What are you willing to spend on a Secret Santa?

Brits have revealed how much money they’re willing to part with for a Secret Santa pressie, as more and more people are looking online for the perfect gift. Data from Google Trends also revealed that searches for ‘Secret Santa’ doubled since 2012 as more people are becoming comfortable with online shopping.

An online survey conducted by business energy comparison site Love Energy Savings revealed that 68% of British workers are happy participating in the popular gifting trend, Secret Santa. They also asked respondents how much they’d be willing to spend on a Secret Santa present – something which is often a cause for debate in workplaces. Around one in five feel comfortable spending around £10, while the second most popular choice was £20.

“The key to a fun and inclusive Secret Santa is allowing employees to opt-out anonymously, rather than in a group discussion or company email thread,” said David Ingram, Managing Director of marketing agency Bring Digital, one of the thousands of British companies across the country to adopt the tradition. “Setting a budget also helps to prevent an imbalance in spending, which can lead to some employees feeling disheartened or excluded.”

Despite the growing popularity of the trend, nearly a third of the survey respondents said they would spend a grand total of £0 on a Secret Santa gift, while many are quite happy giving and receiving smaller, cheaper gifts that don’t cost more than a fiver.

“Resistance from a small proportion of employees is inevitable, and often results in it becoming a trigger for the dreaded ‘office politics’,” said Love Energy Savings MD, Phil Foster. “If it starts to cause more problems than it’s worth, there are many other festive activities for employees to engage in that doesn’t cause any friction.”

How much are you comfortable spending on a Secret Santa? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.