Holiday Gifts for Employees They’ll Love!

Employees work hard all year. The holiday season is the perfect time to thank them for their efforts with a present. 

But what’s the secret to giving holiday gifts for employees they’ll actually enjoy?

When choosing what gifts to give the staff, pay attention to your company’s culture. Presents that would be appropriate in a free-spirited, fun-loving workplace might not fit a more formal, heads-down, get-your-work-done team. 

Also consider where your company works. A bustling downtown? A suburban office park? Some secluded spot far outside city limits? Are employees working on-site or remotely? Does your local weather make the holiday season a time for getting outdoors or staying in? How you answer these questions can shape your gift selection.

But here’s the real secret: Give gifts sincerely. Employees know when they’re only getting a gift because it “checks a box.” And they know and appreciate when a present shows the company is truly thankful for all they do and values them as a person, not just a business asset.

At Art of Words, we know about gift giving! For 13 years we’ve been hearing people tell us our prints make their experiences of giving and getting gifts “merry and bright” at any time.

To help you brainstorm some great year-end gifts for employees, here’s our list of gift categories to consider.

Nine Nifty Kinds of Gifts for Employees This Holiday Season

What to stuff in your staff’s stockings? Presents from any of these categories can help make their holidays happy. 

1. Gift Cards

We know: Gift cards can feel impersonal. But they can also be a convenient and equitable solution. And no law says you’ve got to give a boring gift card issued by a megabank. Why not give one from a unique, locally owned business, or a card to cover lunch at a nearby restaurant?

2. Festive Food

The holiday season is full of treats and sweets. Chocolates that are a cut above what you can buy at the grocery store make a delicious gift, as do gourmet cookies, nuts, popcorn, or fancy fruit. (But beware: Let them eat holiday fruitcake at your own risk!)

3. Beverages for Making Merry

We don’t necessarily mean alcohol — though nice bottles of wine or carefully selected craft beer might make appropriate and welcome holiday gifts for employees. But gourmet coffee beans (not pre-ground packaged stuff), exotic teas, or even a hot chocolate mix for the connoisseur could infuse their holidays with fun flavor.

4. Seasonal Houseplants

Have employees who love to garden? Poinsettias, Christmas cacti, and kalanchoe are just a few plants that make great gifts for those with green thumbs. They’re natural, environmentally friendly decorations. Plus, with some TLC, they can be repotted and replanted so they live well into the New Year.

5. Hometown Sports Gear

If your employees are sports fans, swag featuring local teams’ colors could be a home run—or touchdown, or slam dunk! Officially licensed merchandise doesn’t have to bust your budget. Here in Philly, for example, Shibe Vintage Sports offers classy and affordable baseball caps (among other items) brimming with hometown pride.

6. Personalized Work Accessories

No monogrammed staplers or engraved paperweights! Think of presents that add a little class or charm to an employee’s workspace. Water tumblers, photo frames, a note pad, even a mouse pad—small touches like these, with names or personalized messages on them, can make time at the desk or in the cubicle a little more pleasant all year long.

7. Customized Coffee Mugs

A coffee mug may seem like a gift cliché. Even so, one survey found 26% of respondents named mugs a top gift. But we don’t mean some miserly mug with your company logo slapped on it. We mean high quality mugs, including travel mugs, chosen with an eye for their capacity (small coffee cups just won’t cut some Monday mornings!) and your employees’ tastes in color and design. 

8. Smartphone Holders

Nearly everyone owns a smartphone. But how many of your employees have a “phone throne?” Nice phone stands that keep the device handy for hands-free use are abundant and inexpensive. They may also make spending time in Zoom meetings a little more fun!

9. Extra Paid Time Off

Your employees would likely trade almost any tangible gift for some extra paid time off, faster than Santa slips down and up chimneys. If your schedule and budget allow, consider giving even part of an extra day off with pay.

Word Art Always Makes a Meaningful Gift at the Holidays

We hope these gift ideas have sparked your own. 

Here’s one more: If you really want to “wow” them this holiday season, consider Art of Words prints as holiday gifts for your employees.

Baseball and football greats and the venues where they’ve played, iconic city skylines, legendary musicians, towering leaders in American history—with more than 105 pieces to choose from, you’re sure to find prints that connect with your staff.

Our word art immediately makes any office space, including the walls of those who work from home, more interesting and appealing. 

And yes, glad you asked: You can buy Art of Words gift cards!

Whatever your company ends up giving its employees, give something that will let the staff know how valuable and valued they are. It’s one small way companies can make sure the staff wants to stick around, through many more holiday seasons to come!