Drawing lots at the office: budget, agreements and gifts
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
Drawing lots with colleagues goes wrong in three ways: drawing too late, an unclear amount, and gifts nobody uses. Here's how to do it right.
There's a fixed pattern for gift exchanges at the office. Someone suggests it in mid-October, names are drawn at the end of November, and in the last week, half the team rushes into a store at the last minute. The result: three identical chocolate letters, a gift voucher for a store the recipient never visits, and someone who spent a little too much, making everyone else uncomfortable.
This can be avoided with three agreements that take ten minutes to make. Below are these agreements, plus what works and what doesn't in practice when it comes to gifts.
Draw names six weeks in advance
Most teams draw too late. Six weeks ahead is a good rule of thumb: it gives everyone time to think, no one has to pay for express shipping, and you can order without the rush of late November and December. For a celebration in early December, this means drawing in the second half of October.
When drawing names, immediately establish three things:
The amount — one fixed amount, not "around".
The date when the gifts should be brought, and whether they will remain anonymous.
Who will arrange backup gifts in case someone is sick or leaves. Two neutral gifts on hand prevent an awkward moment.
One amount, and specify what it means
Amounts between €5 and €15 work for most teams. More important than the amount itself is that everyone interprets it the same way. "Around €10" is read by one person as €8 and by another as €18 — and the latter unintentionally embarrasses the rest.
So agree: the gift costs a maximum of this amount, not including packaging and shipping costs. And agree whether a homemade gift or a surprise is also allowed — this varies greatly by team and company.
What works: four categories that rarely go wrong
The best office gift is something that stays on the desk or is actually used at home. In practice, successful gifts fall into four groups.
1. Something for the desk
Practical, visible, and not personal — that's exactly what you want for a colleague you don't know well. A Desk Organizer with Phone Holder costs €5.00 and replaces the stack of pens next to the keyboard. A Cork Pinboard LOVE 29x13 cm (€7.95) works for those who use notes, and a set of Topwrite Ballpoint Pens, 10 pieces for €2.00 is a great addition to fill out a package.
2. Coffee, tea, and the mug
The mug is a cliché — and at the same time the gift that is used most often. The difference lies in the choice: choose one that fits what you know about the colleague, not a random text mug. The Ceramic Mug with Thermal Effect, 470 ml costs €5.00 and changes color with a hot drink. For the gamers or series watchers on the team, there's the Squid Game Mug 325 ml (€8.00), and for those interested in investing, the Heat-Sensitive Mug Hodl To The Moon or the Crypto Meme Mug 300 ml, both €8.00. Does the recipient travel a lot? Then a Sports and Coffee Cup Hard PVC 500 ml for €9.95 is more practical than another mug in the cupboard.
Four categories that go wrong more often in the office than you'd expect:
Clothing and sizes. You rarely know the size, and the gift becomes an obligation to wear something.
Fragrance-based care products. Perfume and body lotion are very personal. A neutral soap is fine; choosing a scent for someone else usually isn't.
Jokes not everyone shares. A gift that works in a group of friends can cause discomfort in the workplace. Anything 18+ or about someone's body does not belong in office gift exchanges.
Food without knowing. Allergies, diet, or simply not wanting another box of chocolates. If you choose something edible, keep it small and supplementary.
Packaging: remaining anonymous is the hardest part
If the gifts are anonymous, the packaging often still gives you away. The handwriting on the card, the bag from the store around the corner, or the box in which you yourself ordered something last week.
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