Corporate gifts have become a bit of a standard among many companies in terms of employee motivation. Whether it’s a personalized birthday gift or a gift given to everyone over the holidays, it’s definitely a great way to show the employees that their hard work and loyalty to the company have not been ignored.
Unless you’re like these folk on Reddit who themselves, or their friends and family, had to endure getting gifts that leave much—much—to be desired. It does beg the question of whether getting nothing would’ve been a better choice.
#1
My mom’s boss gave everyone a pen (a really cr*ppy, normal pen) with their names printed on normal white printer paper that was scotch taped down the side of the pen. This sounds made up even to me as I type it, but it’s still in our junk drawer.
#2
Not me, but one year the company my brother works for gave each employee a CD of the owner playing Christmas songs on the harmonica.
#3
A small, nickel-sized, heart-shaped rock sent in the mail. It was supposed to represent their appreciation for the extra work during Covid. All I could think of was Charlie Brown trick or treating, “I got a rock.”
It goes without saying that corporate gifts are a good idea, if done right. It was reported that 42% of businesses claim relationship management is their top reason for why they’re gifting things.
Corporate gifts are considered a pretty effective tool for humanizing the company and thus strengthening coworker relationships.
#4
That year the company decided it wasn’t going to provide basic office supplies for the break room. Coffee, tea, eating utensils, napkins, nothing. That year for Christmas we all got a brown paper bags fashioned like lunches. Inside was a metal straw, cloth napkin, a child sized set of plastic cutlery that fit in a travel case, a copy paste printed piece of paper with food puns in relation to our job, and a single fun sized hundred grand candy bar. This Fortune 500 company had over a billion in raw profit that year. Oh, and the cutlery ended up getting recalled due to some terrible forever chemicals in them.
#5
Two free tickets to a cinema. The issue was that the closest cinema in that particular chain was about 800 miles away from me.
#6
A letter from the CEO telling us how he is going to celebrate Christmas with his family up north to go skiing. That was all.
Besides that, corporate gifts are a meaningful way to express appreciation for the hard work employees do. Not only are the employees happy to be appreciated, the company can benefit from it too with increased business growth.
And it’s not just employees—corporate gifts work just as well with business partners and inter-company relationships too.
#7
An email that only upper management would be getting the end of year bonus (sent to entire company by accident instead of just upper management). Then laid off 2 weeks into the new year.
Found out from a friend in the company a little while later that the board of directors held a vote. They keep their car allowances at the expense of a wave of layoffs, or lose their car allowances and 10-15 people get to keep their jobs. Pretty sure it was unanimous.
No matter how many times a company says you’re family, just remember that it’s the type of family that would gladly cut your throat to make sure the fat cats get to eat.
#8
Jelly of the Month membership instead of my Christmas bonus. I wanted to put a pool in the backyard but nope.
#9
Noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones. I’m sure they were good and useful to some people, but I’m legally deaf.
Other reasons to use corporate gifts include providing an opportunity to stand out as a company, overcome physical distance barriers (especially in light of remote work and the pandemic), and it allows everyone to focus more on the positive. That last one in turn can foster a more effective relationship if trouble arises.
#10
I worked at a hospital in the billing department. I got a travel thingy of hand sanitizer. Meanwhile, the IT department who shared our building got North Face puffy jackets. Jokes on them though, it was Christmas 2019 and I had hand sanitizer for COVID. 😭
#11
We were told we were receiving our Christmas bonuses soon, and then we were all given a poinsettia. The poinsettia in itself wasn’t so bad, mine is actually still alive years later, but the fact that they had the audacity to call it a bonus was absurd.
#12
I was gifted a ham for the holidays…..I’m Jewish.
So, what’s the best strategy at approaching corporate gifts? Assuming a budget is set and the logistics are all figured out, all that’s really left is to pick out a gift, to make it personal, and then to put the plan into motion.
In terms of what to pick, the short answer is it depends. On what? You have to pick out a gift that your employees will actually like.
#13
Nurses Week 2022 (height of Delta wave COVID). We were given rocks on a keychain. The rock was engraved with the word “Hope”. We might have gotten some chapstick too.
#14
Not me but a friend – all staff at the hospital received a kitchen scrubby for Christmas. Not even themed. Just random browns, greens, pinks, and yellows… seems like the boss bought dollar store multi-packs and opened them to give everyone one piece.
#15
New owners this year. Old owner gave us 10% of our salary as a year end bonus. New guys gave us $100 amazon cards that were drained by the time we got them. Everyone was pissed but didn’t wanna say anything so I did. He asked everyone and they claimed to be delighted with their cards. Spineless bastards. Lmao.
The general rule is to find gifts that would be both personalized and practical. One of the more popular approaches is choice-based gifting, which commonly takes shape in the form of gift cards.
Alternatively, you can compile a curated collection for employees to choose from.
#16
Teacher here.
One year, as our Christmas bonus, we got a defective plastic keychain that read “I love teching!” Spelled exactly like that.
Normally, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.. but after the s**t we had been through, with zero support from admin, s**t pay, disrespect, etc. the keychain set us all off. It was adding insult to injury.
Like, not only is our “bonus” a keychain that didn’t even work (the hasp had no spring), but the spelling error meant that a) someone didn’t even check them when they arrived, and b) someone put them in every teacher mailbox without looking at them.
