Did you buy your company president an Xmas gift?

[jensen]

In all my jobs, I've never bought gifts for my supervisor, but I've always been asked to pitch in for a gift for the company President... sometimes it's been as little as $5 to as much as $50. I've never been all that comfortable with it, but would never say no.

Around the holidays there were a LOT of articles about how it's improper to buy the boss a Christmas gift and how any boss who typically gets one should make sure it's known that they do not expect one this year with the state of the economy and the fact that many people took pay cuts or benefit cuts to salvage their jobs.

So, I'm wondering if this practice ended in anyone's business because of the economy? Or better yet, because the boss actually stepped up and said "No"?

 

[wdwmom2]

I work for an office owned by 5 pediatricians and on NP. The employees who want to participate, which is pretty much everyone, give money as our Christmas gift to them. The practitioners then chip in their own money equal to the amount we give them and donate it to a charity. This year it went to the Community Free Health Clinic in our town.

 

[bballmom56]

Every year I give my boss the same thing - a one month gift sponsorship of a horse at a local horse rescue (I am the barn manager for her farm). She is always very generous to us with our Christmas bonus.

 

[Hoodie]

No - it's against our ethics rules.

 

[padams]

DH is the company president and owner. One employee's wife baked brownies for us for Christmas. DH let him know that the brownies were delicious, eaten, and appreciated but that no employee needs to give DH anything other than doing his/her job.

 

[OK!]

Lord, no. My company has something like 250,000 employees, though I guess if we all ponied up we could have gotten him a DARN nice gift.

 

[Golf4food]

Heck no. Why should I chip in to buy an already rich person who also receives a large year-end bonus anything at all? They should buy US something!

 

[puffkin]

Every place I have ever worked there is usually a collection for our direct supervisor. I've never worked anywhere where we gave to a higher up than the person we directly work for

 

[KandD]

I have three jobs:

Full time job we do not get anything for the President. I work for a non profit. I don't think anything is expected and we get no type of bonus either. My department (five of us) did chip in for our supervisor.

Part time job at a small doctor's office. We did chip in for the owner of the practice (the "head" doctor). He said we were getting bonuses but I still haven't gotten mine, I only work 6-12 hours a week so I don't really expect anything.

Another part time job, a practice with five doctors. We all bake cookies for the doctors, it is a very nice tradition. They do give bonuses, used to be the same for everyone but this is the first year that part time/people who just started working there did not get the same amount as everyone else (due to the economy and I agree with this).

 

[Karalea]

My company has 2 co-owners and I would never dream of giving them a present. It is bad etiquette.

I know one coworker did but she even gives them birthday presents. after they have told her repeatedly not too. What a suck up

 

[Handbag Lady]

No, I don't think the CEO of my company would have room for gifts from all of us. (HUGE, HUGE company!)

But, our VP for our division partakes in our annual gift grab. We've managed to make him get the zonker gift two years running, and this is pot-luck and this year, he brought drinks. Our gift limit is $10, so it is so much easier to buy a zonker gift than someone you'd actually expect someone to like.

 

[JoiseyMom]

I have never been asked at any of my many jobs to chip in for a holiday gift for the boss. I have received gifts from supervisors.... unexpected but very appreciated.

I have only been asked to chip in for gifts for showers..wedding and baby.

 

[cocodog]

I presently work for the State, so no. But I previously worked in private industry, and we were expected to contribute to the company owner's expensive gift each year.