5 Bizarre Office Holiday Gifts (and One Great One)
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5 Bizarre Office Holiday Gifts (and One Great One)
Sure, it’s the thought that counts—but some co-workers must have truly bizarre thoughts when it comes to gift-giving in the office. -
Generous Spirit
21% of surveyed workers intend to buy holiday gifts for colleagues, and 20% say they'll buy a gift for the boss. -
Budget Plan
Of those who plan to give, 80% expect to spend no more than $25 on each gift. -
Festive Environment
66% of employers say they plan to host a company holiday party this year, up from 63% in 2014. -
"Regrets"
Just 38% of employees say they plan to attend their office party, while 93% would prefer receiving a holiday bonus or time off. -
Token of Appreciation
54% of employers plan to give holiday bonuses this year, up from 47% last year. -
Bizarre Holiday Gifts: Nature Calls
An employee received a toilet seat decal that depicted a squirrel. -
Bizarre Holiday Gifts: DIY
Another got a roll of duct tape. -
Bizarre Holiday Gifts: Recycled Effort
A worker received a giant heart-shaped box of candy—from the prior Valentine's Day. -
Bizarre Holiday Gifts: Striking Out
Another got a bowling ball. -
Bizarre Holiday Gifts: Baaaah Humbug!
An employee got a ceramic sheep that you can dress up seasonally. -
Bizarre Holiday Gifts: Porked Up
Another received homemade sausages as an office holiday gift. (Waitaminute. That's a GREAT present, not a weird one!)
Whether these occasions are considered an evening to remember—or simply endure—an increasing number of companies are planning to host office holiday parties this year, according to CareerBuilder. They may want to know, however, that many of their employees would vastly prefer to receive a seasonal bonus or additional time off instead, findings reveal. Fortunately for these workers, a majority of organizations say they're giving bonuses as well this year. Additional survey results indicate that relatively few employees plan to buy gifts for colleagues and/or their bosses. Of those planning to do so, spending levels will be kept within reasonable limits. And, as part of CareerBuilder's annual tradition here, the survey includes truly bizarre "real life" office holiday gifts from the recent past. (However, you may agree—or disagree—with us that one of the featured gifts is actually pretty darn great, not weird.) More than 3,600 workers and 2,325 hiring managers and HR pros took part in the research, which was conducted by Harris Poll.