Admin sent out an email that basically said turn your keychains back in so they could send them back and get corrected ones. So, adding insult to injury.
I appreciated the sentiment, but all of us could’ve done without that.
#17
Company coffee mug with the company name misspelled. It was a large company.
#18
An ultra-religious self-help book so we could become less miserable, incompetent and immoral.
A bonus on top of all this gifting would be to make sure that sustainability is taken into account. So, organic and eco-friendly materials is the way to go. Well, that, and also if you do end up getting something that one person absolutely hates and will likely get rid of it, at least the carbon footprint is minimized. But let’s hope that’s not the case.
#19
During the pandemic, my partner’s company sent employees each an envelope through the mail with a sticker in it for some appreciation week I laughed so hard at that. It literally was a sticker that said “happy appreciation week”.
I was re-gifted a gift basket given to my boss by a client and he forgot to remove the card that was addressed to him.
#21
Starbucks gift card that had no money on it and they had no receipt for it.
It helps to add a personal note to the recipient. It doesn’t have to be a long message—heck, it doesn’t even have to be from the boss per se. From management or from the company can suffice, as long as it shows appreciation. Explain why you are sending the gift, make it personal, and sign it.
#22
A coin commemorating a billion dollars in sales.
#23
Expired food.
#24
A pack of 10 tissues at the onset of COVID.
But if gift cards don’t sound like the best idea, consider compiling a gift box that might include some of the following items:
Hydro Flask, reusable lunch containers, work essentials for remote work, DoorDash coupons, mug warmers, plants like succulents, personalized alcohol, subscriptions to learning or self-development platforms, wireless chargers, books…
#25
Not me but a coworker at last year’s raffle got a Nintendo DS cleaning kit. For a normal Nintendo DS, not even a 3DS. They aren’t being made anymore.
#26
I used to work in a record shop in the UK and usually got a bottle of wine as a Christmas bonus. Then the company was bought by Virgin and our Christmas bonus was a copy of Richard Branson’s (Virgin’s CEO) autobiography.
#27
My last job the company broke all sorts of financial records and gave everyone a very expensive glass thing with a decal of the refinery. Not only did it suck but all employees ended having to pay 75 dollars in taxes on it. So the ‘job well done’ cost 75 bucks.
… wireless speakers, item tags, noise canceling headphones, beauty and health care packages, eye wear or other accessories, DIY boxes, coffee, tea and anything in between.
And then don’t forget to slap that personal note on top of it and you’re golden. And if not, leave a feedback form and improve upon it.
#28
5 dollar Subway gift card. My boss made me come in on an off day to pick up because, “she did not want me missing the company bonus”. I really wonder if our managers need how much was on the cards? We talked about it for months.
#29
A long sleeve denim shirt with the company logo in the front above one of the front pockets..
In Florida. Plus we couldn’t wear denim at work so the only time we’d be able to wear the company shirt is on our own time (not happening) or when we’d have dress down day (again not happening).
When a coworker inquired where we could wear this since we can’t wear it to work they listed places (like a BBQ joint, the movies, etc.) and said we should be grateful since most places don’t give their employees gifts.
It was a call center. Could’ve given a blanket (since it was cold in the center), travel mug, anything except a shirt we can’t wear.
#30
At a company Christmas party they would raffle off prizes; one prize for each person. They guy in front of me won a Budweiser mini fridge with LED lights. The guy after me won a LG flat-screen TV. My prize? A Pepsi baseball hat with broken snaps.
So, ever got something from your job that made you silently say “what the flip?” Share your experiences and thoughts on anything you’ve read here today in the comment section below!
And if you want more insultingly stupid gifts and perks that companies thought of giving, then look no further than this article.
#31
An email from the boss saying he is donating “on behalf of the company” to a charity he is a chairman of.
#32
A compulsory invitation to the holiday party.
Technically, I wasn’t required to attend but it was a career-killer if you didn’t. I had to spend money on a dress just for the party since I didn’t have anything that was suitable, so not only did it cost *me* money, but I had to spend a precious evening pretending I liked my coworkers.
#33
A pink slip. And I don’t mean lingerie.
TableAssault:
A pink slip (in the US anyway) can be a notice of termination of employment or the title to a vehicle. I’m guessing OP didn’t get a new car as a gift, so… got fired.
#34
A cheap plastic key ring with the company logo on it after working 16-hour days for months to win a massive contract. No overtime paid either.
#35
The first company I worked for out of college gave everyone a “free turkey” around the holidays. It wasn’t really a free turkey, it was a $25 gift certificate to a grocery store that was inconvenient for 75% of the people working there. And $25 didn’t cover a turkey, of course. Turns out, the company owners had a stake in the store.
#36
A bottle of our restaurant’s “signature” steak sauce that no one really liked and that we all had free access to all day, every day at work. This was instead of the standard $100 cash bonus we normally got yearly.
#37
Worked for FritoLay. Went to the corporate headquarters and in my hotel room was a bag of FritoLay snack, all expired.
#38
Welcome back in office postcard after the pandemic work from home period. We’ve got it minutes after receiving termination letters.
Like I was fully expecting it but still it was in a poor taste.
#39
Nothing. And I work for a giant company. Not surprised though.
#40
The MD of the company bought himself a boat ‘for the company’. We didn’t get a bonus that year.