Tread carefully when giving employee gifts

• If gifts are given, they should be of equal value. If you decide to give a holiday or New Year’s gift to your employees, make sure that the gifts are given out equally. In other words, don’t give season theater tickets to one employee and a small fruit basket from the grocery store to another! Remember that giving gifts during the holiday season is not the same as rewarding for performance. You have to think of the spirit of the season versus the rewards for work well done. You can reward employees later by giving them raises.

There is nothing worse than creating dissension around a holiday time and the best way to do this is to show favoritism by better gifts given to one person or group over another. I worked in a human resources department once where the vice president gave all 25 of us a $10 gift certificate to Nordstrom’s. Individually, it wasn’t a large gift, but it was from Nordstrom’s and proved to be a down payment of sorts on a bigger purchase.

• If you would like to give your boss a gift, ask your coworkers to chip in with you to give a group gift. Giving an individual gift to the boss may give coworkers the impression that you are seeking favor. The exception to this rule is homemade food. If you make special fudge with a recipe that was hidden from the Bushwhackers since the Civil War, don’t hesitate to place a small plate on your boss’ desk. If you want to win friends and influence people, put a plate of granny’s fudge on the table in the break room.

Choosing a gift

What you give is just as important as the thought behind it.

When choosing gifts for your office staff, avoid the following:

• “Cookie cutter” gifts that your employee will probably see in huge stacks at the local discount retailer.

• Gag gifts. Joke gifts should be limited to 40th and 50th birthdays. Steer clear of them for the holidays.

• Gifts that are too personal such as jewelry, ties, perfume, etc. You may not have a good read on the person’s style. More than that, your gift may be misinterpreted.

• Items with the company logo. They see it all the time.

When choosing gifts for your employees, consider:

• Unique food items, movie or theater tickets, gift certificates (for a department store, specialty stores and even large home improvement stores), CDs, books such as John Grisham’s “Skipping Christmas” or a book of holiday recipes.

• Flowers and greenery are appreciated. At one company, the boss had a medium sized poinsettia with a card placed on every employee’s desk.

Be mindful of Internal Revenue Service rules on gift giving. Gifts need to be under $25 per employee or they must be reported as compensatory wages.

Be sensitive when choosing holiday cards. In a business setting, it is best to use expressions such as “Season’s Greetings” and “Happy Holidays.” In a business environment, everyone’s beliefs should be respected. This is not as big an issue in this area, but consider that you may be sending holiday cards elsewhere. In my last office in California, I worked with Christians, Jews, a Moslem, a believer in Shinto and a Buddhist. “Season’s Greetings” summed it up for this disparate crowd.

Right and wrong

One year, my husband and I both worked for large companies on the West Coast. How the holidays were handled at each one typify the right and wrong way to celebrate in an office.

At his company, employees were verbally invited to dinner at a fancy restaurant where they could order anything on the menu. There was one catch: Employees had to come by themselves and could not bring spouses or significant others. (This spouse was bitter.)

At my company, we received a printed invitation inviting us to a dinner. We were asked to respond by a certain date and we could bring one guest. The company provided entertainment and a small token (box of chocolates in a gold box) at each place setting. (My spouse was a happy camper!)

If my husband’s company had taken the group to breakfast or lunch there would have been no problem.

If you decide to have an evening event, invite spouses or significant others.. If you decide to give a gift, give equally to all.

The spirit of the season should be one of joy, not favoritism.

Employee etiquette

When you receive a gift from your employer, you do need to give “formal” thanks and that means in writing! The good news is that the 21st century etiquette stipulates that you can respond by e-mail. A simple thank you with a specific reference to the gift and the occasion is sufficient.

Sinara Stull O’Donnell is a professional speaker and writer through Springfield-based SinaraSpeaks. She is the author of “Be The Star Of Your Life: Are You Ready For Your Close-Up?”