9 steps to better office holiday gift giving

9 steps to better office holiday toxikum giving9 steps to better office holiday toxikum givingTis almost the season to be jolly and along with it comes the immense pressure to buy gifts for people you dont really know that well.Ladders asked Arden Clise, geschftsleben etiquette coach and author of Spinach in Your Bosss Teeth Essential Etiquette for Professional Success, for tips on how to navigate the sometimes perilous gift giving maze.Gifting like a bossBelieve it or not, you arent required to give gifts to your coworkers or colleagues. Clise said though, If you have a close relationship with a work buddy then giving a present might be nice, but its not expected.And try to be subtle about it If you do give a colleague a gift, do so quietly so that others dont feel left out. Meanwhile, Holiday gifts to bosses are discouraged because it can look like youre brown nosing.Try chipping in with others if you really want to do something special for your manager or boss so that it comes fro m all of you That way no one person is looking like their trying to curry favor with the boss.Budgeting for clientsClise says, Giving holiday gifts to clients is perfectly appropriate if you have the budget. Doing so says you care about them and appreciate their business. But dont go for cheapo promotional items and avoid giving items that have your logo on them and look like advertisements for your business.And you might want to pay attention to their internal gift receiving policy.I once goofed royally by sending a then client a necklace identical to the one shed admired on me earlier that year. I thought it was appropriate considering the amount of business wed done together that year - she informed me that she couldnt accept anything over $50.00.Clise says, Its typically safe to send something that can be shared in the office, such as a basket of goodies. Or, you could make a donation to a nonpolitical or non-religious organization in their name.But be mindful that your cause i snt necessarily their cause, and while you might love puppies, they might prefer something related to the rain forest.Card themDont worry if you dont feel like sending gifts or havent budgeted for them. Clise says, Cards are a fine way to send holiday greetings especially if you dont want to worry about gift giving restrictions or you have a tight budget.She also said Holiday cards are pretty ubiquitous, and it can be hard to stand out when you are one of many who sends cards, but doing so is still a nice gesture. If the cards are personalized they tend to be more appreciated and memorable.If you want to make your cards stand out, consider sending textured or 3D cards that are tactile as well as beautiful and become something they can share around the office.If you have the time, having everyone in the office hand sign the card is another nice personal touch.Clise also adds that Your holiday card should wish the receiver happy holidays, If the card is for a client you could thank th em for their business over the past year(s). Cards to colleagues or coworkers are an opportunity to share what youve enjoyed about working with them.But not your business cardIn case youre wondering if you should include your business card with your holiday card or gift dont. Clise said It would be very tacky to include your business card in a holiday card. Cards and gifts are your opportunity to express your appreciation for your colleagues and clients, not a time to promote your business. You could thank your clients for their business throughout the year, but that should be the extent of any business talk.(Or a gift card)Much as most of us love gift cards in other parts of our lives, Clise said its lazy to give a gift card as an office gift.Gift cards do not make good gifts because they seem lazy and unimaginative. Best to try to find an actual gift that says I took some time thinking about what you might enjoy receiving, she says.While youre at it, Never re-gift a present unles s a. youve removed all signs that it was gifted to you originally, b. youre not giving it to someone who is in the same circle of the person who gave it to you, and c. you are reasonably sure the receiver will enjoy the gift youre not just pawning it off and thinking youve done your gifting duty.Be fruitfulSince so many people have food allergies or restrictions, its a good idea to Choose a gift that is either very safe such as fruit. Or, Clise said, you can give a basket filled with a variety of items that would allow most people to be able to find something they can eat. Avoid giving wine or spirits unless you know for sure the receiver drinks alcohol.Hey, big spenderDont intentionally break the bank. Clise says, How much you spend should depend on your budget and your relationship with the person. So if youre limited by budget, its fine to be creative. Giving a $5 jar of some wonderful spread to a coworker would be perfectly fine.That said, If you have a larger budget and youre giving a gift to an important client who youve done business with for several years, spending $100 or more may be appropriate.No gagsIf youre infinitely amused by whoopee cushions and the like, keep it out of the office, since Clise warns that Gag gifts are a big no unless you are holding a white elephant gift exchange and everyone is giving silly gifts.And be graciousIf someone buys you a gift and you havent bought them anything, dont scramble to reciprocate.Clise says, Just express your gratitude and leave it at that. You dont need to call attention to the fact that you didnt get the person a gift.

