Are holiday gifts at work a good idea?

Right now my inbox is running over with e-mail about holiday workplace etiquette. Holiday office party advice is easy: Don’t drink too much. Don’t hit up your boss for a raise. And don’t take the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tell the CEO what you really think of him. Discretion is the better part of valor, and apart from that, you need the job.

There are trickier workplace topics around this time of year. One of them is holiday gift-giving. Should you give gifts at work? If so, who gets a gift, and who doesn’t? Here’s my take on the issue:

In a tiny workplace with fewer than 10 workmates, it’s nice to bring a holiday something-or-other to thank your coworkers. If you bake, a batch of cookies or some other sweet treat is nice. If you don’t bake, you can stop off at the bakery on your way to work and bring something that everyone can have a taste of, with a holiday flair to it. If you don’t believe in promoting the consumption of empty calories, you can bring in some fancy holiday fruit from www.harryanddavid.com or some coffee from https://io.amigoslink.org/commerce/mdse.html. A holiday gift for the group is a great idea.

If you don’t feel that a one-size-fits-all group gift is the right answer, my next suggestion is this: Find some very small gifts for your colleagues in the spirit of “it’s the thought that counts.” No one expects a new chafing dish or a pearl necklace from a co-worker, so don’t overdo it. A holiday-themed kitty collar for the cat-lover in the next cube is about the level of spending I’d suggest.

Of course, you don’t need to buy gifts at all for your workmates - these are only suggestions for those who feel that it wouldn’t be the holidays without some workplace gift-giving!

Some workplaces organize a Secret Santa activity every year. That’s the group-gifting game where every participant purchases a very small something-or-other and puts it into a hat. Each person gets to pick one gift from the pot - easy and fun, especially if your teammates are the type with a sense of humor.

Should you buy a present for your boss?

Not in my book. It can cause a bit of discomfort, as most bosses won’t buy presents for the people they supervise, and if the gift is more lavish than the kind of thing you’d find in a Secret Santa exchange, your company’s policy may even require the boss to refuse it. This is where baking and fudge-making come in. If you bake your boss a gift, he or she won’t be uncomfortable, and you’ll have shown your appreciation.

What about gifts in the opposite direction, given by a manager to his or her subordinates?

Same advice applies. I don’t think managers should carefully purchase personal gifts for their employees. It’s a nice thought, but we’re talking about a professional relationship here, and I don’t think it’s appropriate. Why do you suppose huge tins of popcorn and chocolate-dipped pretzels are so popular? Bosses around the world use these kinds of gifts to show their teams that they’re noticing the hard work, without getting into the icky business of gifting employees individually.

If your co-worker surprises you with a gift, must you reciprocate? I wouldn’t rush out to the mall. If you’ve already purchased or manufactured a "team gift," like a homemade pound cake, you can say “This is so sweet of you, Georgette! I’m bringing in my special lemon pound cake tomorrow as a gift to the department.” If this doesn’t feel sufficient, then bring one or two pre-wrapped Secret-Santa-worthy somethings to work and keep them in your desk. That way, you can say to dear Georgette, “Oh! How nice, a musical vegetable peeler. This is for you,” and present her with whatever you’ve got - a Spongebob Squarepants snowglobe, perhaps.

Happy holidays to you and your crew!

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 VP, a 25-year HR veteran and an expert on careers and the new millennium workplace. An award-winning entrepreneur and workplace adviser, Ryan is author of "Happy About Online Networking" and founder of the global online community www.AskLizRyan.com. E-mail Ryan at liz@asklizryan.com.