You see each other five days a week. You labor side-by-side. But you don’t have a clue what to buy him or her for the holidays.

Some offices play the White Elephant Game, in other offices employees choose names for a Secret Santa gift exchange and yet others make it a complete free-for-all, often with many disappointed gift recipients…another gift to toss away (or give to some other unlucky recipient at next year’s gift exchange).

If your office is having a White Elephant exchange, they’ve probably designated a minimum amount to spend, say $25. Spend it. There’s nothing worse than being the player who ends up with the thrift shop special. When shopping for your gift, think practical and not personal. This is a gift for someone else, not for you. Just because you love that Disney tchotchke or Harley beanie, doesn’t mean someone else will. A gift card, while less a target of humor, will be a more well-received gift (and probably the fought-over gift).

If your office gift giving plan is a free-for-all, grab-bag style, be kind. Purchase a gift that someone, of either gender, could appreciate. Again, a gift card to a store like Target or Amazon, fits everyone. You don’t want to gift something that’s headed straight for the landfill.

Playing Secret Santa? The best approach is more organized: have each employee list three items they’d like (or interests they have) on an index card. Fold the card in half and have each employee draw a card. There should also be a suggested minimum to spend. Again, spend it. Don’t skimp here. In a small office, it’s sometimes easy to figure out who your secret Santa was.

Each of these approaches to co-workers' holiday gifts can be fun…and funny! Do your part by shopping thoughtfully and maximize the budget dictated.

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