Hit the Ground Running

Hit the Ground RunningHit the Ground RunningTen tasks to complete between a job offer and your first day on the job.Close the loop with your former boss and co-workers. Provide as much notice as possible, write a thoughtful resignation letter and do as much as you can to ease the transition for the people you will be leaving behind.Dont burn any bridges. Even if the experience at your former job was horrible, keep all communications thoughtful and dignified. It truly is a small world, and you never know what will happen in the future.After all of the preparation you did to land the job, now is the time to do more. Request access to any and all information relating to your new position, including org charts.Get to know the people with whom you will be working. If you can platzdeckchen up a time to meet with new associates before you start, thats ideal. If not, try to set up introductory meetings in advance, so that you will get to know the people you will be working with - and for - right away.Complete as much paperwork and orientation as possible beforehand. Filling out forms and sitting through benefits videos can eat up a lot of precious time during your first days on the job. Work with your new manager and HR to get as much HR housekeeping done before your first day as possible.Leverage social-networking sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter not only to announce your new role but also to collaborate with your new colleagues. In addition, sign up for any feeds from your company, its partners and its competitors.Develop a set of goals for the first week, the first month and the first 90 days in your new position.Map your route. Were your interviews scheduled to occur so that you had to travel during rush hour? If not, make sure you know how long it will take you to reach your destination during the most congested times on the road.Prepare to feel a little stupid. Starting any new job is rough. Acknowledge beforehand that you wont have all of the answers your fi rst day on the job, and be prepared to ask lots of questions.Take a (modest) breather. The time between the job offer and the job may be busy, but things are bound to be busier once you start your new position. Be sure to allot some time to relax and regroup while you have the chance.

Married Couples In The Military

Married Couples In The MilitaryMarried Couples In The MilitaryThese days, it seems that more and more married couples are joining the military together and getting married shortly after training.They face many challenges that military members married to civilians dont deal with, but also have several advantages. The military does leid guarantee to assign married couples together, however, it will try.The term is Dual-Military Couples. Both members of the relationship are active duty, but also military spouses. A family plan is needed for this couple especially when kids are involved. See below for more information on how many of behauptung couples make it work. Join Spouse Programs Each of the services has an assignment program called Join Spouse. Basically, under this program, the military will try as hard as it can to station military spouses at the saatkorn base or within 100 miles of each other. Note there is no guarantee the military just agrees to try. The services will n ot create a new slot for Join Spouse there has to be an existing slot in the rank/job to which the member(s) can be assigned. This can be a difficult issue every time a couple is required to change duty stations. About 80 percent of military couples are assigned within 100 miles of each other. That sounds pretty good until you realize that means 20 percent of military couples are not assigned close to each other. There are some stories of couples who never get stationed together, however, these tend to be members of separate services, one being Air Force and one being Navy, for instance.Obviously, its easier for the services to assign couples together when both are in the saatkorn branch. For one thing, it takes less coordination, as only one branch assignment division is involved. Additionally, there arent that many Air Force bases or Marine Corps bases that are close together. So, marrying someone in the same branch of service obviously increases your chance of a successful Join S pouse assignment. Applying for Join Spouse Programs If only one member applies for a Join Spouse, the assignment system wont process it. Then its up to the military to determine who should move (or whether both couples should move), based on the needs of the service and funding constraints. Time in service applies as well. In general, in order for a first-term member (a military member on his/her first enlistment), assigned to a CONUS (Continental United States) base, to move overseas, he/she must have 12 months time-on-station. In order for the first term member to move from one CONUS base to another, he/she must 24 months time-on-station. Typically newlywed couples new to the military who live on different bases as their first tour assignment may not live together for a few years until they complete their assignment.However, if they enter into Join Spouse and apply for an overseas billet together, the likelihood of that transfer in a few years will be more possible for the cou ple to serve together. Housing and Allowances for Married Military Couples Military couples stationed together can live off-base and receive a housing allowance or can give up the housing allowance and live free in on-base family housing, just as members married to a civilian can. If there are no dependents, each member is treated as single for housing allowance purposes, and each will receive the single-rate Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for their rank and assignment location. If there are children, one member receives the with-dependent rate, and the other member receives the single rate. In most cases, the couples choose the senior-ranking member to receive the with dependent rate, as it means more money. Complicated Career Decisions Turning down a career enhancing duty station in order to stay together can be a dilemma many dual military couples have to face. The dual military couple relationship needs to be more flexible to accommodate both careers than their civili an counterparts. Due to the nature of military duty stations, commutes, and deployments, the dual military couple can expect changes in the balance of career and family responsibilities over time. Family Separation Allowance Family Separation Allowance is normally paid any time a military member is separated from his/her dependents for longer than 30 days due to military orders. The same applies to military-married-to-military, except The members must be residing together immediately prior to the departureOnly one member can receive the allowance. Payment will be made to the member whose orders resulted in the separation. If both members receive orders requiring departure on the same day, then payment will go to the senior member. Care of Children (Dependents) Military couples with children must develop a family care plan that details exactly what the care arrangements are in the event that both members must deploy. Failure to develop and maintain a workable family care plan can result in discharge from the service for one or both of the military members.