Buying gifts for colleagues in the workplace can be a social minefield. You don’t want to make a misstep by being the only one in the office who doesn’t buy them a gift. But you don’t want to overstep the mark and make it look like you’ve made too much of an effort either.

It’s all so complicated. Here are some ideas that should manage to strike the right balance.

A New Mug

Every office worker knows how important it is to have a sturdy mug on hand in the workplace. That mug of tea or coffee as you sit down at your desk in the morning is usually exactly what is needed to start the day positively and on the right track. So, if you want to get them a gift that will be handy for them each day, a good mug is the best gift to buy. It’s not a particularly flashy or interesting, but it is a great gift for a colleague who loves to cherish their coffee breaks throughout the day.

Flowers

Flowers are a gift that everyone knows go down well with female colleagues. Although you do have to be careful. If you don’t know the person very well, it might be interpreted the wrong way. You don’t want to make it seem like you’re looking for more than friendship. But for people who are already good friends in the workplace, flowers are a good gift idea to opt for. There are lots of different types too. Terrariums make a great alternative gift.

A Desk Tool

If you and the person you are buying for do a desk job, why not give them a tool that they can use at their desk. Yes, I know a stapler won’t make the best gift in the world. But there are other options that are a little more fun but still useful at the desk. For example, you could buy them a desk calendar. Even a few hooks that can be used to hang items on can be useful if they struggle for desk space. Magnets can also be very useful for them. Think about what they do and what items will be most useful to them.

Alcohol

Alcohol is the one item that never fails as a gift. Unless you’re buying a gift for a teetotaller that is. Everyone likes to wind down after a long day at the office with a glass of their favourite alcoholic drink. If you can find out what that is, or you already know, you should buy them a bottle of it. It’s a gift that you can always fall back on when you have no idea what else you can possibly buy for someone. And you can also choose how much you want to spend. It could be a cheap bottle of wine or a costly bottle of port.

Cable Cores

These are really useful for anyone who gets frustrated with the amount of wires they come into contact with on daily basis. Cable cores are like plastic apple cores that can use to wrap wires around. You can get different sized ones depending on the size of the wires. They will save the person lots of frustration in the future because they won’t have to worry about wires getting tangled. It’s a great office gift, so consider it!