Worst gift/recognition from "Boss" at Christmas time

[MichiganVote]

Today was my units non Christmas party. She brought a group of 5 people four 12 inch. Subway subs.

What's lamer than that?

[Phentex]

1. leftovers from the client party...

the night before. Oh, look! 4 wilted shrimp! Yum!

[MichiganVote]

7. Not much that I can think of.

[tigereye]

2. I used to bake folks nut and fruit breads....

I was a nice boss, too nice, probably.

[MichiganVote]

9. That's not too nice. That's just human.

[LibDemAlways]

3. That's lame. Here's mine. One year I was working at a travel

agency. The boss decided to have an open house holiday party on a Saturday - during businesss hours. She set out some platters of food for the clients. The employees were expected to sit at their desks and continue to make travel arrangements. That was the worst excuse for a "party" I've ever experienced.

[MichiganVote]

8. Total Grinch, Scrooge and basic jerkoff.

[Faygo Kid]

4. I had a boss who terrified her employees at Christmas time.

I worked there 10 months and got out. Had never really had a bad boss before in 25 years out of college. Was I naive. The one Christmas I was there, the staff had a meeting about what to get her. They were terrified. I couldn't believe it, until I found out why - the previous year, she had bought a new house. The staff commissioned a local artist of some reputation to paint a picture of it for her. A lovely, thoughtful gift. She opened it and didn't like it and threw it at the wall. No shit. I was out of there by February, and that had nothing to do with it - I had already seen her in action for 8 months and decided after three that I had no future there. My 10 months in the position was longer than my three previous predecessors, I later found out.

Finally, a couple years later, her powerful benefactor and protector retired and moved to Florida. The Board threw her ass out of her job so fast it made her head swim. Psychopath. I worked for her nine years ago, and she had a son and daughter about 10 and 11 then. I hope they made it growing up; I shudder to think.

Got a million more stories about that 10 months, but I ramble. Merry freakin' Christmas, DK.

Edited to add a p.s. - Yep, it was in Michigan, too.

[MichiganVote]

5. You won't believe the update I have....

Turns out the moron didn't even order the freakin' sandwiches herself. She had an administration secretary order the stuff for her. Then today I get an email sent to a bunch of us employees by a suck up colleague asking us if we want to chip in on a spa gift for her. In a volcano maybe.

And to think these are people with Masters degrees! Somebody opened up the cages for sure. Good that you got out, I'm polishing up the resume over Christmas.

[BlueJazz]

55. Oh..Man..I hope sometime you write down your experiences with ....

...this "Monster".

It would make a great thread! :)

[MichiganVote]

6. self delete

[Blue Diadem]

10. Where my DH works, they each were given

identical lunch totes. Imagine that, 50 identical lunch bags in the cooler at the same time. :rofl:

[MichiganVote]

11. One lunch fits all?

[Blue Diadem]

81. They only get a 20 minute lunch, so there's definitely wasted time

looking through them all for the names. Makes me wonder how long before someone begins eating lunch before realizing it's not their own.

[youthere]

12. My mother in law works for Wal-mart...

and last year for Christmas she got a shot glass.
One of her coworkers got a 2-pack of flyswatters.
Another one got an opened bag of clothespins.

[MichiganVote]

17. The Clearance Section is reborn.

[underpants]

80. LOL

Sorry but that is funny. A 2-pack!?!?! ONe is not enough???

[Manifestor_of_Light]

13. Clark Griswold.

What he thought was a bonus check was a gift certificate from his boss for the Jelly of the Month Club. Wahhhh!

[MichiganVote]

18. There actually IS a jelly of the month club?

[Generic Brad]

25. Which month do they feature the KY?

That's the month I want in.

[fizzgig]

14. $10 gift card

to wal-mart

i donated mine to the food bank...at least i felt i got some good out of it

[Nickster]

39. Last year they gave us 25 dollar wal mart gift cards and then asked for our payroll details so they

could take the tax out of our paychecks for it. I did the same thing, donated mine to the food bank. This year, Nothing.

[MichiganVote]

46. What you need is a junk mail campaign. Sign them up for every possible junk mail you can find.

[displacedtexan]

15. 1/8th of a piece of paper.

The principal had his secretary copy 8 "Season's Greetings"
messages onto each piece of paper, mimeograph them, and put
them in our faculty mailboxes.

We gave him a $100 gift certificate that year. We got 1/8th of
a piece of paper. No cheese tray or anything from him.

After that year, all we gave him was a card with all of our signatures.

