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10 guidelines for office gifts

By CHRISTINA REXRODE
Published November 25, 2006

1. DON'T DO ANONYMOUS GIFT EXCHANGES. A lot of companies have avoided such exchanges because there's so much potential for them to backfire. What can go wrong? "It varies from someone who brings in ... condoms, and it's not funny to whoever opens it up, to maybe someone who was just disappointed because they brought in something nice and they got the roll of toilet paper."

2. DRAW NAMES, AND SET A PRICE LIMIT. That keeps employees from having to spend money on multiple gifts. "The hard part," Beveridge said, "is if your employees have all bought each other gifts for the past 15 years." Traditions die hard.

3. OFFER SUGGESTIONS. If your name is in the gift pool, it should come with a list of things you like. That way, no one has to stress if they draw the name of someone they don't know well.

4. PICK GIFTS THAT CAN SATISFY ALMOST ANYONE. Beveridge suggests movie passes, gift cards that encompass multiple restaurants, and gift cards to malls. Then you don't run the risk of giving steak house vouchers to a vegetarian, or a Gap gift card to someone who shops only at American Eagle.

5. BE CAREFUL ABOUT RELIGIOUS THEMES. In the 1990s, workplaces began recognizing that their employees and clients might have vastly different ways to celebrate the season. Some companies hedge their bets by sending holiday cards instead of Christmas cards, or throwing holiday parties instead of Christmas parties. "I have some clients that just don't have parties any more," Beveridge said. That represents the hard part: being sensitive without taking the fun out of the season.

6. CONSIDER CHARITIES. A lot of companies give donations in honor of clients or employees. "But there are pitfalls in that as well," she said, "because you've got to select your charity carefully."

7. SEND FOOD. It doesn't have to be chocolate. Fruit makes almost everyone happy. Turkeys don't - not everyone's a meat eater.

8. KEEP IT FUNCTIONAL. Fowler White, for instance, gives logo coolers and umbrellas to employees. "It's not just the coffee mug," Beveridge said. We all need a few of those, but not a hundred.

9. KNOW THE RULES. Some companies don't want their employees to accept alcohol, or gifts worth more than a certain amount. If you don't know the rules at a client's company, check their Web site or call your client's assistant.

10. DON'T GIVE ANYTHING TOO PERSONAL. These are your co-workers and clients, not your best friends. Don't go for clothing, except maybe T-shirts for the Bucs, the Rays or the Lightning. Beveridge said she sees a lot of those items given around here. Perfume also can make a recipient uncomfortable. "I've heard somebody complain, 'Well, why did my boss give me perfume? This is such a personal item,' and the boss says, 'Well ,my wife thought it would be a great gift.' "

After his spirit-prompted conversion, Ebenezer Scrooge gave his clerk, Bob Cratchit, a turkey and a "Merry Christmas." Nowadays, Scrooge would be better off handing Cratchit a gift certificate to the mall and wishing him a happy holiday. Office gift giving - whether it's among colleagues or for clients - isn't so simple anymore. As the holiday season gets under way at your workplace, please proceed with caution. To make that journey easier for you, we talked to Cathy Beveridge, who specializes in employment law, about workplace gift ideas: good, bad and potential company headaches. Here's what Beveridge, a partner at the Tampa office of Fowler White Boggs Banker, recommends:

[Last modified November 24, 2006, 20:55:31]