gift ideas (excerpted from Present Perfect)    

Give a day of leisure for which the employee will not be held accountable.

One public relations firm we've worked with in Chicago gives each of its employees $250 and an afternoon off for a personal shopping expedition. Coworkers return to work the next day and show the gifts they've found for themselves.

In addition to year-end gifts, cash is often given for employee birthdays or as awards for safety, service, productivity, sales, or attendance. There are many clever ways to present gifts of cash.

• A dozen rosebuds made from one-, five-, ten, twenty-, fifty-, or one-hundred-dollar bills
• Sheets of uncut bills
• Cash sealed in a metal can (perhaps one emblazoned with the company's logo)
• A stack of bills glued on one end to resemble a note pad (yes, they can be torn off and spent!)

Establish a company tradition for holiday gifts to employees.

• Commission an artist to create limited-edition holiday ornaments.
• Start a collection of quality picture frames, music boxes, stemware, or Christmas plates.
• Give an annual gift of holiday greens for decorating the house, or a beautiful centerpiece of greens, pinecones, and candles.

Be unconventional! Imagine the excitement that will build as the holidays approach and your employees are wondering what outrageous or fun gifts you will come up with next:

• Foot-long fortune cookies with your holiday greeting and a gift certificate inside
• Party favors and confetti for a festive New Year's celebration
• Tickets for hot-air balloon rides

Where's The Turkey?

Unfortunately for management, one year's "gift" to its employees can turn into next year's "entitlement" in the eyes of employees. This concept is perfectly illustrated by the following story, told to Sherri by a human resource manager. A few years ago, the company for which he worked gave its employees 12-pound turkeys to commemorate a year of brisk business. The next year, speculation commenced among the employees about when they would receive their turkeys. However, because of sluggish sales, the company had not planned to "gift" its workers as in the previous year. As time passed, highly pressured management was forced to call the poulterer to repeat the previous year's order. Getting 300 turkeys on short notice was going to present only one hitch: the birds were not all going to be the same size. This, however, seemed a small plight. Management was relieved to have dodged the bullet of insurrection, and they distributed the awaited turkeys to pacified employees. Nevertheless, conjecture arose in the parking lot when workers began to compare their "gifts" and speculate why one received a 10-pound turkey, another a 12-pounder, and another a 14-pounder.  

Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts for Every Occasion is filled with gift ideas for employees and everyone else on your gift list. In addition, you get tips on gifting etiquette, shopping, wrapping, special presentations, and much, much more. To order the book, click here.

NEW!  To start shopping for gifts right now, click here.

Have any employee gift ideas you'd like to share?