So we've talked about giving holiday gifts to your pets-- do you give holiday gifts at work?
4Not Secret Santa or White Elephant but straight up gifts. I've always given gifts to my work friends and small token gifts to the secretaries and the bosses, but this year since I am retiring and it's my last Christmas here I decided to get at least something small for everyone. I have them all stacked up in my office/cubicle, I'll be handing them out in a little while. The bear and the moose are mine, the rest are outgoing gifts.
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20 minutes ago I handed a co-worker one of my extra https://meh.com/forum/topics/2-for-tuesday-belkin-bluetooth-keyboards--useless-cases (I bought 4 by mistake). He was very appreciative. Does that count even though I would have done it in July and it wasn't wrapped? Other than that - nope - not giving anyone anything.
Work at home. Nobody gets nothin' around here.
@lisaviolet Not even extra catnip? Grinch!
@Cinoclav Cats on catnip.
We had a holiday potluck but no gifts
I do- gave a plaque that says "Dear Coffee: I love you. That is all." to a coffee-loving co-worker, and a DVD that I thought my boss would like (he did).
No, no gifts given at work. If I'm in the mood to bake, some years I'll give out a few tins of cookies to my immediate coworkers. Otherwise zip, zilch, nada.
At the place I worked for 15 years, I always gave coworkers small gifts, sometimes just homemade baked goods, other times little things I bought. But we were a small business with only about 20 employees.
I no longer work (I'm on disability so don't feel jealous) but I did give gifts to a small circle of friends/colleagues who also formed an every other month dinner club. We would have a little potluck lunch, and it was pleasant if not astounding.
I'm giving our receptionist one of my Eco mugs that wasn't broken in shipment. She is very sweet to me even though I can be anti-social at times. Unfortunately, I already introduced her to meh, so she'll know what a cheapskate I am when she recognizes the mug.
@SSteve She'll be impressed that you got an unbroken mug!
As a group, we get something for the boss. He takes us all out for lunch and then usually gives us the rest of the day off.
If I have time, I'll bring in baked goods, but I do that the rest of the year too.
It varies. I've been places (and with a past boss at my current employment) where it was clear that it was expected, but I don't feel any obligation anymore and just do it if I feel like it and/or something jumps out at me as a good idea. One year I gave people in my division (and a few other folks in the office that I like) flash drives and laser pointers--which I thought was useful and might do again. Chocolate is usually good. I did chocolate liqueurs one year; that was fun and felt a little subversive. Yeah, and homemade cookies; that always feels good. Food is a love language. Homemade stuff and food are always nice. I've given books that I cared about to people in the office that I'm close with.
My boss usually gives the whole division something, which is nice. She also brings back stuff from her travels. But I think she knows that we don't expect it. I hope she does; we tell her and we don't always reciprocate.
What I hate is the obligatory gift. Fuck that shit. If I can't think of what to buy someone, I shouldn't be expected to buy them anything. And vice versa.
It's looking like no one's getting anything from me at work this year, just because I haven't had a particular inspiration and cash flow has been a little weak. But an idea might come up in the next week. I've been thinking I should get something for the folks at the two places near work that I eat out most often, though, 'cause they kinda have my life in their hands and I want them to know that I appreciate that they haven't killed me.
These guys are localish, I found them at a local geek flea market and I gave out some of their ornaments one year: http://www.circtistic.com/
I should say too that some of my friends and other coworkers get generous on a whim too. I kinda like the randomness of this place. It's one of the best things it's got going for it.
Here's one of the ornaments. They have some that light up on touch too, but I didn't find any gifs.
@joelmw "Obligatory gift" : the oxymoron that just keeps on giving.
In general, I don't give gifts to coworkers. There are very few exceptions. Some coworkers are actual friends and I will give them gifts outside work, but I would do that even if they weren't coworkers.
Also, every year we chip in for gifts for the support staff, but that's a group thing.
Work just gifted all the employees--yesterday we got a packet of candy and a pen, today we got Smart gloves. Ha! Black with grey fingers, and the work logo in BRIGHT RED on one side.