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Ask HN: Does your company give you gifts for birthdays and anniversaries?

6 points by peacemaker ↗ HN
Seems to be getting quite popular to receive gifts (mugs, posters etc.) on employee anniversaries or birthdays now, particularly in startups. Wondering how many people here get gifts from their employers? What kind of gifts do you get and for what occasions?

21 comments

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Someone1234
Never.

Received a gift for Christmas (which was a gift card, then a hamper) and when I quit on good terms (which was a watch).

Never received or heard of anyone receiving a birthday gift or anniversary (of what?) gift from work. Maybe if someone has been there 50 years, or something there might be something special.

To be honest if a boss-like individual purchased a personal gift for someone's birthday I don't find that odd. If the company does it, that is a little odd. Even if technically both gifts come from the same pool of money in some cases.

peacemaker
Interesting thanks. Are your experiences from startups or bigger companies?

In a few startups I've worked at or heard about, you'd receive gifts on your yearly anniversary of your start date plus usually there'd be a cake and/or card for birthdays.

Can you explain why you'd feel odd if a company bought the birthday gift rather than the boss buying it?

Someone1234
> Can you explain why you'd feel odd if a company bought the birthday gift rather than the boss buying it?

Honestly I cannot.

It is just not the "done thing." People buy people presents on their birthday because they care. Companies give out Christmas bonus as almost part of your pay (almost), a company cannot "care" so giving you a birthday gift (which will likely be automated by a HR e-mail anyway) just seems awkward, like: "here is your autonomously generated birthday present."

peacemaker
Ok that makes sense, I agree it could seem awkward unless they can make it somehow more authentic. Thanks :)
mtmail
If the company buys a gift then it can be tax-deductible, I think 'employee entertainment' is the usual budget term. If the boss-like individual buy it it's post-(income)-tax money.
sbarg
For birthdays we receive a card signed by the whole office and a $10 Starbucks card. The people who don't drink coffee find it insulting.
peacemaker
Has anyone ever told management that the $10 Starbucks card is insulting? What would you prefer instead?
sbarg
Haha, living up to your username. I'm good with the Starbucks card. I told the non-coffee drinkers that they serve a lot more than coffee, but they weren't convinced. I also found out that the employees in our UK office receive a Starbucks card for 40 Euros.
peacemaker
It seems that in your company's case the act of giving out these Starbucks cards is causing trouble rather than making employees happy! Exactly the opposite of the management intention I'm sure but it's an interesting insight to how well intentioned ideas can go wrong. Thanks!
mtmail
Only farewell gifts thanking them for their work. A nice framed old map with a brass company name sign. I love mine and of course it fits my apartment better than a company t-shirt with 30 unreadable signatures (does anybody ever wear those?).
peacemaker
That sounds like a really nice present, something well thought out. Was this a bigger company or a startup?
mtmail
Startup. Actually just saw they made a blog post with photos of the maps. http://blog.lokku.com/post/90102630018/traditions

Mine is a map of London postal code areas from 1912 (original, not a copy of course).

peacemaker
That's actually really cool, seems like they cared and were sad that you were leaving. Thanks for sharing :)
jpetersonmn
We get one at 5 years, 7 years and 10 years. (not sure after that) It's this website you can go on and enter a code. The stuff is so crappy though it's really kind of an insult. It's like wow, I've been dedicated to this business for a decade and I get a leaky thermos with the company logo on it.
peacemaker
5 years is a long time to wait for a gift don't you think? Especially one that you consider 'crappy'. Another case of a company with good intentions leading to a bad outcome.

Being dedicated to a business for a decade is really impressive too, especially in this age of job swapping. What do you think would be appropriate for a 10 year work anniversary gift?

jpetersonmn
My extra 2 weeks of vacation after 10 years was nice. If I was in charge I'd just gong the entire gift idea. And the silly wall plaque things advertising that your a lifer.
lsaferite
I've gotten Amazon gift cards on my last two birthdays.
peacemaker
See, Amazon gift cards are a decent present I think. Were you happy with them? Was this at a startup or a bigger company?
lsaferite
Very happy. Not a startup, but less than 100 employees.
bitshepherd
Birthdays? No, never.

Anniversaries at one company were commemorated by 1 year stickers that most people put on their name plate. Five and on were supposed to have more lavish rewards, such as a month-long sabbatical and so on.

monknomo
We get 59 minutes of paid time off on birthdays (at least with the current boss)