Published on October 12th, 2018 | by Sunit Nandi

Inexpensive Holiday Gift Ideas That Your Colleagues Will Love

The Holidays in and around December are a family event. The season reminds every one of the values of family, of the weight of the struggle, and of lifting spirits through mutual understanding of a singular event. For most, work hides in the back of the mind. The season is one of joy, of a sense of togetherness, and of a brief chance to look for the possible positives of the coming year. As in “The Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens, the bright morning of the Holiday overcomes the gloom of the past for the brightness of the future. The name of the end of the year Holiday does not matter.

Christmas
Hanukah
New Year’s Day
Kwanzaa
Festivus

These are just a few names for those special days that raise the spirits of employees, their families, and friends, and, with a little extra effort, their employers as well. The end-year celebration is a chance for the wise employer to reap a corresponding rise in spirit as joy, communion, and friendship transfers to business from employee homes yielding extra benefits throughout the year. Happy employees are more productive than morose employees. However, the question of financial responsibility always pops up.

Don’t Break the Bank

There are those employers who do not participate in any year-end holiday gift exchange with their employees. Some do not believe in the ritual while others think their participation will cost more than the effort delivers. The ”Scrooge Effect,” is alive and well because of the belief that investment in employees’ home lives does not translate into more production at work. However, every employer can garner great results at the end of the year with little cost. The secret is to put someone in charge of the next year’s event at the beginning of the year with a strict budget. Budgeting throughout the year avoids the label of “Scrooge” by the constant monitoring of small gifts that become available at different times. Other offerings are negotiable in price and practice.

For gift ideas for less than 20 people, break down your year-end gifts for your employees into four different categories:

Find gifts that reach into the employees home.
Find gifts that reach into the community.
Find gifts that please the palate.
Find gifts that enhance the employees’ work life.

Gifts that Please the Palate

Much of this season revolves around food. Pleasing the palate of your employees while at work is an acknowledgment of the food factor. Pleasing your employees’ palates does not take much.

A sample packet of gourmet coffee and a Collage coffee mug with your company logo is an excellent example of palate-pleasing that employees will not find elsewhere.
A square of fine chocolate to go with the coffee is another gift that brings a smile to your workers.
Popcornopolis caramel popcorn is an excellent way to top off the sweetness of the day.

Gifts that Reach into the Employee’s Home

Like all these categories, the monetary value of innovative door gift that reach into an employees’ home means little. Small gifts like:

A gift card for a free cup of coffee at a shop for the spouse.
A free ride at a carnival that is scheduled to visit the community during the next year for the kids.
A complimentary movie ticket for the whole family.

These are small gifts, not cheap gifts. They are all negotiable items. Negotiations between businesses for year-end gifts often yield relief in more than just cost. Companies wish to attract new customers. Negotiating a “try-out” for your employees is not a tough deal.

Gifts that Reach into the Community

The sense of community is a necessary part of the life of a productive employee. Employers have an opportunity to involve their workers in community activities and in helping struggling local businesses.

A card delivered to the employee that indicates that the employer has issued a donation to the local Food Bank in their name with an invitation for the employee to do the same. Most employees will follow suit at this time of year doubling the value of your initial investment.
Negotiating with a local coffee shop or a local bakery for one free item for your employee yields excellent value to you and the businesses near you. Let your employees sample the local shops and build business in the community.

Gifts that Enhance your Employees’ Work Life

Work does not need to be a chore. Employees enjoy color and pizzazz on their desks.

A colorful pad of post-it notes adds vibrancy to the desk.
A small desk plant adds a natural feel to a desk.
Quality hand lotions help assuage the dry work environment.

Avoid the cheap gift that has no meaning. Negotiate for small gifts that add value to the lives of your employees. Paying attention to all those little opportunities that complement the end-year season, yields abundant rewards throughout the next of the year.

Tags: colleagues, gift, holiday, ideas, inexpensive, love

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.