topic Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready in Community Chat

My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

Laura14 — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:03:54 GMT

So a woman came in and hands me an envelope and apologizes for her very bad cold. I think it's a holiday card which some of my customers give me every year. She makes some small talk and I thank her and she leaves wiping her nose.

I look at the return envelope address, realize it's from our company, and finally it clicks who she is. She is one of our regional managers. Oh and my first name is spelled wrong on the envelope. Really? Like it's hard?

I open the envelope and there is a thank you note along with the latest company promo slogan that I have no idea what it means (it's stupid) and two $10 gift cards to fast food places along with a third card which is unmarked.

All three are disgustingly dirty and have "stuff" all over them. I don't even want to know. They are not attached to their cardboard sleeves and have obviously been carried around for quite a while.

I now have $10 to spend at Subway, Chilis, and an unknown amount at Panera. Maybe. It wouldn't surprise me if they are expired or already used.

I do appreciate the gift gesture but sometimes it's best to just do the holiday card along with a proper spelling of your employee's first name. It would have been better.

Personally, I think she was just checking to make sure I hadn't turned in my notice yet. Wait for it. It's coming.

Anyone else get a gift from their employer this year? I'm throwing mine up for contention. Go ahead and try to beat this one!

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

Skididdy — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:07:55 GMT

At least you received something. I GET ZIPPO, NOTHING, NADDA !!!

I used to but they stopped it 6 yrs ago. So much for appreciation right ?

Have yourself a GREAT CHRISTMAS though. Family, health, is all we really need right ? But a big old BONUS would be awesome.

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

Laura14 — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:09:03 GMT

@Skididdy On behalf of the fellow working world, THANK YOU for all you do and have a great holiday!

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

Sooner — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:11:37 GMT

I worked 42 years and never got a sandwich, a pickle, a drink or a bag of chips. I guess I'm lucky because I didn't have to complain about getting something! LOL!!!

But then it never occurred to me I would get something, so I look back and think at least I was never disappointed!

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

Liverbird1 — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:13:42 GMT

Well we used to get a $10 gift card to Target , that was 4 yrs ago .

Now we get nothing , no card .

They have a xmas party , but as I work the night shift I have to miss it if it falls on my night to work .

So Merry Christmas to you all .

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

2blonde — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:14:04 GMT

@Laura14 Well your gift IS pretty lame, at best. I received the same gift I have received every year since I started working there........0, zilch, nada!

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

Laura14 — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:21:14 GMT

I wish I could hand these cards off to someone who will use them. I guess the kids will make use of them since I can't give them out here. And I would.

I do appreciate her thought and told her so and this post is obviously tongue in cheek.

I guess it's what you finally get when you put them all in their place a few weeks back and demand some respect after she and a few others in her department tried to make me look bad to cover their own butts.

This is the first time in 3 years they even thought of me at holiday time and one of the few times they acknowledge I even exist. They are losing another support person at the end of the year so maybe it's dawning on them to be nice to the people that actually run the place or we'll all be waving goodbye.

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

QVCkitty1 — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:22:48 GMT

Memories ! When I started working at Christmas my chief, gave us a certificate stating that Gideon bibles had bee donated in our name, not my favorite gift , but whatever. Later the same guy, left his third wife, started smoking and did a total 180 personality change. That .Christmas we go the perfume " Charlie ", did I mention he was insane ?

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

beckyb1012 — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:27:29 GMT

As the only non family employee to this special family I work for the past twenty years I am truly blessed and especially at Christmas. I "police" myself carefully with the bonus for spending through out the year slowly instead of all at once. That way I always have a bit to spend the next Christmas for fun even if it is a year old. They are good to so many people and even continued paying their Grandmother's decades upon decades housekeeper monthly when she retired 25 years ago. Her funeral was just last week-end and that continued income was a blessing with her social security benefits.

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

Laura14 — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:28:05 GMT

@QVCkitty1 ROFLMAO!! I stand in second place!

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

Lipstickdiva — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:29:18 GMT

I thought you were going to say it was a 1 year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club.

I have been with my employer for 18 years and we have always received a bonus at this time of the year. I half expected to get it today with my paycheck but I'm thinking in years past they generally give it to us with a card, the week of or right before Christmas. I'm thinking if we get one it will be next week.

