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Gift Idea Guidelines: Choosing the Right Holiday Gifts

By: Sheila Kloefkorn

Need a guide to last minute gifts for coworkers? This article is designed to provide you with some useful guidelines about gift giving in the workplace. Specifics may vary from person to person; however, the following information includes helpful and important guidelines from which everyone can benefit.
The holidays are will be upon us any day now... and if you haven't yet decided about those last-minute gifts for the people you work with, you had better get moving!

You're probably struggling with challenging questions like: To whom should I give a gift? How much should you spend? How should the gifts be exchanged? And what kinds of gifts are appropriate for giving to co-workers in an office setting?

Here are a few simple gift idea guidelines that should help you address some of your questions about giving gifts in the office:
Gift Idea Guideline #1: Who to give to. Generally, it's okay to give a holiday gift to a co-worker who is in a position that is equal or lateral to you. However, it's not always considered the best approach to give a gift to your boss. The reason for that is that you may be perceived as someone who is trying to buy into the boss's affections. A smart alternative is to have everyone chip in together and purchase a group gift for the boss. As for subordinates, if you have someone who reports directly to you, you should definitely buy him or her a gift. But do not necessarily expect a gift in return and try to avoid any hint that you are looking for one.

Gift Idea Guideline #2: How much to spend. As is the case with any gift-giving experience, the dollar-value of the gift depends on the people involved and the depth of the relationship they have. Either way, it's probably not a good idea to go for gifts that are priced too high or viewed as extravagant, and of course on the other side of the coin, you don't want to appear cheap. Generally today, between $15 and $30 is considered a fair amount to spend on a coworker and a good amount to chip in for the boss. Anything more than that could be misconstrued as inappropriate or over-the-top.

Gift Idea Guideline #3: What's appropriate? Stay away from gifts that are too personal. For example, certain clothing items or jewelry might be considered too intimate because they require a little insight into size or preference. Instead, consider the professional nature of the relationship you share with your co-workers and give accordingly.

Gift Idea Guideline #4: How to give. If you're giving to everyone in your group it's okay to exchange the gifts in front of everyone. The best way to do this is to actually schedule a time that everyone can get together and exchange gifts. Perhaps a small office party after work would be a great setting. However, if your gift is intended for an individual, it's best to exchange that gift privately.

About the author

Sharon Mann is President of the I Hate Filing Club, a group of nearly 100,000 office professionals who hate filing but love finding new ways to become more organized. For information about how you can get new ideas, sample new products and connect with your peers, visit www.Pendaflex.com.

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