learned flist...

[glasshouses]

What can I get for my employees for Christmas that's more personal than a gift card but won't break the bank? There are 12 of them and they work like dogs to get stuff done. I'm clueless in regards to gifts :-(

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Comments

[write_light]

What sort of business?
A range of ages and genders?
Do they get along and like each other?
How much money? $10 each = $120, for example.

[glasshouses]

They are senior systems admins (email AD DNS etc.) They range 32 to 50-ish. All races, creeds, colors and backgrounds, but for all that they work well together. 10 guys and 2 chicks!

$10-15 is good, which makes it hard because that's not much per person. I already take them to lunch on me from time to time.

[write_light]

Group:
Movie night out for everyone? / Movie theater gift cards?

Individual:
A free pass for a half-day off. They can leave early, come in late, whatever.

Workplace Improvement:
A better coffee maker for the office / better coffee & teas for the one you have? Or a single-cup brewer?
Better-grade office supplies (pens/pencils/etc) that aren't the cheapest thing out there.

Personal Care:
In-office chair massage therapists for a day?

Non-gift Gift:
Personal, sincere compliments to each worker. (as well as a note in their file saying the same). Genuine thanks face to face.

[glasshouses]

I do try to thank each person and their yearly reviews are next week so I can do that. I like the movie night idea! Very different tastes, tho so maybe the movie cards.

I will check into the massage therapists. The Institution actually has some on staff, so maybe I can get a discount :-)

[sneezer222]

Personalized engraved beer mugs?? I"d give you a good deal, but the postage for those is a bit high.

[glasshouses]

Do you have an online catalog? I like your stuff quite a bit.

[the_emu]

How well do you know them?

The most unexpectedly thoughtful gift I ever got from a manager was a book that he thought I'd like.

(It was One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and he was totally right.)

8^-

[glasshouses]

It would be hard, I'd have to run the gambit from Lesbian Hegemony: How We Get There From Here, to Obama: Anti-Christ Superstar.

:-)

[nawilla]

Starbuck's gift card (or equivalent coffee establishment). Good for caffeine emergencies, good for travel.

I'm buying used mugs at the Habitat for Humanity Store (5 cents each) and filling them with holiday cookies and ribbons because it's cheaper than tins from the dollar store.

[glasshouses]

Coffee and candy always walk the walk!

I'm a lousy baker, but I can fill up tins with premium chocolates like a champ :-)

[nawilla]

You can also fill in some of the space with jingle bells. Festive and cheaper than chocolate.