John Maddox
We’ve only got a few more weeks until Christmas arrives, and if you’re struggling to come up with appropriate gift ideas for your hardworking employees, consider these suggestions and show your sincere appreciation for everything they do.
Group Gift
Avoid the stress of selecting individual gifts for all of your employees and take care of Christmas presents for the office in one fell swoop. Plan a group outing that your employees will enjoy, whether it be a dinner, a fun camaraderie building course, or one of those Escape Room facilities where you have to work together and find clues to get out of a space—sure to inspire teamwork and laughter.
Christmas Bonuses
Ask any employee what they want from their boss for Christmas and you will hear a resounding word: bonus. If you appreciate all that your employees have done for you, show it through monetary reward. It will help them handle their holiday expenses and hopefully inspire them to work even harder after they come back from Christmas break.
Joke Gifts
If you have a friendly relationship with your employees, consider getting them some appropriate joke gifts that will inspire a smile during long work days. Whether it’s mini table games, like foosball or pool, or a funny office shirt for everyone with their names emblazoned on the backs, laughter is always a wonderful gift, especially during the holiday season. For a fun breakroom addition, install a mini golf game that they can use to practice their swing while chatting around the water cooler. Want to really get your employees laughing? Hire a hypnotist to come in for the afternoon and put on a show for everyone—just make sure the hypnotist knows things need to be kept PG.
Gifts for the Coffee Junkie
Finding gifts for the coffee junkies in your office is an easy task. If you’ve never seen said employee without a Starbucks cup in their hand when they arrive in the morning, then a coffee gift is sure to go over well. Hand out gift certificates to a local coffee shop, or go one step further and update your office kitchen with the latest Keurig and a few dozen coffee pods to make sure your employees get their caffeine fix without breaking the bank.
Well Being Gifts
If you work in an office you know how quickly germs can spread from worker to worker, so get all of your employees a homemade “wellbeing” basket for the upcoming flu season. Add in chocolate for those days when they just need a treat, flu remedies like Dayquil, Emergen-C, tea bags, and anything else that can make staying healthy through the holidays more doable.
Catered Meals for a week
Your employees have their own lives filled with different stresses, so take at least one worry off their backs the week before Christmas with catered food every day for lunch, and let them take the leftovers home to their families at night. Have a different restaurant bring in some delicious food for your employees each day to munch on while hitting those holiday deadlines.
A Night Out
Give your employees a gift card to a popular restaurant in town or a pair of movie tickets to help them plan a date night with their significant others or kids. If you choose to go the movie route, include a gift certificate for theater snacks.
Christmas Décor for the Office
Make the office fun to be in during the holiday season by decking the halls with Christmas decorations. Whether it’s a personalized stocking with their name on it that you fill with small treats on the last day of work, garland hung from the ceiling, or Christmas trees in every office, some simple décor will bring back some spirit into the office and help your employees enjoy the season to the fullest.
A Day Off
Stop stressing abut material items for your employees and give them a gift they really want—extra time with their loved ones. Offer a paid day off without cutting into their vacation time. This sentimental offering of time is sure to go over well, and if your work flow can handle it, it’s sure to make their celebrations that much better this year.
