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Company holiday gifts in 2009: yes or no?
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I received a survey today asking about holiday gift giving budgets for the 2009 holiday season. It made me start to think about the state of our national and local economies. It made me wonder what the average employee thinks about holiday gift giving. What do recently laid-off employees think of gift giving? Have times changed permanently or will Holiday gifts make a comeback after the recession?
In St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch was always one of the largest and most generous employers in the area: Generous to both the community and to their employees. Holiday gifts of crystal candles, laser etched crystal globes and more were sent to the employees each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The postage alone must have come with a huge price tag. With cost cutting measures in place and with a new regime in place one wonders what has become of that tradition. My guess is - it is out for good.
Anheuser-Busch is not the only company cutting expenses though. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, .jpg)
Miller’s Coors saved $183 million so far this year and $211 million since their joint venture began operations in July 2008. And it isn’t just the beer industry either; Nokia is laying off 9% of their workforce which will cut expenses. Nationally, I keep hearing things are getting better. The unemployment rate for September, 2009 was 9.8%. The historical average is 5.8%. In Missouri we are at 9.5% which, like the national rate, is the highest rate in ten years. That doesn’t sound better to me. Few families have not felt the pain of unemployment in some way this year.
Miller’s Coors saved $183 million so far this year and $211 million since their joint venture began operations in July 2008. And it isn’t just the beer industry either; Nokia is laying off 9% of their workforce which will cut expenses. Nationally, I keep hearing things are getting better. The unemployment rate for September, 2009 was 9.8%. The historical average is 5.8%. In Missouri we are at 9.5% which, like the national rate, is the highest rate in ten years. That doesn’t sound better to me. Few families have not felt the pain of unemployment in some way this year. What’s your opinion? Do the remaining employees expect a gift, a bonus, a turkey? How would their family feel? “You lay off my husband and brother but can still afford to buy crystal vases for or hand out grocery certificates to your employees?” Maybe you could have saved one job if you had reallocated that budget. What does America think? What do you think? Is it time for companies to stop or cut back on holiday gift giving? What is your company doing? OK, that’s more than one question but you get the idea.
Of course, being a Human Resources Manager, I have to wonder what that does to morale that is already poor.
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