Before buying gifts, make sure your company allows holiday exchanges. Some companies discourage gift-giving at the office, while others prefer that their employees give gifts that can be shared among all co-workers, treats such as trays of homemade cookies. Make sure you don’t ruin your holidays by violating your office’s policy.
Don’t bust the budget. If your office mandates that holiday presents should cost $15 or less, don’t come to work with a $50 bottle of perfume for your officemate.
Don’t get personal. Avoid giving religious items or controversial books as gifts. Avoid anything that smacks of the political. Stay away, too, from clothing or perfume, unless your co-worker happens to be a good friend.
Don’t pass out gifts on company time to some co-workers in the office while not giving them to others. If you don’t want to give gifts to all your co-workers, pass out your gifts during a gathering outside the office.
And, perhaps most important of all, no gag gifts. What you find hilarious your cubicle mate may find extremely offensive.
