Gifts for coworkers come with a difficulty all of their own: there is familiarity, but only so much. They see you eight hours a day and at the same time you don't know their size, whether they have a partner or what they collect. That is why cheap, well-thought-out gifts for coworkers usually work better than expensive, risky ones. Here are 15 ideas sorted by occasion (leaving do, Secret Santa, birthday) and the rules for not putting your foot in it.
How to get a coworker's gift right
Three criteria that settle almost every doubt:
- The group sets the budget, not you. If a cap has been agreed, stick to it. Going well over it makes everyone else look bad and creates an obligation.
- Neutral before personal. Clothing, perfume, cosmetics and any joke about someone's appearance are slippery ground with a colleague.
- Useful beats decorative. On a desk, what gets used every day is what gets remembered; anything purely ornamental ends up in a drawer.
And a fourth rule that works everywhere: when in doubt, something consumable. Good coffee, a box of tea or something to eat is never surplus and never takes up space.
Cheap gifts for coworkers that don't look cheap
Inexpensive doesn't have to show. What counts here is the execution: a small, good product, nicely wrapped.
- An insulated cup or travel mug. Used every single day and saves plastic cups at the coffee machine.
- A hardy desk plant. A pothos or a snake plant copes with low light and irregular watering, which is exactly what happens in an office.
- Speciality coffee or tea. Raises the standard of breakfast without costing much.
- A good notebook with a decent pen. Still the most-used gift in desk jobs.
- A wrist rest or a large desk mat. Cheap, unshowy and appreciated daily by anyone who spends hours at a keyboard.
What to give a coworker who is leaving
Here the value isn't in the price but in the memory. This is the moment to put money in together.
- A frame or an album with photos of the team.
- A notebook or an object engraved with their name or the date.
- A gourmet hamper paid for by everyone.
- A card signed by the whole company. It sounds simple and it is what almost everyone ends up keeping.
- Something connected to where they are going next: a guide to the city they are moving to, or a nod to their new industry.
Funny gifts for coworkers without going too far
Humour works when it includes everyone. The rule is simple: if only three people get the joke, or it leaves someone exposed, it isn't a gift.
- Desk stress toys or a small tabletop puzzle.
- A mug with one of the team's catchphrases, one of those lines that comes up in every meeting.
- A calendar on an absurd theme that suits them.
- An office survival kit: charger, tissues, painkiller, chewing gum and an emergency instant coffee.
- A reusable lint remover. It looks like the silly gift and it is the one that gets used most: anyone with a dog or a cat arrives at the office covered in hair, and a roller with no refills sorts it out in the car before they walk in.
Ideas for the office Secret Santa
Secret Santa has rules of its own, because the gift is opened in front of everyone.
- Respect the spending cap. It is the first thing everyone else notices.
- Pick something that makes sense without an explanation. Gifts that need context are received with a puzzled look.
- Think about whether they will have to take it home on public transport. Bulky is awkward.
- Wrap it properly. With Secret Santa, presentation is half the mark.
What not to give a coworker
- Nothing that refers to their body: diets, anti-cellulite creams, clothes in a specific size or slimming products.
- Perfume. Far too personal a choice unless you know each other very well.
- Alcohol, if you don't know for certain that they drink.
- Very expensive gifts. They create discomfort and force the person to reciprocate.
- Private jokes the rest of the team won't understand.
Who pays for what, by occasion
A good share of office friction comes not from the gift but from nobody being clear on who puts the money in. This is the most widespread custom in companies:
| Occasion | Who pays | What works |
|---|---|---|
| Birthday | An individual gift or a small whip-round in the immediate team | Something consumable: sweets, coffee or tea |
| Leaving or moving to another company | A whip-round across the whole team | A keepsake plus a signed card |
| Secret Santa | Everyone for themselves, within an agreed cap | Useful, small and obvious the moment it is opened |
| Retirement | A whip-round across the whole department | A symbolic, personal gift |
| Birth of a child | A whip-round among close colleagues | Something practical for the first few months |
One tip for keeping the peace: if you are organising the whip-round, always name a guide amount and make it clear that contributing less is absolutely fine. That is where most of the awkwardness gets avoided.
In short
The best gifts for coworkers are the ones that get used without thinking and don't oblige anyone to anything: small, useful and well presented. If you are after ideas along those lines, take a look at our selection of small gifts for everyday life, the home and pets.