Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad • Hacker News Board

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#11

Post by MichaelCollins » Wed, Nov 02, 2022, 10:05 PM UTC

> It’s also best to avoid socks. Everyone already has socks, and realistically, they will likely also get socks from someone else during the holiday season.

What is this crap? Socks are the best gift. Didn't the author stop to wonder why everybody gives people socks during the holiday season? Because virtually everybody uses socks, because socks wear out fast, because new socks are the most comfortable and it's always nice to get a new pair even if you already have lots of socks. If anybody asks me what I want as a gift, I tell them socks.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#12

Post by bombcar » Wed, Nov 02, 2022, 10:05 PM UTC

metadat wrote: post #3

Some of these criticisms come across as pretty entitled and spoiled. Lots of places never give out any gifts, or give you a shitty cheap watch or a plastic company pen in recognition for 30 years of dedicated service. The socks complaint really bugs me. If I received a pair of socks from my boss, as long as they weren't tube socks, I'd actually like and use them! As long as you don't love in the tropics, it's hard to…

Yeah, lots of the stuff on the list isn't going to piss me off, it's just "meh" at worst. If they handed out $5 gift cards and people didn't want them you know I'd be going around and slurping them up.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#13

Post by humanwhosits » Wed, Nov 02, 2022, 10:06 PM UTC

MichaelCollins wrote: post #11

> It’s also best to avoid socks. Everyone already has socks, and realistically, they will likely also get socks from someone else during the holiday season. What is this crap? Socks are the best gift. Didn't the author stop to wonder why everybody gives people socks during the holiday season? Because virtually everybody uses socks, because socks wear out fast, because new socks are the most comfortable and it's alway…

Agree, socks are awesome and actually get used.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#14

Post by matwood » Wed, Nov 02, 2022, 10:08 PM UTC

MichaelCollins wrote: post #11

> It’s also best to avoid socks. Everyone already has socks, and realistically, they will likely also get socks from someone else during the holiday season. What is this crap? Socks are the best gift. Didn't the author stop to wonder why everybody gives people socks during the holiday season? Because virtually everybody uses socks, because socks wear out fast, because new socks are the most comfortable and it's alway…

Agree. I love socks. They are also something I always need since they wear out (like you said), but I also lose them.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#15

Post by smsm42 » Wed, Nov 02, 2022, 10:10 PM UTC

club_tropical wrote: post #5

Some of these are objectively bad ($5 grocery card) while others (team dinner) are basically complaints about a job/coworkers you hate (now these fools are taking your free time, too).

If it's cash-equivalent (i.e. I can actually use it in a store I commonly go to) then I don't mind even $5. I mean, it's not something that would make me particularly happy, but $5 is more than $0. I have also used some company swag for years (cups, water bottles, hoodies, scarves, backpacks, etc.) with no complaints, if it's not cheap-ass stuff but a proper product with a logo slapped on it, why not. I mean, if it's a gift and it costs me nothing, why feel bad about it?

Things I do feel bad is either crappy quality things, or things I couldn't use - like gift card for a place I don't go to, or crappy tshirt I would never wear, etc. - that's just waste and I am becoming part of it, that makes me feel bad.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#16

Post by Waterluvian » Wed, Nov 02, 2022, 10:10 PM UTC

MichaelCollins wrote: post #11

> It’s also best to avoid socks. Everyone already has socks, and realistically, they will likely also get socks from someone else during the holiday season. What is this crap? Socks are the best gift. Didn't the author stop to wonder why everybody gives people socks during the holiday season? Because virtually everybody uses socks, because socks wear out fast, because new socks are the most comfortable and it's alway…

Socks are great because they’re like a grocery item and yet aren’t.

I love groceries for my birthday and Christmas. Things I wouldn’t normally get like fancy sauces or beef jerky or special sodas. Because every long-term item I already have, don’t want, or you aren’t likely to get the correct one.

Because socks are short lived, they’re kind of like that without someone feeling bad about the gift. Nobody but my wife feels comfortable getting me groceries.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#17

Post by rrauenza » Wed, Nov 02, 2022, 10:10 PM UTC

MichaelCollins wrote: post #11

> It’s also best to avoid socks. Everyone already has socks, and realistically, they will likely also get socks from someone else during the holiday season. What is this crap? Socks are the best gift. Didn't the author stop to wonder why everybody gives people socks during the holiday season? Because virtually everybody uses socks, because socks wear out fast, because new socks are the most comfortable and it's alway…

Especially if they are good socks. I've stopped wearing the cheapie white cotton ones. I love the "Darned Tough" ones -- which I originally bought for hiking boots.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#18

Post by tboughen » Wed, Nov 02, 2022, 10:11 PM UTC

MichaelCollins wrote: post #11

> It’s also best to avoid socks. Everyone already has socks, and realistically, they will likely also get socks from someone else during the holiday season. What is this crap? Socks are the best gift. Didn't the author stop to wonder why everybody gives people socks during the holiday season? Because virtually everybody uses socks, because socks wear out fast, because new socks are the most comfortable and it's alway…

I’m glad that works for you, but it doesn’t for me. The one ‘life hack’ that’s ever worked for me is to own a single type of sock (white, cotton, Nike). The entire batch of 30 pairs was bought at the same time so they wear evenly, meaning all socks match with all other socks. When I get down to a few functioning pairs, into the bin they go and a new batch is ordered.

My family knows not to buy me socks…

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#19

Post by floren » Wed, Nov 02, 2022, 10:11 PM UTC

MichaelCollins wrote: post #11

> It’s also best to avoid socks. Everyone already has socks, and realistically, they will likely also get socks from someone else during the holiday season. What is this crap? Socks are the best gift. Didn't the author stop to wonder why everybody gives people socks during the holiday season? Because virtually everybody uses socks, because socks wear out fast, because new socks are the most comfortable and it's alway…

I'm too cheap to buy myself nice wool socks, but they're a great thing to ask for as a gift: the giver gets to feel like they've spent enough to make it a Real Gift, it's a small package, won't get broken if they mail it to me, etc.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#20

Post by PopAlongKid » Wed, Nov 02, 2022, 10:13 PM UTC

>that form allowed the company to then tax me on that ‘gift’ as income,

Wrong. There is no "form" needed for taxation, it is required by the IRS (in U.S.) and the company does not "tax" anyone. Employer gifts (other than de minimis amounts) are taxable compensation. (see IRS Publication 15-B for details).

A good employer will "gross up" cash gifts to cover the taxes.