Should you get your boss a Christmas present?

Could you be missing out on opportunities to strengthen your relationship with your boss? New research has revealed how many workers don’t present their boss with a token gift at the end of the year.

A study of 1,000 UK workers by Perkbox, has revealed that 90 per cent of employees don’t gift their boss a present during the Christmas season.

This is in contrast to 70 per cent of generous bosses who purchase a gift for their workforce at Christmas. Only a small few confessed they do it to benefit themselves at work, make their boss think favourably of them and improve their relationship with their boss, suggesting many could be missing a trick.

Of those who give a token gift to their boss, employees spend on average £15.

More than one in five workers said they present a gift to their manager simply just to be nice.

Chieu Cao, CMO & co-founder at Perkbox, said: “With Christmas being the season of goodwill, it is a long-served tradition for employers to offer a token gift to their employees to thank them for their efforts throughout the past year. But what is surprising from our research is how many employees don’t return the favour.

“However, this can present a challenge as every workplace culture is different, so it can be difficult to determine what gift etiquette is appropriate. In light of this, employees should get a feel for protocol when it comes to gift giving to their boss in their workplace at Christmas. If an employee doesn’t feel comfortable buying a present for their boss by themselves, then why not club together with the rest of the workforce to buy a group present? It simply requires one person to get the gift organised and by purchasing it together you will be able to spend a little more and can choose from a range of options.”

Those employees working in hospitality (29 per cent), professional services (18 per cent) and travel (17 per cent) were revealed as generous gift givers.