October 16 is National Boss's Day, which means that it's time to recognize great bosses for the excellent work they do. However, the way an office approaches this holiday will dictate whether it's a fun, happy celebration of a stellar manager or an awkward, possibly bitter event. The problem often comes down to gift-giving. It makes sense to celebrate a great manager with a great gift: However, the etiquette around gifting across pay grades is complicated, particularly when you're asking employees to spend money on someone who makes more than them. Workplace gift-giving can be fair and hassle-free, however, provided you follow these guidelines:
Stay Office Appropriate
Make sure your gift is appropriate given the expectations at your office. An ever-appropriate gift for a manager is an office-related gift, like a pen set or personalized notepad. If you have a very formal office, it's probably best to stick to these kinds of gifts instead of veering into sillier territory. However, if you have a laid-back, friendly atmosphere in your office, it's probably okay to get a little more creative with your gift. There are gifts that are never office appropriate, however, such as gag gifts. Other gifts that are never OK in an office include personal gifts like clothes or perfume/cologne, handmade or alcoholic gifts, or gifts with religious, racial, or sexual overtones.
Some offices have set rules on office gift-giving: Check your employee handbook to see if there are any office-specific rules to guide your decision.
Use Office Budget
Most offices have a party and gift-giving budget precisely for these kinds of things. Instead of asking employees to all pitch in, you should use this budget to fund any gifts you want to give or events you'd like to throw in your boss's honor. There are tons of advantages to going this route, the most important of which is you avoid putting employees in an awkward situation. For example, you have a set budget to begin with, and you don't have to base the cost of the gift on how much everyone is able or willing to contribute. It also makes life a whole lot easier for whoever is picking the gift: It's a lot easier to be decisive if you don't have to ask for input from everyone.
The Problem with Pitching In
Many office workers may wonder why it's inappropriate to ask their co-workers to pitch in for a Boss's Day gift. Even if it seems like no big deal to you, asking everyone to pitch in can put people in a seriously awkward situation. Everyone has different costs and expenses outside of their office lives, and different ways they spend or save their money. Ultimately, this isn't the business of anyone but them, and it's inappropriate for an office to expect its employees to put money toward office events or gifts. Surely employees organizing group funds don't see it that way, but that's the reality of the situation – even presenting chipping in as totally optional can force employees to say "no" and feel like they look cheap or greedy. The reality is, employees can have any number of reasons for saying no, and it's better to not ask to begin with.
Moreover, asking employees to spend money on their bosses creates an unhealthy power dynamic. As U.S. News points out, bosses and managers have power over employees' livelihood. Getting gifts from employees means they're benefiting from that – whether that's the intent of the gift or not. Offices recognizing stellar bosses is great: Forcing employees to do it is awkward at best.
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