Even though we are officially out of recession, times are still hard for many businesses and public sector workers. With huge public sector cuts announced in a bid to reduce the budget deficit, it seems inevitable that redundancies are going to be a recurring event in the immediate future.
It can be difficult to know what to do to soften the blow. Redundancies come in many shapes and sizes, so what is appropriate for some will certainly not be appropriate for all. In some situations it might be appropriate to give a redundancy gift. Where redundancies are voluntary for example, it might be appropriate to give a farewell gift as the chances are the employee won’t be too upset about leaving their job.
For managers who are close to a team who are about to be made redundant, it could also be appropriate to give a gift as a souvinier of their time working togather. In this case it is more a gift of friendship, which might help to soften the impact.
Where redundancies are likely to cause bitterness and resentment, a gift is often not advisable as this could serve to make matters worse. Being made redundant is an upsetting time for everyone involved, so any decision on whether to get a gift should be carefully considered.
If you decide to go ahead and get people a gift, there are a few pointers it is advisable to stick to in order to avoid an adverse reaction.
- You obviously don’t want to get something that looks cheap, but also be careful that your gift doesn’t seem too showy. To be told you are losing your job to help the company survive, only to be given a lavish gift, will make people resentful, and in the circumstances they would probably have preferred the cash.
- Consider personalising the gift. This shows that some thought has gone into it and the company hasn’t just churned out the same thing for everyone. Think about having it engraved with a name or message, or even the company logo if it’s not going to cause too much upset.
- Choose your timing carefully. Giving someone a gift right after being told the bad news is probably not the best time. If redundancies are being announced days or weeks before the employees leave, it would be a nice gesture to award the gifts on their last day.
Any decision to award redundancy gifts should be carefully considered. Corporate gifts, such as clocks or photo frames, can make excellent gift ideas, and they can be branded to your requirements. For a range of redundancy gifts that will be gratefully received, see our websites www.engravedgiftideas.com for individual gifts, or www.corporate-gifts-co.com for volume gifts.
