Holiday Gifts

[HandFellow]

Maybe this has been addressed before, but I want to know the current feelings of the forum:

What do you give to your colleagues or partners for gifts around the holidays?
Most years I receive things I don't want (like a pocketknife for a hand surgeon?) or need (socks). I give just as worthless of gifts and would like to give nothing.

[Lordosis]

Several times everyone in my office agreed to not give any gifts. However someone is a dummy and does it anyways with some lame excuse.

I think the best type of gift are consumables. Cookies and candy or having a meal as a group. Not great for the waistline but at least you do not have to store all the crap or feel bad throwing it out.

[Lordosis]

I should add that I do get something nicer for the nurse I work with regularly. It only seems fair being that I interact with her more then anyone else outside of my immediate family.

[ENT Doc]

I'm likely going to do something small for everyone in my individual office - Starbucks gift card or something baked and wrapped nicely. Everyone gets the same thing so no one can complain. My medical secretary? Probably going to give her a gift certificate to eat out at a nice restaurant with her husband. Lord knows the work we do keeps her away from him too long and she/they deserve it.

[8arclay]

Our partners get the staff gift cards, have a holiday party w food drinks, and gift giveaways. Additionally Ill buy lunch for the 4-5 staff members that are "my team" throughout the day as a separate thank you gift. Partners typically do not exchange with each other

[Peds]

Maybe this has been addressed before, but I want to know the current feelings of the forum:

What do you give to your colleagues or partners for gifts around the holidays?
Most years I receive things I don't want (like a pocketknife for a hand surgeon?) or need (socks). I give just as worthless of gifts and would like to give nothing.

nothing.
how strange....

[Brains428]

All the radiologists put a set amount of money in that gets distributed as cash.

[G]

iKnda related: https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/fo...ifts-for-staff

As a group, we give giftcards for a local hotel/resort to all the staff, with a favorable purchase price given the volume that we buy.

It is ridiculous, but stuff like this is extremely cheap goodwill. I also bribe--I mean gift--the mailman, UPS driver, etc.

Speaking of Goodwill, drop your unwanted stuff off there on the way home and get a tax receipt if you itemize.

[G]

uh oh ... looks like the issue of "refresh" or "clear the cache" or whatever is rearing up again. jim?

[childay]

I somewhat struggle with this one. Hospital employee myself. Work with a fairly large number of nurses / etc. Ideally would just get something for charge nurses / social workers etc that I work closely with every day. But would feel rude not getting for entire service line.. If they were my employees per-se would be different story. Spouse gives holiday bonuses to all employees.

[nephron]

My office secretaries have taken to purchasing me gift cards the last few years which just seems silly because obviously I don't need them to be giving me cash and then I have to get them gift cards worth more then what they get me. I usually give it with a box of cookies or chocolates. I had been giving gift cards worth 25 dollars, but then one year my office mgr got me a gift card worth 20 dollars so now I feel obliged to give gift cards worth 50 dollars. I would prefer just to avoid the whole thing, our practice usually provides a small end of year bonus, but then I would feel guilty if they got me something and I did not give them anything in return. I've stopped exchanging gifts with family members other then children, it just got to be a waste of money for all parties involved. Gift cards are both the most practical gifts and the most useless gifts, they essentially are just transferring small amounts of cash back and forth and you feel guilty if one person gets a gift card worth more then the other one.

[Hank]

“These are homemade cookies. My kids really wanted to help make them to show the true meaning of the holiday season.”

That should get you out of $50 gift cards going forward.

[Lordosis]

Don't mind the crunchy parts. It is just the egg shells.

[ACN]

I'll give gift cards to "my staff" that work all the time with me.

Our group throws a big holiday party for everyone yearly.

[HandFellow]

To clarify, taking care of the staff isn't the problem. I will happily buy or contribute to the staff's christmas with a bonus and with a christmas party of some sort. The question is what do you get for other doctors? There are about 10 of us. Those are the people I don't like exchanging presents with. Maybe I'm just a scrooge....

[Cubicle]

To clarify, taking care of the staff isn't the problem. I will happily buy or contribute to the staff's christmas with a bonus and with a christmas party of some sort. The question is what do you get for other doctors? There are about 10 of us. Those are the people I don't like exchanging presents with. Maybe I'm just a scrooge....

“These are homemade cookies. My kids really wanted to help make them to show the true meaning of the holiday season.”

That should get you out of $50 gift cards going forward.

Yeah, this. Something sugary & unhealthy is never frowned upon. I can admit I've purchased festive treats & insinuated I prepared them myself. Even to the other doctors. It says "hey, I thought of you, but we both know I have no idea what you really want or need so give these to other people in your life".

[SLC OB]

I give a card and homemade treats to my partners. We all decided not to give anything to each other a while back. One partner sometimes gives a bottle of wine. Maybe wine for the wine drinkers and craft beer for the beer drinkers and something sparkling for the non-alcohol drinking docs?
Also, Yeti Mugs with a bag of nice coffee beans would likely get used (or some nice tea).

[HandFellow]

a whole lot of hot chocolate it is!

[SLC OB]

Hot Chocolate is a great idea... as long as you don't live in Sunny San Diego!