Cheesy Company ( Mass) Employee Gifts

[SoonerFan]

A ham....When I worked for the Formica/Tarkett distributor. I had worked very hard to improve a territory that had been neglected by the previous distribution, introduced a new product and set up displays all over OKC and the western part of the state....and I got a eight dollar ham from Sam's Wholesale...not even a quality ham like a Smithfield or something more top shelf....just a plain old cheapest processed ham money could buy...I was so appreciative. The warehouse was in a poor neighborhood, and as I was leaving that Christmas Eve, I saw a young black kid standing in front of a apartment building . I stopped and called him over and gave him the ham and told him to take it to his mom. I'm sure she found a use for it.

[tcesni]

We used to receive additional days off between Christmas and New Year's Day as time off with pay. That was pretty cool. When I was much younger we received fresh turkeys as a holiday gift. I actually had mine stolen one year when I had a friend drop me off at a Ford garage to pick up my car that had been serviced the day we received our turkeys. I set mine on the rear spoiler of my Mustang and went inside to pay my bill and when I came out the turkey was gone!! Turns out an employee swiped the bird, got caught and lost his job. Couldn't make up such a stupid stunt.

[jc1234]

I don't recall any cheesy gifts from a company, but I did have a weird event from one company I worked for. They had a party for my 25th anniversary with the company, but I wasn't invited.

[RNKingCx19]

One days pay between the pay checks in December. And a Visa gift cards= year of service with the company. 1-5 years all got $25 6-10 =$50
11-15=$100 16-20=$150 and on and on $200-250-300

[NAMVET1968]

.

[Wormer]

Our Christmas gift is always cash. No one complains about getting money.

The people I used to work with would complain about it. They could get two hundred or five hundred or more, it was never enough.

[juice780]

I know of company that gave everyone in office red and green paper clips for Christmas.

[BP in ME]

I worked for some dirtbags back in the early 90's. We all traveled for work but they weren't reimbursing for expenses. That is until Christmas when got $500 of our own money back! Yay!

To give you a feel for how bad they were, they pocketed the child support payments being deducted from one of the guy's paychecks and the State made HIM pay it back. The DA didn't feel like prosecuting.

[avidbasser]

We used to get great gifts before the company grew to a massive size. This year we got a Nike ball cap with company logo and "IT" embroidered for our department.

[188Musky]

At the hospital where I work, it was a tradition for the nuns to make Christmas ornaments for all the employees and give them out at Christmas.

The ornaments were intricate, unique, handmade, very creative, and were cherished by everyone that received them.

As the talented sisters that made them got older and fewer, it just was not practical or possible for them to make ornaments for the hundreds of employees anymore.

The hospital administration wanted to continue the tradition, so they started giving away mass-produced ornaments each Christmas. As the accountants got ahold the tradition, the ornaments got cheaper and cheaper, and it eventually devolved into stamped, plated pieces of metal with the corporate logo and a hook on it.

The older employees that understood the tradition of the sisters making ornaments perhaps were more tolerant, but as they retired, the majority became quite cynical about receiving the cheesy ornaments, and it was discontinued.

[teamplayer]

I guess I just do not understand. Christmas bonus is just that. When employees sign up to work for a company does the company say you will get $$$$ or a feast or a new car for a Christmas bonus? I really don't think so. If a person is so unhappy with the Christmas bonus, go find another place to work. I cannot understand folks complaining about a "bonus", as it us just that, a plus, an extra, a present. If and when my company gave a bonus at Christmas I was very thankful, no matter size or item. Look at the world today. Be thankful for what you have as others around you may not be as fortunate.

[jc1234]

I guess I just do not understand. Christmas bonus is just that. When employees sign up to work for a company does the company say you will get $$$$ or a feast or a new car for a Christmas bonus? I really don't think so. If a person is so unhappy with the Christmas bonus, go find another place to work. I cannot understand folks complaining about a "bonus", as it us just that, a plus, an extra, a present. If and when my company gave a bonus at Christmas I was very thankful, no matter size or item. Look at the world today. Be thankful for what you have as others around you may not be as fortunate.

While your point is well taken, it doesn't mean we can't laugh about the thoughtlessness of some companies. The last company I worked for didn't give Christmas bonuses. However, they were very generous in so many areas, it wasn't missed.

[RangerOKC]

My wife's and my company were very generous to us on gifts/bonuses and time off.

[dean c]

Ill start with a box that came in the mail with 2 books about the story of the Co I work for and our current CEO.

File 13

[Mutt]

company I work for takes everyone out to a real nice restaurant and gives everyone a card with cash in it. During the year they are great. Fantastic place to work.

[BP in ME]

While your point is well taken, it doesn't mean we can't laugh about the thoughtlessness of some companies. The last company I worked for didn't give Christmas bonuses. However, they were very generous in so many areas, it wasn't missed.

Well said. It's two different things.

Employers can be so cheap as to be laughable and employees can act like ungrateful, entitled brats.

[ECobb91]

Well said. It's two different things.

Employers can be so cheap as to be laughable and employees can act like ungrateful, entitled brats.

this. At my first full time job, the company really cared about its employees. While they weren’t the highest paying, the benefits were great and had the highest retention, recruitment, and employee satisfaction out of any consulting firm in the state.

my previous company (that I mentioned in my first post in this thread) is in the category of “so cheap it’s laughable”. But they wonder why employees complained and the average employment is around 4-5 years. They had below average 401k match, lowest Christmas bonus out of any consulting firm in the area, stopped having holiday parties because it was “too expensive”, they required everyone to bring their own plates, utensils, and sides to pass for owner cookouts, required employees to pay for “family company events” like golf, paintball, zoo outings etc.

yet the managers/dept heads would give themselves 10k-50k Christmas bonuses depending on title, profit sharing bonuses if projects were under budget, manager only holiday events, paid cars and free gas, free cell phones, employee stock, company paid insurance, higher 401k match.. only caveat is they aren’t allowed to have a “luxury” vehicle. They could get a 50k Tundra but couldn’t drive a 50k Lexus because “it would give employees the perception that the company has top heavy benefits and the company wants employees to think that managers are making a modest wage to be more relatable”. That’s a quote from the CEO.

[MadYakker]

I worked for a company that used to give out great bonuses (15-20% of your salary, depending on the profitability- got them in April), but our specific group was put on severance the end of last year due to relocation, but we got a good separation package. I was eventually asked to come back as a contractor, making $35K more per year (gross) but with far fewer benefits (no PTO or bonus). Turns out, I just received my 'bonus' from my boss this morning- my company will want me to come back again as an FTE. Seems the past big dog had too many folks that didn't want to move to Atlanta area from KC area so they needed to re-establish a KC group again. Hopefully this will take me to retirement!

[Highcentered]

Sometimes getting nothing is better than getting something so cheesy it's laughable. The biggest insult someone can give when receiving a gift is "it's the thought that counts". I've gotten to the point where I don't care if I get a "gift" from the company or not. The biggest gift anyone at work can give me is to let me do my job without any drama.

[Silkstringz]

My company sent out an email to all employees that we have a little something coming for the holidays...."keep an eye on the mailbox and don't throw away any mail from the company!"

Waiting with anticipation......the letter shows up in the mail.

$10 coupon for a butterball turkey. Not even joking.