Cash-strapped consumers may well be counting the pennies when it comes to Christmas gifts this year but UK bosses are bucking the trend, with nearly three-quarters of them planning to buy their staff a present or pay for a night out.
That is according to a new survey by telemarketing specialists B2B CM, which claims the Christmas spirit is alive and well in the workplace.
The survey, conducted through a mix of telephone surveys and online questionnaires, was an opportunity for managing directors, team managers, and others in senior positions, to share their plans to reward staff.
The most common way for businesses to show their gratitude to employees is a night out, with the company paying for all, or part, of the food and drinks bill. Amongst the more unusual gifts revealed were free-range turkeys, chocolate pizzas, personalised tea mugs, and lottery tickets.
The overall results from the survey were:
• 76% of companies will buy staff a Christmas present / night out.
• 6% of companies will buy staff a Christmas card, but no present.
• 18% of companies won’t buy their staff anything for Christmas.
Of the 76% of business leaders who are buying presents for their teams, 69% are planning on spending more than £10 on individual gifts.
B2B CM managing director Stella Jones said: “Saying ‘thank you’ to employees at Christmas makes a big difference to their attitude and performance in the new year. Keeping team morale high is hugely important for business success, and it’s heart-warming to see the vast majority of UK businesses understand this.”
