The Hidden Costs Of Office Holiday Gatherings And How To Navigate Them

It can be fun to break up the daily routine of a workday during the holiday season and spread some cheer with the people with whom we spend the majority of our week. Companies and teams may celebrate the holidays in several ways, including secret Santa, Yankee swaps, or even themed gifts. 

However, holidays can get expensive. A Gallup poll from October projected Americans will spend up to an average of $1,014 on holiday gifts this year, up from the $923 average from October 2023.

Since most of these office celebrations are gift-based, does participating add pressure for employees? And are the pressures solely financial? If so, are there ways to boost company holiday spirit without adding gifts to the equation?

We spoke with women who shared their advice on how to navigate hidden costs of holiday gatherings.

Employees may prefer to forego office gift giving because of added financial pressure, particularly if they are also buying gifts for loved ones or traveling for the holidays. 

“I’ll look for little ways to save money during the holiday, and I’m fine with opting out of holiday gift giving for that reason,” said Angelica Cygan, a healthcare worker.

Some employees take issue with attending holiday gatherings outside of work hours.

“I only go to the parties that occur during my office hours; I will not be seen with the company off the clock,” said Brynne Bernier, a contract employee.

Sometimes, employees of color can feel like they are at work rather than at a party. 

“Even though it’s a party, I’m not able to really truly be myself and relax,” said Johnicka Cohen, an HR specialist. “I still have to code switch and mask.”

Opting out of gift exchanges isn’t always easy. Even coworkers with generous intentions can make things awkward for employees who choose to opt out of company gift exchanges. 

“Apparently I was the only one who opted out at my company, and my colleague who organized it snuck by and gave me a gift because she didn’t ‘want me to feel left out,'” Angelica said. “I actually didn’t mind not receiving anything at all. If anything, getting a gift anyway felt a little awkward and put me even more on the spot.”

In Brynne’s case, the politics of being the only contract employee in her office makes her feel obligated to participate in the holiday gift exchanges.

“There’s definitely a financial burden involved in participating, but the cost of opting out is greater, as it would create more perceived space between the office and I,” she said.

Although her team participates in both a Yankee swap and contributes to a gift for their boss, Arielle Schwartz, a sales representative, feels comfortable contributing to both because of the team’s flexible attitude. 

“For my boss we can give whatever we want towards her gift, but for the swap, the limit is 25 bucks,” Arielle said.

Sometimes if employees are asked to contribute food or something else other than a gift rather than a gift, they may feel more enthusiastic about participating. Angelica’s former team once held a company potluck where everybody contributed a dish.

“It seemed like everyone was happy to contribute something, especially if it meant they could show off their culinary skills,” Angelica said.