It's a good amount but of course Uncle Sam gets his 38% which puts a crimp in things but I'm very grateful. LOL

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

chrystaltree — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:29:50 GMT

It's obvious that she re-gifted the cards. I wouldn't be thankful because it wasn't much of a gift and no thought went into. A nice card with a personal heartfelt note would have been better. No, I have never worked for a company or individual that tacky. In the past our company gave $50 American Express gift cards to all employees and that was reduced to $25 gift cards and then no gift cards...no cards either. Just a Holiday Email from the CFO. They did away with the big company holday party too. When I was a manager, I gave my staff gift cards or movie passes or gifts I paid for our department lunch out of my budget. It was $$ and I'll be honest, I'm happy that I don't have to do that anymore. I wouldn't have did what that woman did to you.

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

PhilaLady1 — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:31:49 GMT

The biggest issue is the snotty germs that may have been handed over to you !

The company I work is not very generous with holiday bonuses but I guess I am happy to at least get something. It is a small direct deposit into my account where my normal biweekly pay goes. My immediate lower level manager may give me a WAWA gift card or a gift card to a nearby bagel / coffee shop. Tiny gifts but no one is forcing them to - there's no law that they must give me something. I think I recall reading the OP dealing with jerks on the job so I can understand her unhappiniess.

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

momtochloe — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:32:13 GMT

Oh @Laura14 your story unearthed a memory from decades ago. I worked for a woman (please note I was her only employee) who made well over 100k a year. I always try and find a fun/useful/appropriate gift and knew she loved candles so I bought her what I thought was a nice Christmas themed candle from Yankee Candle. Her face immediately turned bright red as it was her turn to hand me my gift which was a tchochke snowman from the dollar store which was fine except the head fell off when she placed it on my desk . . . we never spoke of it again . . . tee hee!

Merry Christmas everybody!

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

deepwaterdotter — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:33:19 GMT

@beckyb1012 wrote:
As the only non family employee to this special family I work for the past twenty years I am truly blessed and especially at Christmas. I "police" myself carefully with the bonus for spending through out the year slowly instead of all at once. That way I always have a bit to spend the next Christmas for fun even if it is a year old. They are good to so many people and even continued paying their Grandmother's decades upon decades housekeeper monthly when she retired 25 years ago. Her funeral was just last week-end and that continued income was a blessing with her social security benefits.

Your post shows that there are kind and humane people in the workplace. Very nice to hear!

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

Laura14 — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:45:22 GMT

@chrystaltree wrote:
It's obvious that she re-gifted the cards. I wouldn't be thankful because it wasn't much of a gift and no thought went into. A nice card with a personal heartfelt note would have been better. No, I have never worked for a company or individual that tacky. In the past our company gave $50 American Express gift cards to all employees and that was reduced to $25 gift cards and then no gift cards...no cards either. Just a Holiday Email from the CFO. They did away with the big company holday party too. When I was a manager, I gave my staff gift cards or movie passes or gifts I paid for our department lunch out of my budget. It was $$ and I'll be honest, I'm happy that I don't have to do that anymore. I wouldn't have did what that woman did to you.

@chrystaltree I have proof of regift!

So I just checked the balances on the cards. The two $10 ones for Chilis and Subway are still good but Panera which is unmarked has a balance of $14.11. I don't think they sell them that way.

I mean really people? My main point in posting aside from venting a bit is that if you have or manage employees, it is much better to do nothing for them than to do something and confirm the fact that they really mean squat to you.

I am getting a bonus in my next check but the customers were automatically charged for it on their last bill without advance warning so the holiday bonus is coming from them not my employer.

Apparently, all this international corporation could muster was my misspelled name on a note card and three small gift cards, one used.

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

OKPrincess — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:41:23 GMT

I worked in oil and gas over 30 years before retiring and didn't get my first small bonus until my 8th year. Some years were better than others however I was very thankful for anything I got.

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

QVCkitty1 — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:43:33 GMT

@Laura14 wrote:
@QVCkitty1 ROFLMAO!! I stand in second place.

We old timers would tell stories about this doc, and everyone thought we were exaggerating, I assure you we were not. He had no smoking signs all over his office, buttons on his lab coat etc. He came back from a medical conference, and started smoking those long. brown cigarettes. LOL

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

deepwaterdotter — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:43:44 GMT

@LIG1 Thank you for posting a kind and resourceful response.

Re: My Company's personal holiday gift...Get Ready

ruthbe — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:43:52 GMT

Your story does make me laugh. I don't receive a bonus either. However I work for a very large corporation in AZ. So I don't expect anything. But I do remember hearing about a very generous CEO in Texas (I believe in 2015) that gave each and every employee a

$100,000 (yes count the zero's) for Christmas. Previous years I read that the bonus's were things such as a car or $$$. I had heard the company had approximately 100 employees. WOW. I bet there is a very LOW employee turnover.