[MichiganVote]

19. I worked for a Principal for 7 seven years who prepared a special spread for all his teachers/yearly

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. Ours is taking us out to lunch on Wednesday

and she is arranging for subs so we can go together. She's pretty good to us at Christmas. I have had a couple principals fix a spread for us and it was always good.

[femmocrat]

21. That is really cheap-o!

Our principals actually cook a Christmas lunch for us every year! (Of course, they are women!) ;) LOL

[tigereye]

59. yikes, I take the folks I do work for a cookie plate and then bake them

nut breads. Then they have a party for all the employees.

I can't believe people can't take a hundred or more bucks from the budget to reward their employees for a job well done. That's just not right. :eyes:


The other place I work for gives a 25 dollar grocery certificate and gives out turkeys. Most of the folks just donate theirs back, since it's a non-profit social service agency.

[Bennyboy]

16. I WIN!!!!! I got fired for accepting a turkey from a builder!

My boss at the time (my Father) was (IS)an enourmous PRICK, who did not give out incentives, bonuses, turkeys or anything for the holidays. Chrstmas eve,on one of the job sites I was working on (along with others in the crew)the builder drove through and gave away turkeys to everyone on the job site. Hundreds of them, all stacked above the bed in a pick-up truck.

When all the crews from that job site came back to the shop to collect or cars, his little henchman noticed the turkeys in everyone's truck. he immediatly ran to the boss (again my father) and told him. The Boss, came out and....on Christmas eve....fired 10 people for accepting free turkeys.

I joined the union after the first of the year. many lost everything they owned though, it was a tight job market and he would not give a good review.

But at least nobody showed him up.

[MichiganVote]

20. Not sure Prick even covers it. Fire the bastard as a Father and Boss

[GreenPartyVoter]

43. Seriously!

[Love Bug]

73. Jeebus -- your own FATHER fired you for that???

You have my sympathy. Seriously.

[Bennyboy]

77. You really have no idea.....

Of some of the shit he has pulled. This was maybe #20 on the list. he has purposely destroyed my marraige, pulled guns on me so many times that I have no ONE clear reccollection, fire me for busting his best friend and biz associate for stealing 100's of thousands of dollars,stolen jobs from me,paid his girlfriend to get me fired from a competing company,Got me evicted, fired from other jobs and so much other stuff it is not funny.

he has done this with everyone in the family. my brother and kids get the same treatment. Sad really.

The thing is now I am supposed to be nice to him now that he is old and frail.

No wonder I am so fucking fucked up in the head.

[Love Bug]

83. What a sad, sad, life

I'm truly sorry for what you've had to deal with from him. He is to be pitied, I suppose. Who says you have to be nice or be anything at all to him? He sure hasn't earned it.

[Bennyboy]

86. Just gotta do it...My Mom

is still with him and she is in pretty bad shape. I his mind everything he did was the right thing.....

[MichiganVote]

88. Two words. Nursing home.

[Rabrrrrrr]

101. No, six words: Shittiest Nursing Home One Can Find

Man - I've heard of some parents being pricks, but that one really takes the cake.

[MichiganVote]

103. Yup. County home only.

[hippywife]

91. Wow!

You just bumped the man that calls himself my father into the Dad of the Year slot. So sorry you've had to deal with all of that. That is so totally surreal as to defy explanation.

[HamstersFromHell]

22. If I can consider my customers "boss"...

Last year right before Christmas I was working a job driving a truck making pickups/deliveries for a local Motorcycle shop. (No, it's not what I was qualified and applied for.)

Delivered a quad to a customer who bought it to play with the grandkids when they ride theirs.

Took it to the nice section of an upscale town, found the address, pulled up in front. Two new Caddy SUVs in the driveway. Unloaded, went to door, guy's wife answered, told me to put it in the garage out back. She went and opened the garage while I rode the quad around back. Get to the garage, brand new Corvette sitting there to keep it company.

Give her the keys, and ask if she had any questions, etc. Nope, ok then, Merry Christmas!

She tips me a QUARTER! :wtf:

I woulda felt better if she tipped nothing.

[MichiganVote]

23. LOL! My sister once worked as waitress and a table left her a handful of pennies.

She followed them out to the parking lot and handed them back, telling them they forgot the rest of their pride.

[MissB]

79. A quarter?

:rofl: Holy shit. I would've left it wedged into the wiper blade of the new 'vette.

[begin_within]

24. A $2 bill

Norm Winningstad, the owner of Floating Point Systems, went through the entire company the day before Christmas 1981 and handed everyone a $2 bill.

