Coworker gifts

Gift ideas for coworkers, by occasion and budget

The best coworker gifts are small, easy to enjoy at work and tied to a real moment: under $25 from you, or $25 to $100 when the team chips in. Real chocolate gifts from $22, plus ideas you can pick up yourself.

Coworker gifts by budget

Real gifts with real prices, before shipping, next to ideas you can pick up yourself. Most coworker gifts belong in the first tier.

Under $25: from you to a teammate

The right size for most coworker gifts from one person. Enough to show you noticed, small enough that nobody feels they owe you one.

Or pick up:

  • Their usual coffee order, waiting on their desk on a Monday
  • A bag of beans from a local roaster, ground the way they brew
  • A phone stand for the teammate who lives on video calls
  • Hand cream for dry office air in winter

$25 to $50: a close teammate, or a few of you together

For the person you work with every day, or when three or four teammates chip in a few dollars each.

Or pick up:

  • Lunch out, just the two of you, on you
  • An insulated tumbler that fits their car's cup holder
  • A drop-in class for the hobby they keep bringing up: pottery, climbing, salsa

$50 to $100: when the whole team pools

Ten people at $5 to $10 each lands here. Right for a milestone birthday, a promotion or a teammate who carried a hard quarter.

Or pick up:

  • Over-ear headphones for focus days
  • A cast-iron pan for the teammate who cooks
  • A board game their whole household can play

Every gift opens our partner store, where you can order online. Sending to a long list or adding your logo? Get a free quote with volume pricing instead.

Coworker gift ideas by occasion

What fits each moment, what it usually costs, and where to find the words for the card.

Birthday gifts for coworkers

Small and personal from one person, or a shared treat from the team. Under $25 from you, $25 to $50 pooled.

  • A chocolate box on their desk before they log in
  • A treat for the afternoon meeting, so the day feels like theirs
  • A card the team signs before lunch, with one line each

Birthday messages for coworkers · Office birthday ideas

Thank-you gifts for coworkers

Size it to the favor: a coffee for covering one meeting, something bigger for covering a whole week.

  • Their coffee order the morning after they bailed you out
  • A short note to their manager about what they did
  • A truffle box with a one-line card that names the favor

Thank you messages for coworkers · Thank-you gifts for work

Christmas and holiday gifts for coworkers

Give everyone you work closely with the same thing, or skip one-to-one gifts and run a team exchange with a price limit.

  • One small gift box per teammate, the same for everyone
  • A team exchange where each person buys one gift
  • Treats for the whole floor, left in the break room

Secret Santa gift ideas · White elephant gift ideas · Corporate holiday gifts

Promotion gifts for a coworker

Congratulate a peer warmly. If they now manage you, keep it to a card and a shared treat.

  • Coffee and cake at the next team meeting
  • A gift box for the new desk, from the team
  • A clean handover of their old work, which is the most useful gift of all

Congratulations messages for coworkers

Going-away gifts for a coworker

Usually one bigger gift from the whole team, plus a card everyone signs.

  • A gift box shipped to their home after the last day
  • A send-off lunch on their final week
  • Your personal email in the card, so the friendship outlasts the job

Going-away gifts · Farewell party ideas

From you, or from the whole team?

Small and personal from one person; one bigger gift when the team pools.

From you

For a desk-mate, a work friend or someone who helped you out. Keep it under $25 and hand it over quietly, not in front of the whole team.

From the team

For milestone birthdays, promotions, farewells and new babies. Pool $5 to $15 each, buy one gift, and let everyone sign the card whether or not they chipped in.

Collecting for a team gift? Our group gift ideas guide has a split calculator and the steps for collecting money without pressure.

Funny gifts for coworkers that stay kind

A laugh the whole team is in on. Best for a peer you know well, not a new hire or your manager.

  1. 1.A rubber duck for the teammate who talks every bug through out loud
  2. 2.A small desk gong for ending meetings on time
  3. 3.A fake plant for the person who has outlived three real ones
  4. 4.A snack drawer refill labeled "Emergency rations for Q4"
  5. 5.A desk sign that reads "Deep in a spreadsheet, back soon"
  6. 6.A framed screenshot of the team chat's funniest moment, if everyone in it agrees

The rule: Joke about the work, never about the person: nothing about age, looks, weight or a habit they're sensitive about, and nothing you wouldn't hand over in front of HR.

A gift for the whole team: something to do together

When a manager or the culture committee wants to thank everyone at once, a kit workshop sends a box of supplies to every home, then the team opens it together on one call.

Each runs about an hour with a live host. You pay a base fee plus a per-guest price, with continental US shipping included. Book about 3 weeks ahead for US addresses, or about 5 weeks with guests in Canada or abroad. See all team building kits.

Coworker gift etiquette

Gifting across is easy. Gifting up takes a little care.

  • Gift across freely, gift up together.

    A gift to a peer is just kind. A gift to your manager should come from the whole team, so it never looks like a bid for favor.

  • Don't single people out in public.

    If you give to two people on a team of six, hand those over privately.

  • Nobody owes you one back.

    Say so if it helps: "No need to return the favor, I just wanted to say thanks."

  • Check your company's gift policy.

    Some companies cap gifts or ban them between certain roles, especially in finance, government and healthcare.

  • Ask before food or alcohol.

    Allergies, diets and not drinking are common. Our gifts are chocolate, so check the ingredient details before you order.

  • Skip the personal stuff.

    Clothing sizes, perfume and anything about appearance are better left to family and friends.

Coworker gift questions

What is a good gift for a coworker?

Something small they can enjoy at work or at home, tied to a real moment: a chocolate box on their birthday, their coffee order after they covered for you, a gift box from the team for a promotion. Add a card that names one specific thing. That line is often what they keep.

How much should you spend on a gift for a coworker?

Under $25 from one person is the norm, and $25 to $50 for a close teammate. When the whole team pools $5 to $10 each, $50 to $100 buys one bigger gift for a milestone birthday, a promotion or a farewell.

What are good birthday gifts for coworkers?

A small treat on their desk before they log in, their favorite coffee, or a shared treat at the afternoon meeting, plus a card the team signs. From one person, keep it under $25. For a birthday that ends in zero, the team can pool for something bigger.

What are good small gifts for coworkers under $25?

Their usual coffee order, a bag of beans from a local roaster, a phone stand for video calls, hand cream for winter or a small chocolate gift box. Our smallest gift box is $22 and ships with your note inside.

What are good Christmas gifts for coworkers?

Give everyone you work closely with the same small gift, such as one chocolate box each, so nobody compares. Or skip one-to-one gifts and run a Secret Santa or white elephant exchange with a price limit. Treats for the break room cover the rest of the floor.

Do you have to give every coworker a gift?

No. Gifts at work are optional. If you give to some people on a small team, hand them over privately so nobody feels left out, or give one shared treat for everyone instead.

Is it OK to give your boss a gift?

One modest gift from the whole team is fine. Individual gifts to a manager can look like a bid for favor and pressure everyone else, so a sincere card on your own is enough.

Can you ship a gift to a remote coworker?

Yes. Each gift is packed and shipped to its own address, home or office, in the US and internationally, with your note inside. Timing and regional shipping charges depend on the destination.

Buying for the whole team?

Send us your list, budget and date, and we will come back with a gift plan and a quote, shipped to every address with your note inside.