Employee Christmas Gifts: Engraved Ideas by Budget Leave a comment

Employee Christmas gifts, short answer: give each person something they will use at home, engrave their name on it, and keep the price the same for everyone. An engraved rocks glass ($19.95) or a wall bottle opener ($14.95) works for a larger team. An oak tie and belt hanger ($24.95) or a 750 ml whiskey decanter ($39.95) is a step up. A cedar cigar humidor ($59.95) or the decanter set ($95.85) suits a small team or a long-serving manager. Below: budget tiers, cash versus gifts, what to do when not everyone drinks, names versus a logo, and when to order.

Employee Christmas gifts by budget

Start with a per-person number, then multiply by headcount before you settle on a gift. The totals move fast: ten rocks glasses at $19.95 come to $199.50, while ten decanters at $39.95 come to $399.50. Whatever tier you choose, keep everyone on the same one. People talk, and an uneven spread can read as a ranking.

Under $20: the whole-team tier

The engraved rocks glass is the easiest pick for a team of any size. It holds 11 oz, is laser engraved in the USA, is dishwasher safe and accepts an uploaded logo as well as a name. To give a pair, a set of two adds $15. The engraved wall bottle opener at $14.95 is the lowest-priced gift here: metal, mounting hardware included, and it takes a name or a logo. More styles are in our range of personalized whiskey glasses.

$20 to $50: the step up

This is the range where holiday gifts for employees start to feel like a keeper rather than a token. The oak tie and belt hanger at $24.95 holds up to 20 ties, belts or scarves and hangs from a closet rail with no drilling. The 750 ml whiskey decanter at $39.95 holds exactly one standard bottle, closes with a glass stopper and takes a name, monogram, date or logo.

A decanter does not change how whiskey tastes. Its job is presentation, which is exactly what a gift is for. Our whiskey decanter guide explains how long whiskey keeps in one.

The wooden box costs $50 more and is not part of the $39.95 price, so decide on it before you multiply by headcount. You can compare the full range of personalized whiskey decanters in one place.

$50 and up: small teams and senior staff

For a team of five, a partner or a manager who carried the year, a larger gift makes sense. The cedar cigar humidor at $59.95 holds about 20 to 25 cigars, has a front hygrometer and takes a name or logo on the glass top. Give it only to someone you know smokes cigars; our guide on how to choose a humidor explains each part. The electric wine opener set starts at $49.95, plus $5 to personalize, and keeps the opener, foil cutter, stopper and pourer together on one stand. The decanter gift set at $95.85 pairs an engraved decanter with two matching engraved glasses; our guide to whiskey decanter sets covers what to check.

Should you give employees cash or a gift?

If your team is counting on a year-end bonus, a gift does not replace it, and an engraved glass in place of an expected check will land badly. Pay the bonus first. A gift does a different job: it marks the year, says thank you, and stays on the shelf long after the money is spent.

The tax side differs too. The IRS lists holiday gifts (other than cash) with a low fair market value as an example of a de minimis fringe benefit, and it states that cash and cash equivalents, such as gift cards, are not de minimis. Your situation may differ, so check with your accountant before you decide between cash, gift cards and gifts.

What if your team doesn’t all drink?

It’s a fair worry. People skip alcohol for health, faith, recovery or plain preference, and a whiskey glass handed to someone who doesn’t drink, in front of the team, can feel careless. If you don’t know everyone’s habits, don’t build the whole order around alcohol.

Two gifts work well for non-drinkers. The tie and belt hanger is oak with chrome hooks, takes a name or a logo, and holds belts and scarves as well as ties, so it isn’t only for people who wear a tie to work. The personalized bamboo wine gift box starts at $49.95, plus $20 to personalize. It is built to hold a wine bottle, but leave the bottle out and the bamboo case, with its hinged lid and the person’s name raised in 3D on top, becomes a keepsake box for whatever they want to keep in it.

One gift for everyone, or let them choose?

One gift for everyone is the simpler order: one product, one design, one list of names. Nobody compares, and the pieces match.

A choice is better when the team is mixed. Keep it to two options at a similar price, for example the rocks glass at $19.95 or the tie and belt hanger at $24.95, and ask each person to pick one and confirm how their name should be spelled. Don’t offer a $15 opener next to a $60 humidor, because the choice itself becomes the ranking you were trying to avoid.

Each person’s name or the company logo?

A name makes the gift personal, so it goes home and gets used. A logo makes it a company item, which suits a desk or the office bar but can read as merchandise. For employee appreciation gifts, the name is usually the better choice.

You can have both. On the rocks glass, engraving a second side costs $7, so the name goes on the front and the logo on the back. The design is cut into the glass by laser engraving rather than printed on, so neither one wears off. If you upload a logo, send clear artwork so fine lines come out cleanly.

Corporate gifts for employees and gifts for customers follow the same logic. If you are sending both this year, our guide to client gifts that get kept covers the customer side.

Work anniversary gifts: engrave the year

If someone reaches five or ten years with you this December, fold that into the holiday gift instead of buying a second one. Add the year they started under their name, for example “Maria, since 2016”, or simply the number of years.

The decanter takes a name and a date, which makes it a natural pick for a long-serving employee. On the rocks glass, put the name on the front and the years on the back for the $7 second side. Keep it to a short line, because a long message crowds a glass and is hard to read. The same idea works for work anniversary gifts on the actual date later in the year.

When should you order holiday gifts for employees?

Earlier than you think. Every piece is engraved to order with the exact text you send. Your real deadline is the holiday party or the last workday before the break, not December 25, so work back from that date and leave room.

1. Count heads. Include part-timers and anyone starting in December.
2. Collect names in writing. Ask each person how they spell their name. Nicknames and capital letters matter.
3. Have someone else proofread the list. Each piece is engraved to the text you send, so a typo is permanent.
4. Decide on extras once. A second engraved side or a wooden box: choose for the whole team at the same time.
5. Order with time to spare. Allow for engraving before the party, not just before Christmas.

Buying for family as well as staff? Our list of personalized Christmas gifts for men covers the people at home.

Employee Christmas gifts: FAQ