Can you believe workers actually gave these 10 awful office gifts?
As you may have heard, holiday office parties can go south pretty quickly. And apparently, the gifts exchanged at such functions can be equally disastrous.
CareerBuilder recently asked more than 5,300 people (3,103 workers and 2,203 hiring managers) to name the most unusual gifts they’ve received from a co-worker.
With a sampling that large, you’d expect the survey to come up with some gems — and it didn’t disappoint.
Here are the 10 most unusual gifts (and that’s a generous term for these) respondents said they’ve received from a co-worker for the holidays:
- A box of Hot Pockets.
- A chess piece (that’s right, just one piece — perhaps there was some hidden meaning behind it, i.e., “checkmate”).
- A fire extinguisher (good thing, because this list is heating up fast).
- A voucher for a free lawn game the gifter invented.
- A leather vest (in turquoise no less).
- Zombie action figures (zombies are so in this season).
- A Ziploc bag with just enough coffee to make one pot (no word on what brand the coffee was).
- A “gun of the day” calendar.
- A bag of chips.
- A Christmas ornament with a photo of the gifter and the gifter’s spouse in it.
Here’s hoping your staffers are spared such presents this year.
But there’s a chance they could get one: 21% say they plan to buy a gift for co-workers this holiday season, and 20% plan to buy a gift for the boss.
The price ranges for the gifts-to-be:
- 76% will spend $25 or less on each gift.
- 33% will spend $10 or less.
- 10% will spend $5 or less.
Are employers in the giving spirit?
Employers are going to get in on the act as well. The survey revealed more employers will offer parties bonuses and gifts this season than in recent years.
The breakdown:
- 63% of employers will throw a party this year.
- 47% of employers will give employees holiday bonuses, with 11% offering bigger bonuses than they did last year.
- 40% of employers will give employees gifts.
- 42% will give charitable donations.
A warning to all party-throwers out there: 96% of employees said they would prefer a holiday bonus over a company party, and only about 40% of them said they’d attend their holiday office party anyway.
Source: CareerBuilder
