31% of people not given leaving gift

Almost a third of British workers do not receive a present from their bosses when they retire, according to new research.

A study of 2,000 retirees revealed that 31 per cent of people were not given a leaving gift. Another seven per cent did slightly better – at least they got a ‘sorry you’re leaving’ card.

The average retirement gift is worth just £2.17 for every year of work, according to the survey by Skipton Building Society.

Most retirees can expect a gift worth around £101.89 when they call time on their career – equivalent to just £2.17 for each year of the average 47-year working lifetime.

Gift vouchers and flowers are the most common retirement gifts – while some workers had to settle for ‘an invite to the office Christmas party’.

Rebecca Willey, of the Skipton Building Society, said: ‘After years of working, particularly if you have done a long term with the same company, most would expect a nice gift, or something special to wave them off into their retirement. But in reality, it seems that the gift you receive is nothing compared to the time and effort you have put into working over the years. And there are worryingly large number of people are lucky to receive a card at the most.’

Gift vouchers are the most popular choice, followed by a bunch of flowers, a personalised gift and something for their home.

But some lucky workers received a night away, tickets to a Formula One event and an all-expenses paid party.

Rebecca Willey added: ‘Entering retirement is a huge milestone, and most would expect some sort of recognition for not only the work they have put in over the years, but also to celebrate reaching the landmark event in their lives. At Skipton, we believe everyone should be able to look forward to retirement. Leaving work behind after so many years can be an exciting and daunting experienc. ‘However, for many, it seems this experience hasn’t got off to the best start due to the send-off that they have received from their former employer.’

Top 10 most common retirement gifts:

1. Gift vouchers

2. A bunch of flowers

3. A personalised gift

4. Something for the home

5. Money

6. Something for the garden

7. Cakes

8. A memento related to the company

9. A watch

10. A round of drinks for everyone

10 of the worst gifts received by retirees:

1. Nothing

2. A thank you letter with their name spelt wrong

3. Two bottles of wine, when they don’t drink

4. Just a thank you card

5. Miniature porcelain animal

6. A book

7. Cutlery

8. A plant

9. An Invite to the company annual Christmas party

10. A clock radio