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Many of us genuinely enjoy giving gifts to others.

What’s more, many of us end up making good friends in the workplace.

So it’s a given that we’ll give gifts to our friends at work, right?

Sure, but with some caution:

Holiday gift-giving at work can be a bit problematic.

We’re not here to be a Scrooge or a Grinch. If you have friends at work and enjoy giving them gifts, do so!

But here are some guidelines so that you don’t make a professional mistake or hurt other co-workers’ feelings:

Don’t buy a gift for your boss.

First, the question of giving your manager a gift.

Many people feel they should. After all, the boss is…the boss. They have a lot of power over how your workday and career go, and therefore many of us feel we absolutely should give our manager a gift because there could be “consequences” if we don’t.

Which really is the reason you shouldn’t!

Giving a gift to your supervisor can be construed as giving the boss a “bribe.”

• Your boss may give you a gift, and that’s OK…

…so long as it’s a gift given to everyone.

Holiday gifts from managers to their team members usually are small gifts of food, gift certificates, etc. These are perfectly fine to accept happily.

Managers may give more personal gifts to assistant managers, etc., but it’s best if it’s done in private. If you’re an assistant manager and receive a gift from the department manager, you still don’t need to reciprocate (unless you genuinely have a personal friendship outside of work).

• Giving gifts to friends you’ve made at work.

Unless you plan to give gifts to all of your co-workers (see below), it’s best to give personal friends their holiday gifts away from work (or at least in private at lunch, or before or after work.)

Otherwise, you risk hurting co-workers’ feelings to whom you don’t give gifts, especially those with whom you’re “more” friendly, but not just “personal friend” close.

Wondering who should be considered a personal friend? They’re someone with whom you get together after or before work. They could be as simple as co-workers/friends with whom you go out for a beer right after clocking out. Or with whom you have dinner on a weeknight. Or whom you invite over for a barbecue on weekends. And so on.

These types of friends are those with whom you share personal information, ask for advice, etc. They’re the friends that you will try to stay friends with if/when one or both of you leave your current employer.

Co-workers who are “more friendly” are those with whom you have lunch on-site or perhaps after work. You take 15-minute breaks with them often during the workday.

You may go out to dinner/for a beer with them after work, but – and this is why they’re not personal friends – you rarely see them on weekends, and you don’t know a lot about their personal life. You also definitely don’t share much personal information with them.

In other words, if either of you were to leave the company, you probably wouldn’t stay in touch.

• Giving gifts to co-workers.

Many of us love giving holiday gifts! It makes us feel good: we love seeing the smiles on the people’s faces to whom we give gifts.

If this is you, gift away! Just make sure you give small gift certificates, holiday (homemade) food, cookies, and candy.

It would be best if you also aimed to pretty much give the same gift to everyone as much as possible.

Also, if you can’t give a gift to all members of your team/department, try to provide those that you do in a private setting and ask the recipients not to mention the gift to others, if possible.

Give the gift of a new job to your friends and loved ones this holiday season.

We’re always hiring. Yes, even during the holidays!

Refer a friend or family member to us, and if we hire the person and they work 160 hours for us, you receive $100. What’s more, if your referral works just 40 hours for us, they receive $25 (in addition to their normal pay)!

While you’re at it, check out our current opportunities – whether you or your friends and loved ones are searching for forklift jobs near me, warehouse work, or just any jobs near me hiring, you’re in the right place!