MENUMENU
  • FREE RESOURCES
  • PREMIUM CONTENT
        • SEE MORE
          PREMIUM RESOURCES
  • HR DEEP DIVES
        • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for HR Professionals
          Employment Law
          Labor Law Posting Requirements: Everything You Need to Know
          Recruiting
          businesswoman selecting future employees on digital interfaces
          Recruiting Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
          Performance Management
          vector image of young female making star rating
          Performance Review Resources
          Employment Law
          Understanding Equal Employment Opportunity and the EEOC
          Recruiting
          Onboarding Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
  • CORONAVIRUS & HR

  • LOGIN
  • SIGN UP FREE

HR Morning

MENUMENU
  • FREE RESOURCES
  • PREMIUM CONTENT
        • SEE MORE
          PREMIUM RESOURCES
  • HR DEEP DIVES
        • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for HR Professionals
          Employment Law
          Labor Law Posting Requirements: Everything You Need to Know
          Recruiting
          businesswoman selecting future employees on digital interfaces
          Recruiting Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
          Performance Management
          vector image of young female making star rating
          Performance Review Resources
          Employment Law
          Understanding Equal Employment Opportunity and the EEOC
          Recruiting
          Onboarding Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
  • CORONAVIRUS & HR
  • Employment Law
  • Benefits
  • Recruiting
  • Talent Management
  • Performance Management
  • HR Technology
  • More
    • Leadership & Strategy
    • Compensation
    • Staff Administration
    • Policy & Procedures
    • Wellness
    • Staff Departure
    • Employee Services
    • Work Location
    • HR Career & Self-Care
    • Health Care
    • Retirement Plans

'Why did you bother?': The 7 worst holiday gifts from bosses

worst gifts from bosses
Dan Wisniewski
by Dan Wisniewski
December 15, 2012
2 minute read
  • SHARE ON

These managers might have been better off getting their employees a really nice card instead of these holiday gift atrocities.
Here are seven of the worst holiday gifts employees have received from their supervisors, courtesy of Suzanne Lucas on CBS’ MoneyWatch:

  • Before Thanksgiving one year, management brought in 50 frozen turkeys, one for each employee.
    It seemed like an incredibly nice gesture — until employees realized there wasn’t enough room in the company’s refrigerator for all 50 turkeys.
    Worst of all: The workers were told they weren’t allowed to go home and drop off the thawing gifts.
  • At a company gift exchange, an employee received some rolls of toilet paper from her manager. Added bonus gift: a photo of the supervisor.
  • A cohort of four managers gave their employees a small bag of beans and seasoning plus a recipe for bean soup one year as a holiday treat.
    The workers were a little upset at the size of the gift, but in years past have looked back on it fondly – they’ve received nothing since then.
  • At one staff member’s annual Christmas lunch, her boss gave her a mug.
    It’s not a terrible gift, by any means, but it was made much worse by what the employee found when she returned to the office – a bill for both the mug and the luncheon on her office chair.
  • Employees at another company were invited to attend an annual holiday party along with a guest.
    First, workers were asked to pay for the guest to attend. Then the firm said staffers had to pay both for the guest and themselves.
    Worst of all: Word eventually got around that the money employees were paying to attend was being used so execs could still go for free.
  • The list of bad gifts one worker received over the years was particularly depressing: an orange/purple cloth, three empty boxes, a pack of Kleenex and a votive candle and buy-one-get-one-free hand lotion.
    And when the worker retired after 33 years at the company? Nothing.
  • One department manager forced all of his employee to give $100 each to help pay for a remote car starter for the CEO’s Cadillac. In the process, the department manager also dropped hints that he wanted a gift.
    One employee bought the manager a $40 bottle of liquor. When Christmas bonus time rolled around, each employee received a $70 bonus — half of what they’d spent on gifts for the CEO and department head.

Get the latest from HRMorning in your inbox PLUS immediately access 10 FREE HR guides.

I WANT MY FREE GUIDES

Keep Up To Date with the Latest HR News

With HRMorning arriving in your inbox, you will never miss critical stories on labor laws, benefits, retention and onboarding strategies.

Sign up for a free HRMorning membership and get our newsletter!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
HR Morning Logo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linked In
  • ABOUT HRMORNING
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • WRITE FOR US
  • CONTACT
  • Employment Law
  • Benefits
  • Recruiting
  • Talent Management
  • HR Technology
  • Performance Management
  • Leadership & Strategy
  • Compensation & Payroll
  • Policy & Culture
  • Staff Administration
  • Wellness & Safety
  • Staff Departure
  • Employee Services
  • Work Location
  • HR Career & Self-Care

HRMorning, part of the SuccessFuel Network, provides the latest HR and employment law news for HR professionals in the trenches of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Rather than simply regurgitating the day’s headlines, HRMorning delivers actionable insights, helping HR execs understand what HR trends mean to their business.

Privacy Policy Terms of Service
Copyright © 2021 SuccessFuel

WELCOME BACK!

Enter your username and password below to log in

Forget Your Username or Password?

Reset Password

Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

Log In

During your free trial, you can cancel at any time with a single click on your “Account” page.  It’s that easy.

Why do we need your credit card for a free trial?

We ask for your credit card to allow your subscription to continue should you decide to keep your membership beyond the free trial period.  This prevents any interruption of content access.

Your card will not be charged at any point during your 21 day free trial
and you may cancel at any time during your free trial.

preloader