[MichiganVote]

26. Big spender that Norm.

[begin_within]

27. And he's extremely wealthy - Cray Research bought out his company.

[MichiganVote]

33. Somebody should purchase the George C. Scott Christmas Carol and give it to him

[Ewellian]

28. A scratch-off lottery ticket.

I didn't win anything. Those were the good years. The last few years all we've gotten for the holidays is mandatory overtime.

[MichiganVote]

34. Oh yeah we all need more of that.

[dropkickpa]

38. Damn

I was just recently made supervisor and I was going to get scratch-offs for my employees this. I can't afford anything else. What should I get instead?

[MichiganVote]

47. Everyone can afford a hand written note of thanks for something that was helpful

[dropkickpa]

51. That part is already done

But I wanted to include something else and I am just way too damn poor to afford anything else, what with my oh-so-impressive salary :eyes: and xmas and Dropkid's bday falling in the same month.

[MichiganVote]

52. Someone once gave me a soup recipe with the 3 or 4 bean types that go w/ the soup.

Would that work? Same with a coffee or hot chocolate mix. But believe me, its the handwritten note that makes the biggest difference.

[Ewellian]

53. scratch-offs are ok....I think the worst part of it for me is that

I work for a multi-billion dollar fortune 500 company and the only token of apprciation we ever received for the holidays was a scratch-off. We apprciated it at the time because we knew our supervisor paid for it out of her own pocket.

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. One year we got rotten apples from our superintendent

A whole case of em.

I sure felt 'preceiated :)

[MichiganVote]

35. Must have been a contract year....

[DS1]

31. not too lame, it's better than yours anyway

but a bonus check well after christmas

then the taxes were taken out of our next regular paycheck. we weren't told that the taxes weren't already taken out of the bonus. bastards

[MichiganVote]

36. You wonder what these "managers" are thinking sometimes

[Initech]

32. A donation has been made in your name to the Human Fund.

[MichiganVote]

37. Maybe you or your collegues should make a donation in his/her name to the Humane Society

[BulletproofLandshark]

40. His live rendition of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"

with the E Street Band

:hide:






























Just kidding, Springsteen fans.

[AwakeAtLast]

41. A Christmas card to my HUSBAND

saying how much my boss enjoys having me in his building (I'm a teacher). I guess the sentiment is nice, but it is very passive-agressive. Oh yeah, I forgot, that's how he is all of the time! :D

[Jade Fox]

45. That is very strange.

It's like treating your husband as the one who is responsible for your behavior as an employee. :wtf:

[MichiganVote]

48. LOL Well if he has a wife.....maybe you should tell her thanks too in an oblique sort of way

[davsand]

42. An Orange Polyester Jacket / Blazer.

It was REALLY orange and shiny, and sometimes he'd announce that we were all supposed to wear them to meetings with clients.

I have NO idea what he paid for it but it was about as ugly as sin. Ours looked just about like the one below minus the logo on the breast. He didn't want to pay for any embroidery (and TOLD us so!)

[MichiganVote]

49. Looks like a dressed up road sign

[krispos42]

76. Hmmmm.... Okay, where is it?

I'm looking hard for it, but I don't see it?











Where's the brightness knob? It needs adjusting...

:-)

[Godhumor]

108. That monstrosity comes from RIT?

Ugh ugh ugh.

[IronLionZion]

120. What's up fellow RIT member?

Yeah when I graduated 3 years ago I decided not to donate any money to that school unless I could earmark it for something specific like IT lab equipment. That school does NOT know where to place its funding priorities.

[Wcross]

44. Once I had to work the night of the department x-mas party.

They were having it a reasturant where the average meal would be 25-30 dollars a head. Those that were able to go were allowed to bring one guest. I was given a voucher for the cafeteria at the plant, a 5 dollar "value". No, I did not use it.

[MichiganVote]

50. At my husbands company people were paid $100 if they attended the X-mas party

Nothing if one didn't go. Hard to figure the logic on that one.

[madeline_con]

54. I got one of those "bath kits" with a pumice stone and

various things to remove crust from the soles of the feet. :puke:

[MichiganVote]

60. From the back center aisle in Kmart? Hope not.

[madeline_con]

66. Probably, and I'm so disappointed.

I said I'd make fudge for her before I received it.

Now, I feel like she doesn't really give a damn, it's probably something she picked up at an after Christmas sale last year. She tells me she picks up sale items all year to fill gift baskets. :(

[MichiganVote]

89. Yeah, I'm sorry but its definetly from the back aisle. Maybe you got as high as Target but....

doubtful. Sorry, save the fudge for someone nice.

