The five best budget friendly Christmas gifts for your employees

When you reach the last calendar month, there are many tell-tale signs it’s nearly Christmas. Office attire has switched to thermals and dangly Christmas tree earrings, Heart Christmas Radio is on repeat, and the workload dies down as you start putting tasks on next year’s to-do list.

Yet, December is also a great time to show your appreciation to your employees or work colleagues. A great way to do this is through a Christmas gift– either via the infamous work Secret Santa or by purchasing an individual present for your work mates.

Often choosing a gift for a work employee or colleague can cause stress– you’re unsure how much to spend, if you should spend the same amount on each person, and what to get if you don’t know your colleague too well. Plus, if your team works remotely, last minute gifts won’t work with shipping times and delays to home addresses.

Yet there’s no need to panic– it really is the thought that counts when receiving a gift from a colleague. In one of the busiest times of the year the fact that your work mate has taken their time to choose a gift for you will be enough and greatly appreciated. However, if you’re still unsure what to get your employee or colleague, at Myles Wellbeing we have come up with the best budget-friendly gifts for your work team!

1. Long hot water bottle

In the darker winter months, it also gets extremely cold. A great way to counteract the Baltic weather is through a hot water bottle which you can snuggle with in bed or on the sofa. However, this Christmas gift isn’t just any old hot water bottle– it’s the ‘long’ or ‘extra-long’ ones which warm your whole body up. Although the longer ones may be more money, it is definitely worth it.

2. Balance board

Now this may seem like a random gift, but a balance board is great for any remote worker. It is so important to change up your working habits and with a balance board, you can incorporate exercise into your work routine. Such boards improve balance, strengthen your core and are something fun to play on. However, your colleague may fall over on it on your next video call, so if you do invest in one you have been warned!

3. An employee wellbeing app

With January around the corner, December is a great time to gift an incentive which improves employee wellbeing. For example, Myles Wellbeing’s own app provides employees with the motivation to keep up their physical activity by rewarding its users. You can gift your employees a free trial of the app, or even purchase the app so that all your employees can get involved.

Friendly competition never hurt anyone, and an app which allows this competition with physical activity at its core is even better. With a leaderboard, you can compete with your work friends in a fun and (quite literally) rewarding way, allowing you to find your top three athletes in your workplace whilst ensuring you also reward the most improved employees, not just the fittest.

4. Personalised diary

In an age where everyone uses a digital calendar– both Google and Apple Calendar– there is still something rather satisfying about a physical diary. On a Christmas budget, you can choose a diary for your employee or colleague and personalise it with their initials or name on it. Not only will it add a little extra bit of thought, but it will also make sure your work mate never loses it.

5. Reusable flask water bottle

If you’re unsure whether your work colleague would benefit most from a water bottle or flask, why not get them a two-in-one with a Chilly Bottle. Such water bottles keep drinks really cold but also really warm depending on your preferred beverage, so it’s a great gift for coffee and H20 drinkers. What’s better is that they’re reusable, so instead of amassing plastic and paper cups at your desk, you’ll just have the one bottle. There is also a vast array of colours and designs, so you can easily find the perfect one for your employee or colleague.