Holiday Gifting

To: All Employees
From: HR Department
Re: Gift-Giving Guidelines

The holiday season is upon us, so we thought this would be an opportune time to remind you of our company's gift-giving guidelines. Remember, we implemented these guidelines so that no one would feel offended or excluded during this joyful season of giving.

Gifts to avoid:

• Intimate apparel (this could indicate an inappropriate relationship)
• Perfumes, body lotion, highly scented items or personal lubricants
• Flashy jewelry (i.e., artificial gemstones, anything worn in conjunction with a battery or genuine gems of 5 carats or more)
• Food (some workers are restricted by certain cultures and religions)
• Art (or other items that are in your taste, but not necessarily anyone else's)
• Liquor or cigarettes (unless you know for certain that you coworker drinks or smokes)
• Pets or plants (it is never a good idea to give a "high-maintenance" present)

Gifts to consider:

• Picture frames
• Gift cards
• Books
• Useful desk objects
• Facial tissue
• Adhesive bandages
• Plastic utensils
• Movie passes

Secret Santa exchanges are acceptable in most cases, but make sure to establish a spending limit. Some employees will not want to spend more money on top of the usual holiday spending pressure, especially our younger staff who often complain that they are underpaid.