[Critters2]

56. Haven't decided yet, but I think I'm going to give my staff

packages with real maple syrup, pancake mix (probably Bob's Red Mill--certainly something good quality) and probably some blueberry or other fruit syrup. I've seen these gift baskets made, and figure I do it myself a bit less expensively, but still make it a nice gift.

Does this seem good? Last year, I gave dried soup and dip mixes from Tastefully Simple. They seem to have been well-received.

[MichiganVote]

61. Depends on how many employees and what your budget is.

[Critters2]

67. Three musicians, three custodial staff, one childcare worker,

and my assistant. These are gifts from me personally. The church will also give them bonuses. So, budget is flexible. I'm thinking $20-25 each, maybe a bit more for my assistant.

[MichiganVote]

90. That sounds reasonable.

[AllegroRondo]

69. I'd be very happy to get something like that

can I work for you?

[MorningGlow]

57. Snowman candles that didn't light

And an $18 popcorn popper (the kind you hold over a stove burner). (We knew it cost $18 because the mail order invoices were still in the boxes.) Sounds delightful compared with some of the other posts here, but it was after a very, VERY unpleasant takeover and redesign of a Web site with a LOT of stress for all of us. We were extremely close to having nervous breakdowns, and then this.

These gifts came from the VP at corporate, across the country, and our clueless in-office boss had us all gather in the conference room to open them together, insisting that the VP had gotten us really, REALLY great gifts. We did, and just kind of stared at them in disbelief. So then she insisted that "more was coming--this is just the start!" etc. (Meanwhile, she got a VERY hefty cash bonus even though she had only been on the job a couple of months and didn't know the Web site from her ass.)

Nothing "more" ever came. She was so embarrassed she went out and got each of us a gift card for the local supermarket. Which was, at least, SOMEthing. Sure wasn't a share of her big-ass bonus, though.

That company sucked rocks.

[MichiganVote]

62. How hard is it for people to just do something nice and within reason w/o embarrasing people?

Pretty hard from the read on this thread.

[LibraLiz1973]

58. A chocolate orange. From the dollar store

Stories of that assholes assholery are legendary.
He terrorized his employees and was a miserable prick.
After 30 years in the job he thought nothing of fucking everyone over.
I didn't shed one tear when he got fired.

[MichiganVote]

63. I've never understood the a-peel of these things, much less from an asshole.

[triguy46]

64. That is lame. I got offered leftovers after a board meeting on my last day at one job by the CEO.

No plates, but a saucer. No forks, but a spoon and a knife.

[MichiganVote]

65. Its a wonder he/she took the time to offer you anything

[annonymous]

68. A candy dish filled with Hostess mix

That thing sat on my desk for a few years. Most people don't like those hard candies with the soft centers. I've had a few presents I have ended up regifting to the white elephant gift exchange at another job i.e. candy dishes and candles. I worked as a receptionist and had a few supervisors I did clerical work for.

[MichiganVote]

92. Oh man, not a dental office I hope.

[Trailrider1951]

70. One year our department manager gave each of us a hardback copy of

"The seven habits of highly effective people". Just great! As if we did not slave enough for him!

[MichiganVote]

93. Yeah that one probably sold a million copies to management. Yawn.

[no name no slogan]

71. I got laid off once

On January 3rd, the first day back in the new year. That was a great Christmas present.

[Lyric]

72. A turkey one year, a $15 gift certificate to grocery store another year.

I've never worked for a company that gave out Christmas bonuses. I'd consider finding such a place to really be "moving up" in the world.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

111. I know somebody that happened to.

Got fired on the first day back in the new year.

Why? He thinks it was because it was in 1993, and Bill Clinton had been elected. He assumed the super conservative boss just KNEW that the economy was going down the tubes because one of them evil Democrats had been elected.

In spite of the evidence that the economy always does BETTER under Democrats.

:banghead:

[riderinthestorm]

74. I am the boss, and reading threads like this is so depressing for me

As a small farmer, it's hard to give gifts to the employees. I just know there have got to be those who would participate in bashing the boss for whatever I give.

Sigh. This is part of why I am really turning into a grinch over this holiday: I actually DO care about the people who work for me, and gift them as generously as I can, but I'm sure that the effort is perceived badly by... how many? I don't know. It just sucks. By the time I'm done "gifting" employees, clients and others, I am exhausted. And then I have to start shopping for my family with whatever cash i have left over. It's really stressful.

So for whatever it's worth, my gifts to my employees this year:
1. A holiday lunch at the local tavern that serves the best burgers in town. Yes, it's a tavern and not fancy or expensive but the food really is fabulous, I pay for drinks and everyone takes the rest of the day off, then my family and I do the rest of that day's chores.
2. A pair of underarmor socks (please note that we all work outside, all day, oftentimes in terrible weather so socks aren't such a terrible gift item).
3. A cash bonus. Everyone gets cash, in an envelope. My part time high schoolers get $25, my full time trainers and staff get significantly more.

