Bah Humbug!!

Over half of employees will not be receiving any Christmas cheer from their bosses this year, with 57% of those surveyed by HR experts Croner, part of Wolters Kluwer UK, resigned to having Scrooge for a boss.

And those employers attempting to bring a bit of festive cheer to the workplace could end up with egg nog on their faces by choosing inappropriate, ill thought out or downright cheap and tacky gifts.

For those lucky few who are rewarded with a day at a health spa or given a luxury hamper, there is genuine delight. However, employers need not go to extreme lengths to show their gratitude to employees ñ for many a simple thank you will do the trick.

Picture the scene: Itís the last week of work before the Christmas shutdown and thoughts turn to long lunches and doing as little work as possible. The boss suddenly emerges and gleefully hands out the company Christmas gift ñ will it be a luxury hamper or a pen with the company logo on it?

Bah humbug gifts uncovered by the survey included anything with the company logo on or company products.

Croner also found in its survey to HR professionals, that some Christmas gifts will be memorable for all the wrong reasons. While some staff will expectantly rip open their December payslip to find a monthís salary as a bonus, itís not uncommon for others to be opening their P45, with some respondents detailing their worst Christmas present as ìtermination of contractî and ìredundancyî.

Gillian Dowling, Employment Technical Consultant at Croner, says: ìThe survey may have revealed some light-hearted results with employees receiving such gifts as a company notepad or stockings filled with satsumas and nuts, but the serious message is that making employeeís feel valued and appreciated can help in areas such as staff loyalty, commitment and even motivation ñ and Christmas is an ideal opportunity to do this. However, the research shows that just giving any old gift can do more harm than good.

ìExtravagant gifts are a nice perk, but the best value gift ñ a simple thank you ñ neednít cost a thing, which is one of the ways we advise our clients to show their appreciation, especially at Christmas. Luxury rewards are great for companies who have the budgets to support them, but there are tax implications when giving gifts that arenít classed as ëtrivialí, so it is often the case that smaller companies may struggle to give gifts to their staff and choose to spend the money in another way such as a Christmas party or dinner.

ìPerhaps we shouldnít be so quick to label employers stingy, as our research shows that choosing the right gift can be a tricky business. Thoughtful gifts are the most valued, even if they are not grand gestures.î