Take Note Of Your Employer’s Gift Exchange Policy

The holidays are upon us and gift-giving and receiving is inevitable. It’s easy to get caught up in the holiday spirit by giving gifts to your boss and co-workers or baking cookies for the office. Many times, a grateful vendor or client will send a “thank you” fruit basket or gift certificate. Sometimes, a supervisor will reward his or her team for a successful year with a bottle of wine or a lunch out of the office.

However, during this time of good cheer, it is important to know if your employer has a gift-giving policy. Some employers have no policy on exchanging gifts in the workplace. Some employers impose monetary limits on the gifts employees can accept from co-workers, vendors or clients. Some employers prohibit employees from giving gifts to their supervisors and vice versa. Some employers require that gifts worth a certain dollar amount be reported. Some employers chose to perform a charitable service or make a charitable donation instead of exchanging or providing gifts.

Although the policies are wide and varied, if your employer choses to employ a policy, it’s likely that it contains some or all of the following guidelines:

  1. Limits on costs
  2. Limits on where gifts can be exchanged
  3. Limits on the value and type of gifts that can be accepted from a vendor or client
  4. Instructions that the gifts must be appropriate to be exchanged in the workplace
  5. Instructions that participation is optional

If you have any questions regarding your employer’s gift-giving policy, or if you are an employer interested in drafting such a policy, contact the Law Offices of Damian Christian Shammas, LLC for assistance.