I am really grateful for their work and I couldn't do it without them, and farm work is no picnic and they deserve to be rewarded, and I am happy to share the prosperity (and as a shameless plug, I have very, very little staff turnover) but the expectations of some employees is pretty unrealistic.

Beyond all the above whinging from me however, let me just say that some of you all have worked for some major, major assholes. I can't imagine treating employees so shabbily. Some pretty horrific stories on this thread.... :scared:

[MichiganVote]

94. I think I love you....how hard will it be for me to learn to milk a cow anyway?

Relax...you're one of the good guys. We all know who the assholes are. And sometimes they are our fellow employees. I'm not sure Skinner has the bandwidth for that thread!

So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[LeftyMom]

75. A ceramic manger scene from WalMart and a box of milk chocolates.

1. I'm an atheist.

2. I'm vegan.

3. I avoid sweatshopped goods.

4. I'm allergic to dairy anyhow.

It was so thoughtless, I'd have been happier with nothing at all.

[MichiganVote]

95. LOL!! Best laugh I had all day! Oh Lefty you are funny!

[krispos42]

78. I had a good one this year

So I can't complain.

The two previous years, when we were a very small company, we got gift cards (one from the owner, one from my supervisor from his own pocket) and the owner gave my supervisor $50 to order whatever we wanted for dinner. Mmmm... pizza...

[MichiganVote]

96. Sounds like they appreciate a good employee

[krispos42]

113. Yeah, they seem to

And we're getting a 401(k) starting the 1st! :bounce:

Added bonus: the company sez if profits are good they'll kick in a block amount at the end of the year for each employee as a matching contribution.

[Swede]

82. A friend at Safeway gets a turkey every year.

A fucking turkey!

[MichiganVote]

97. Actually I think Turkey's are ok. Sort of Dickens like in an era of major gaming.

[EnviroBat]

84. A WalMart job application...

[MichiganVote]

98. What???

[Beausoir]

85. A bag of apples and a threat to break my arm.

He was an old senile former boxer.

Thought everyone was stealing from him.

[MichiganVote]

99. I thought that only happened at Halloween when kids toss eggs at houses. Scary.

[LoveMyCali]

87. My non-driving, vegetarian friend

was taken out to dinner at a steak house by her boss last night where she was presented with a brand new GPS system for a bonus. :rofl:

[MichiganVote]

100. That's a good one. What can this boss have been thinking!

[LoveMyCali]

107. So Much for it's the thought that counts

because thinking obviously wasn't a part of this process.

[MichiganVote]

109. Not this time that's for sure.

[Rabrrrrrr]

102. When I worked for Walgreens, I had the pleasure of paying for my own dinner at the "Christmas Party"

Jackasses.

[MichiganVote]

104. Yeah, I love this one. And the "boss" in charge always picks the restaurant.

[Rabrrrrrr]

105. Yes - and picked a steakhouse.

When most of the employees were making $4.85 an hour, or whatever the hell minimum wage was then.

:eyes:

[dembotoz]

106. bottle of sacremental wine

given to my wife who was a teacher at a catholic school

[MichiganVote]

110. Well that's something. Does a person feel more tipsy on that stuff than the heathen stuff?

[Dukkha]

112. a promo windbreaker from a company that no longer exists

because we swallowed them up two years ago. then the "pot luck" dinner we had to share with another team, then they asked if we'd chip in to buy a gift for the boss. then they announce the record year profit with no 401k contribution or bonus. my ass still hurts

[Phentex]

115. that sucks

I hope you got the boss a chia pet! :P

[MichiganVote]

117. LOL! Wow at least they are...um...comprehensive assholes?

[Angel]

114. Getting a 30% discount instead of usual 20 %

is the Christmas gift every year where I work. To get your "gift" you must first spend money to help make the business bigger.

I work in a pharmacy :shrug:

[MichiganVote]

118. Nice/Not

[riverdale]

116. Copy of Rush Limbaugh's book

and I never made any attempt to make my political opinions a secret

[MichiganVote]

119. Oh that IS the BEST one yet. God I wish I'd thought of that one to GIVE to my boss.

[IronLionZion]

121. You people actually get gifts from your bosses?

To be fair, my boss doesn't celebrate Christmas or make much more than I do so I don't expect anything. He does wish me a Merry Christmas and let me have a week off to go visit my parents though and that's plenty.