--- slug: '/blog/gift-ideas-coworkers' layout: 'gift-guide' title: 'Coworker gift ideas that stay useful and work-appropriate' description: 'Coworker gift ideas for office friends, remote teammates, Secret Santa, managers, and team thank-yous, with budget, etiquette, and gifts to skip.' image: 'https://assets.giftideasai.com/blog_post_covers/gift-ideas-coworkers-codex-v2-20260617.webp' metaTitle: 'Coworker Gift Ideas That Are Useful and Work-Appropriate' metaDescription: 'Find coworker gift ideas that feel useful, friendly, and not too personal, with budget notes, office etiquette, Secret Santa picks, and what to avoid.' datePublished: '2023-05-19' dateModified: '2026-06-28' authors: - felix-vemmer categories: - Thank You Gifts - Gifts for Every Occasion tags: - coworker gifts - office gifts - work gifts - Secret Santa gifts keywords: - gift ideas coworkers - coworker gift ideas - gifts for coworkers - office gift ideas - work gifts giftIdeaIds: - bgi_wQx9rt3JfNkZOUj2o43kY - bgi_jW2oPJeu2WFM6VahhEq1E - bgi_JWAfYAu2eScSlBENyBLJu - bgi_oxC6HP8xXps74GaJoGETp - bgi_51cYnkIyM4gjxswLkb53E - bgi_LaTM5l1wApDyEzfSs7Dw1 - bgi_GoyxUNHbngcobeUAaBZ7Q faqItems: - question: 'What is an appropriate gift for a coworker?' answer: 'Appropriate coworker gifts are modest, useful, and easy to accept: coffee, tea, snacks, a notebook, desk plant, lunch gift card, low-key desk accessory, or a shared team treat. Keep the gift professional and avoid anything intimate, expensive, scented, political, religious, or body-focused.' - question: 'How much should I spend on a coworker gift?' answer: '$10-$25 is enough for most coworker gifts and Secret Santa exchanges. Spend more only for a close work friend or a voluntary group gift where everyone is comfortable with the amount.' - question: 'Should I buy a gift for my boss?' answer: 'Usually no. Workplace etiquette and HR guidance commonly say gifts should flow down or sideways, not up to a manager, because employees can feel pressured. A card or shared team note is safer.' - question: 'What coworker gifts should I avoid?' answer: 'Avoid perfume, jewelry, alcohol, gag gifts, political or religious items, hygiene products, clothing sizes, expensive one-to-one gifts, medical comfort products unless requested, and anything that creates pressure to reciprocate.' --- ## Choose by relationship Coworker gifting works best when the gift matches the relationship. A teammate you speak with every day can get something more specific than a coworker you barely know. A manager gift has a different risk profile than a peer gift. A remote teammate may not want desk decor at all. ## Quick picks ## Shoppable picks to use first Product data below is current as of June 28, 2026. Prices and availability can change, so check the current listing, office policy, and recipient fit before checkout. ## What to skip Do not give a personal gift to a boss just because everyone else is doing it. If your workplace has a manager gift tradition, keep it voluntary and group-based, and make the contribution small enough that opting out is normal. Be careful with food. Coffee, tea, sealed snacks, and bakery boxes can work well, but allergies, halal, kosher, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, diabetes, pregnancy, and medication concerns can make a random treat unusable. If you are unsure, choose a gift card or a shared item with clear labels. Avoid "funny" gifts unless you would be comfortable with HR, the recipient, and the rest of the team seeing the joke in writing. Office humor ages badly when it touches hygiene, age, politics, religion, sex, drinking, body size, job performance, or private life. ## Better formulas by situation For Secret Santa, stay inside the stated budget and choose something neutral: coffee, tea, snacks, a desk pad, a puzzle book, a notebook, a plant, or a gift card. Do not try to win the exchange with something far above the cap. For a departing coworker, a card with specific memories can matter more than a product. Add a lunch card, coffee sampler, notebook, or small team-funded item if the relationship supports it. For direct reports, consistency matters. Give the same value to everyone on the team, or use a choice-based gift card so people can pick what they will actually use. For a close work friend, you can get more specific, but keep the workplace boundary intact. A book, hobby item, local coffee, or lunch plan works better than fragrance, jewelry, clothing, or anything romantic. ## Safety sources - [SHRM on workplace gift-giving policies](https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/employee-relations/good-workplace-gift-giving-rule-mom-approve) - [SHRM on company gifts workers dislike](https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/employee-relations/company-gifts-workers-hate) - [IRS de minimis fringe benefits](https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/federal-state-local-governments/de-minimis-fringe-benefits) ## Common questions