Give Till It Hurts

Has anyone ever thought, “This job is costing me a fortune!” I certainly have. Within three months of being hired in one company, I supported an associate in a walk, chipped in for boss’ day, the boss’ birthday and another associate’s birthday lunch. I’m terrified what December will bring.

The unknown of the gift dynamics in the work space during the holiday season is enough to make you take a leave of absence until February. You know, perhaps schedule some surgery. On a side note, if you already met your medical insurance’s ridiculously high annual deductible, an operation is cheaper in December than January since in January the deductible clock of doom starts over again. Just a little money saving tip there.

But I digress. If you do decide to show up for work every weekday in December, who do you buy gifts for? Your boss? Your boss’ boss? Your co-workers? People who report to you? People who worked with you on a project? What if you guess incorrectly and someone gives you something and you didn’t get him/her something? Do you keep a supply of gifts at your desk for an instant rebuttal or upon receipt of surprise gift, say, “Oh I was planning on bringing in everyone’s gift on the last day before the holidays,” and then stop at a store on the way home that night?

Once you’re in the shopping mecca, how do you determine an acceptable gift and price range? Is wine appropriate? Is it presumptuous? Does it say, ‘Yeah, I figured you tap into one of these babies after you get out of this zoo so here’s a freebie.”