Boss Gift Etiquette: What You Should Know About Giving Your Bosses Gifts at Work

Here are workplace etiquette answers as well as top gift suggestions for leaders, managers and bosses. Giving your boss a gift can feel awkward when you don't know the proper etiquette. Is it appropriate to give your boss an expensive gift? Will your boss be insulted by cheap gifts on Boss's Day? Are you even allowed to give a gift to the boss?

You may worry you'll be seen as "sucking up to the boss" by your coworkers, especially if you're the only one giving the boss a birthday gift or holiday present - or - and this is a delicate issue - a gift on some other occasion of celebration that not every coworker knows about.

You may even want to give your boss an appreciation gift just as a thank-you for being a great boss - but is that allowed? Learn the proper business etiquette for gifting the boss so you can maintain good relationships with your employer and coworkers.

Here you'll also find good suggestions for Bosses Day gifts suitable for both male and female supervisors, managers and team leaders.

There is no lower limit to the amount of money you should spend on a gift for your boss. If you can only afford a $5 gift, get her a $5 gift. If you want to get a $20 present, get a $20 present.

As for the upper limit of how much to spend on the boss's gift, the exact amount varies, but the rule should be:  keep it modest.  Be guided by the occasion. Most people worry they should spend more on the boss than on a coworker. But you really need spend no less and no more on your boss than you would on any coworker.

The work dynamic in your office is your best clue. If singling out your boss for a high-cost special gift feels right, and if it's legal and above-board as far as company policy is concerned, and you wouldn't feel uncomfortable mentioning it to anyone in the office, then it probably is fine. If it feels awkward, and you'd want to keep it "under the table," then it's probably not a good idea.

So how much should you spend? The three big "gifting" days during the year are Bosses Day, birthdays and Christmas (or whichever winter holidays are celebrated by your bosses). These generally beg more expensive gift items than, say, Halloween or Valentine's Day. But "expensive" is relative. An expensive present to you may be a cheap gift to your boss. Worry less about how much you spend than that the gift is appropriate.

Very Important:  Note that different work places have different rules about giving and accepting both material and cash gifts. Contact your Human Resources department to ask if the rules or laws apply to you.

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Most supervisors, managers and team leaders do not get gifts from their employees, period. You are not expected to give your boss a gift, even if you receive one from your boss. Some stricter work environments even have prohibitions against gift giving to bosses.

In some more relaxed work environments, gifts may be given to bosses by their employees during major holidays and birthdays. The best rule of thumb is to limit yourself to giving a present to your boss only on major holidays, birthdays or other occasions when the whole office contributes to the gift giving, such as on:

• his or her birthday
• winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, etc. and New Year's Day)
• National Boss's Day (the U.S. holiday on October 16 and in the UK on March 24 in honor of bosses and employers)
• office going-away party for the boss
• office milestone birthday party for the boss
• other office party to celebrate something boss-related
  

A time when it's okay to give the boss a gift when others at the workplace aren't doing so is when you hand out gifts to all your coworkers, such as trinkets on the 4th of July holiday (Independence Day), bags of Halloween candy, gift bags "just because it's a nice day", or any other small gifts for a special occasion. Since you're giving out goodies to everyone, by all means, include your boss as a recipient during these gifting sprees. Many managers and supervisors tend to end up externalized during coworker events such as parties and luncheons, and they appreciate being included and remembered as part of the team.

But what about those special occasions - the birth of a child, a wedding, a promotion, a successful business deal, or other personal or professional event that you want to congratulate your boss for?

At these times, you'd do best to organize a collective gift-giving effort. Take up a collection and buy your boss a thoughtful, classy gift. Or everybody contribute a gift and surprise the boss with a party during the lunch hour (making sure your supervisor isn't on the way to a meeting, of course!) Another option is to simply get a congratulatory card - this is appropriate when it is something you would do for any other coworker.

It's generally considered bad etiquette to give your boss a thoughtful gift on a whim, or in order to impress him or her.

If you just found out your boss needs a new bicycle chain and you want to impress her, don't run out and get a bicycle chain as a gift. Gifting the boss this way is looked at askance and may be against company policy.

A special note about boss appreciation gifts: Boss appreciation gifts are a tricky matter. In most cases, it's best to limit your "I-really-appreciate-your-leadership" gift-giving to Boss's Day (also called Boss Day), which in the U.S. falls on October 16. However, if your boss went out of his or her way for you recently or did an especially good job being your supervisor, it may be appropriate to give a boss appreciation gift. To be safe, ask the Human Resources department if such gifting is permitted.

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Any gift appropriate to give to a coworker is also good for a boss on Boss's Day. Flowers or plants are perfectly appropriate. For a conventional gift that's also thoughtful and suitable for most bosses, give your boss something personalized, such as a personalized pen or mug. Cool gadgets are ideal gender neutral gifts.

A simple gift basket you make yourself and stuff with tissue paper, natural preserves, crackers, roasted nuts and summer sausages can be as luxurious looking as something you pay three times the amount for and be great as a going-away gift or on some other very special occasion.

Some great gag gift ideas for a boss with a great sense of humor are a funny mug, a stress buster themed to the workplace, or a plaque with a humorous engraving, such as "Voted #1 Boss in Five States (Happy, Relaxed, Imposing, Numb, and Exhausted)

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At times when gift-giving to employers is appropriate, it's fine to give your boss a gag gift. Funny gifts are a great way to lighten the work environment.

Don't be afraid to inject some humor in your gift to your boss. But do make sure the gift is tasteful and tactful and not embarrassing for your boss. If you're in doubt about whether the gag gift is appropriate, ask your Human Resources representative.

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Credentials: The author of this article is a former supervisor and office worker who has worked in many offices for large and small organizations over a period of 20 years and has taken an interest in business gifting etiquette.

See the author's disclosure statement regarding compensation for this article.

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