The holidays are stressful, driven especially by that need to get the right gift for everyone on your list. (Wecanhelpwiththat.)
What can be even more challenging is getting a gift for someone in a professional setting, whether it be a co-worker with whom you’re close (versus someone you interact with once in awhile) or if it’s a situation where it’s questionable to even bestow a gift upon a colleague or client.
Thus, some problems are bound to arise. After all, the Secret Santa exchange depicted in this classic episode of The Office is somewhat rooted in reality.
In case you’re looking for what NOT to give, Snappy, an employee rewards program, has tallied the worst and most outrageous (not to mention, extravagant) gifts that employees say they have received from their co-workers. Some of these items almost seem understandable in how they ended up in the hands of the recipient. (Gas station wine was clearly a last minute option on the way over…right?) And then others, well, are truly inspired, or rather, uninspired presents.
25 Worst Corporate Gifts Employees Say They Have Actually Received
- Puka shell necklace
- Potato
- Stale candy in a used mug
- Mason jar lid
- A plastic, landline wall phone
- Gas station wine
- Foot lotion
- Rubber duck
- Lottery tickets
- Squatty Potty
- Shampoo
- “Fart in a glass”
- Jumper cables
- Whoopee cushion
- Bananas
- Broom
- Pink slip
- Turkey/Ham
- Pair of scissors
- A copy of Magic Mike
- Multivitamins
- Bible
- Bookmark
- Socks
- Stress ball
Top 15 Outrageous Gifts From Employers
- 3D Printer
- Four-person Sauna
- “Kegerator“
- Designer backpacks (Gucci and Tumi were among the cited brands)
- Underwater scooter
- Caribbean cruise for two
- Helicopter skiing
- Race a Ferrari
- Inflatable hot tub
- Club Med Sandpiper Bay getaway
- Mystery travel tour
- Thailand culinary experience and vacation
- Alaska Gold Rush adventure cruise tour
- Kenya Safari and wildlife tours
- A “Tour de France” gourmet food and Wine tour
Gifts always have the chance to make lasting impressions—and these certainly have. Snappy found that nearly half of employees (44%) feel that their value at their workplaces is reflected in the gifts received. Furthermore, well more than half (68%) of employees said they would rather choose their own gift than have their employer choose for them.
Then again, maybe a gift isn’t necessary (or even appropriate). Four out of five workers (81%) said that a personalized note of recognition from a supervisor actually strengthened their commitment to a company. However, 60% of employees admitted they never sent a thank you note for a corporate gift.
Snappy’s findings are based on data provided by SurveyMonkey. Conducted in November 2018, 1,019 respondents participated in this survey, representative of men and women ages 18 and older in the United States.