Avoid 'Secret Santa' embarrassment
As the festive season strikes again human resources experts have come up with some sage advice... "When it comes to Secret Santa think PG-rating".
Don't buy anything for a colleague that you'd be embarrassed to show your mum. This advice from HR Consultancy Jaluch, follows a catalogue of Secret Santa blunders at local companies. Over the years Jaluch has heard of staff at local companies receiving chocolate body paint and other gifts with a sexual connotation, extra strong deodorant, a bottle of wine (given to a Muslim) and, in Scrooge-like fashion, an unwanted gift recycled from the year before.
Despite this 73 per cent of companies which responded to a recent Jaluch poll thought Secret Santa a great idea whilst only 17 percent believe it can cause more bad will than good and 10 percent deem it ‘highly inappropriate'.
Kathie-Louise Clarke, an HR Advisor at Jaluch, said: "Most people take Secret Santa in the spirit it is intended and we'd certainly encourage companies to continue the tradition.
"However, it's essential that Secret Santa is voluntary, not everyone celebrates Christmas and for some the cost of buying an extra present can be a burden. There's also the potential to offend and what might seem a bit of light fun now could form a small part of a complex grievance later on.
"Part of the fun of Secret Santa is that staff all open their presents together at the Christmas party, choosing something with the potential to embarrass or offend or something that taps into a personal vulnerability could cause problems. If staff are in any doubt they should play it safe." Other Secret Santa upsets include buying self-help guides, ‘how-to' books, diet vouchers, nose and ear hair trimmers and political or religious joke gifts.
27 November 2009
Created on: 27-Nov-09 14:53
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