace, and it becomes a personal decision based on individual relationships," said Bill Driscoll, district president for Accountemps. "More important than the dollar amount, the focus should be on giving something meaningful to the recipient. The best gifts are thoughtful and demonstrate care for others." To offer a more humorous perspective on the topic, Accountemps has also come up with the following six "incredibly inappropriate" real-life office holiday gifts, and we've included those here. More than 300 U.S. HR managers took part in the research.