Should You Give Your Boss A Gift? Dos and Don’ts
If you care about your career, you care about your relationship with your boss — and hopefully, it’s a good one. So now that the holiday season is kicking off, it’s normal to wonder whether you should give your boss a gift and how to go about it. The thought of gifting, in general, can feel intimidating. You worry about getting the wrong thing, how much to spend, and if it will be well-received. So when it’s your boss, it can be downright terrifying.
But fear not, we asked the opinion of two etiquette experts to help you navigate any nerves and dread you may feel about the idea of appropriately demonstrating your appreciation to your boss during the holidays.
A group/team gift is best
Etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts is known as “the golden rules gal” and helps people deal with tricky business, social and political situations with their best foot forward. Jodi RR Smith of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting is both a human resources manager and a nationally known etiquette consultant.
Both of them agree that a group gift is a better idea than an individual one. “Consider participating in an office gift exchange instead of only giving your boss an individual gift. It’s fun, easy, and nobody will feel left out! If your boss doesn’t like it, you’re all to blame,” says Grotts. “Abstain from giving your boss an individual gift so there can be no favoritism or criticism after the fact.”
“If everyone else in the department is contributing to a group gift and you give a separate gift, it will appear as if you are trying to curry favor. As a newer employee, be sure you have a good grasp of the workplace culture before doing anything differently,” adds Smith.
Look into company guidelines
According to Smith, certain industries also have strict rules about bosses accepting corporate gifts from employees. It’s important to look into any existing guidelines if it’s your first holiday season at a company and to avoid assuming anything.
“Most offices have guidelines on gift-giving. If you are not familiar with these guidelines, now is the time to investigate. The first place to check is the employee handbook. If there is nothing listed, ask a fellow employee what happened last year,” she suggests.
“Employees can see gifts to a boss as a requirement. Employers should make it clear well before December if supervisors and superiors are not allowed to accept gifts.” She also notes that it’s a bit different if you are an executive assistant, as that relationship is more special and a symbiotic career path.
Find the right balance of personal and impersonal
“If you do choose to give your boss a gift, never give them the following: a gift card via email (impersonal), the green stuff (that’s what you earn), any items which may be misconstrued as personal (i.e., perfumes with luxury fragrances or grooming products, even though they may need a nose trimmer), religious gifts, adult gifts, self-help books (unless you want to get fired), or drugs (marijuana gummies),” says Grotts.
Go with tried-and-tested boss-friendly gifts
“However, great gifts to give your boss can include the following: an experience such as a massage or restaurant gift certificate, lunch as a treat from the entire office, or gift boxes full of food that all of your coworkers can enjoy or your boss’s family can enjoy at home i.e., popcorn, or cookies,” adds Grotts.
Be aware of cultural taboos and avoid gags
And even if your boss has an amazing sense of humor, it’s still a good idea to be aware of cultural taboos and avoid gags. When in doubt, always veer on the more conservative side when it comes to gift ideas. If your boss is a new homeowner, for example, you want to make sure in your list of gift ideas you don’t include a piece of decoration, which is something very personal to ones taste.
“Be aware of cultural, religious, or international taboos,” says Smith. “Use your common sense, no matter what the salesperson or website says is appropriate. Save the gag gifts for purely social occasions, and even then, proceed with caution.”
Don’t spend too much
Wondering how much to spend on a gift for your boss? Less is more, in this case, says Grotts:
“Even if there are 10 people in your workspace, at $10 each, $100 can buy a lot, most importantly appreciation. The adage always rings true: it’s the thought that counts.”
