As Christmas approaches, many teams and companies participate in Secret Santa – gifting presents anonymously.
Leading psychologist and lecturer, Dr Ashley Weinberg notes that this tradition has become an increasing source of anxiety for those participating, the anxiety driven from fears around bring judged negatively and considered ‘stingy’ by others.
Jobsite recently published the results of their survey which found that 35 percent of employees would like to see secret Santa banned in their workplace, 26 per cent typically give more than they can afford on presents for co-workers, and 17 per cent feel that they are judged based on how much they spend on gifts.
So how can we remove this extra layer of pressure which exists around Secret Santa and other ‘whip-arounds’ for birthdays and celebrations?
We have set out a few options to consider:
Set expectations
Make sure that you set a maximum amount for gifts where they are funded by individuals (£5 or £10 is plenty).
Be creative
Find other ways to celebrate, ask your team what they would like to see in place of Secret Santa or whip-arounds.
Be aware
Make sure you have a company culture of awareness and empathy. Lower earners; traditionally more junior roles, part timers and women, will feel a greater impact than those in higher earning roles.
Company budget
If your company can afford it, create a budget which can be used for this purpose rather than having teams stump up.
Be respectful
Do bear in mind that individuals with different beliefs and budgets may not wish to take part in this type of gifting and they should be able to abstain without fear of judgement or harassment. For those that do join in, potentially offensive or discriminatory gifts should be avoided and anyone breaching those standards (often set out within a Code of Conduct) should face relevant disciplinary action.
With a little care and attention your Christmas should go smoothly. Please get in touch for a free, no obligation chat if you need support with any of these issues.
Merry Christmas.