Thought

[_19disnA]

If the office has upped the min gift value to $50 this year, I seriously doubt you would be the only person not participating. That is a HUGE amount of money to expect everyone to spend for a Christmas office gift to a co-worker no matter where you work. I don't think you should feel pushed into something not within your budget.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I would want to opt out based solely on it being a white elephant exchange. That is not my idea of a good time. That said, since you're the new kid on the block, I'd suck it up & buy a $50 bottle of liquor to exchange & move on. Next year, you will have already established yourself in the office & can feel more comfortable with opting out.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

$50 minimum on a co-worker? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

If they want to do a Secret Santa for $15 or less that is fine, but I would not be participating on anything more. This is what we did where I worked and there were a few people who still did not participate and that is fine too. Give no gift and take no gift.

I would just say "I'm sorry but that is not in my budget so I won't be participating. But if we are bringing in a food item for the party I'd love to do that." No discussion needed.


Wait, are you buying a gift for each person in your department for $20-30 each or do you pull names or something?

We are doing that each.... with 6 in the department, yea you end up buying for 5 people. This is why it's painful.

 

[anniemae]

We had one every year and it was kind of an unspoken rule that you participate. I hate those things and just sucked it up and bought a generic type gift like a coffee mug with a gift card to a coffee shop and a bag of ground coffee. It was always a yankee swap and I hated it.

I hate to say it but I think you may be pressured to participate. I have learned sometimes it's easier to just join it or you look bad, like you aren't a team player. At least that's how it was at my job. If I were you, I would ask a coworker what the vibe is for these things, ask if people opt out or not. I'm guessing most will participate since it seems the higher-ups are involved. $50 is a lot.

 

[GreatLakes]

Wait, are you buying a gift for each person in your department for $20-30 each or do you pull names or something?

I buy a gift for everyone in any department that reports to me and a little extra for my direct reports.

 

[disneychrista]

You could always buy something YOU want and hope to get to “steal” it back. My daughter did that with the ornament swap one of her old employers did. She must have picked good ornaments because it seems hers was always one of the sought after ones, that would be stolen a few times.