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Rachel King

The holidays are stressful, driven especially by that need to get the right gift for everyone on your list. (We can help with that.)

What can be even more challenging is getting a gift for someone in a professional setting, whether it be a co-worker with whom you’re close (versus someone you interact with once in awhile) or if it’s a situation where it’s questionable to even bestow a gift upon a colleague or client.

Thus, some problems are bound to arise. After all, the Secret Santa exchange depicted in this classic episode of The Office is somewhat rooted in reality.

In case you’re looking for what NOT to give, Snappy, an employee rewards program, has tallied the worst and most outrageous (not to mention, extravagant) gifts that employees say they have received from their co-workers. Some of these items almost seem understandable in how they ended up in the hands of the recipient. (Gas station wine was clearly a last minute option on the way over…right?) And then others, well, are truly inspired, or rather, uninspired presents.

25 Worst Corporate Gifts Employees Say They Have Actually Received

  1. Puka shell necklace
  2. Potato
  3. Stale candy in a used mug
  4. Mason jar lid
  5. A plastic, landline wall phone
  6. Gas station wine
  7. Foot lotion
  8. Rubber duck
  9. Lottery tickets
  10. Squatty Potty
  11. Shampoo
  12. “Fart in a glass”
  13. Jumper cables
  14. Whoopee cushion
  15. Bananas
  16. Broom
  17. Pink slip
  18. Turkey/Ham
  19. Pair of scissors
  20. A copy of Magic Mike
  21. Multivitamins
  22. Bible
  23. Bookmark
  24. Socks
  25. Stress ball

Top 15 Outrageous Gifts From Employers

  1. 3D Printer
  2. Four-person Sauna
  3. Kegerator
  4. Designer backpacks (Gucci and Tumi were among the cited brands)
  5. Underwater scooter
  6. Caribbean cruise for two
  7. Helicopter skiing
  8. Race a Ferrari
  9. Inflatable hot tub
  10. Club Med Sandpiper Bay getaway
  11. Mystery travel tour
  12. Thailand culinary experience and vacation
  13. Alaska Gold Rush adventure cruise tour
  14. Kenya Safari and wildlife tours
  15. A “Tour de France” gourmet food and Wine tour

Gifts always have the chance to make lasting impressions—and these certainly have. Snappy found that nearly half of employees (44%) feel that their value at their workplaces is reflected in the gifts received. Furthermore, well more than half (68%) of employees said they would rather choose their own gift than have their employer choose for them.

Then again, maybe a gift isn’t necessary (or even appropriate). Four out of five workers (81%) said that a personalized note of recognition from a supervisor actually strengthened their commitment to a company. However, 60% of employees admitted they never sent a thank you note for a corporate gift.

Snappy’s findings are based on data provided by SurveyMonkey. Conducted in November 2018, 1,019 respondents participated in this survey, representative of men and women ages 18 and older in the United States.