Twenty-two per cent of U.S. employees plan to buy holiday presents for their coworkers and 21 per cent will do so for their bosses, according to a survey by CareerBuilder.
The survey, which polled more than 3,300 employees and 2,379 human resources professionals, found 73 per cent of respondents said they’d cap their spending at $25 per gift, while a third said they’d spend less than $10 and 11 per cent will spend less than $5.
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While ornaments, baked goods, scarves and gift cards may be staples in office gift giving, it appears many employees skip straight to more . . . unique and distinctive presents, including:
- Two left-handed gloves;
- A coconut bra;
- A jar of gravy;
- A fake lottery ticket;
- A real stuffed duck;
- Toilet paper that looked like money;
- Post-it notes;
- Dish detergent;
- A pen holder that looks like a crime scene victim;
- A comic book of an obscure movie;
- A handmade ornament for a sports team the recipient had never heard of;
- A singing chicken; and
- A whip.
As for employer respondents, 46 per cent said they plan to give presents to staff this year. Most (69 per cent) are also planning to throw a holiday party for employees. More than half (54 per cent) are planning to give out bonuses and 48 per cent are planning to donate to charities.
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