A Retirement Gift from colleagues and co-workers

Rocking Chair Wisdom previously mentioned retirement gifts from colleagues and co-workers as one of at least three groups that will be involved in gift giving to the retiree. On this page we will stress:

Gift giving from colleagues and co-workers

• Quite naturally, the protocol surrounding this kind of retirment gift giving is less formal than corporate gift giving.
• The wishes of the retiring employee should be respected when considering any gift or celebration. While some employees may desire recognition in front of their colleagues, others may desire a smaller and intimate gathering. Still others may desire to just slip out relatively unnoticed.
• Since gifts given by colleagues and co-workers tend to be more personal than corporate gifts, consideration should be given to what would be acceptable to the employee. Many times these gifts may center around the unique nature of their job or around their hobbies. Caricatures or framed photographs could make ideal gifts from colleagues. Or possibly a new putter for the golf enthusiast.
• Most retirees receiving a gift prefer that the gift exhibit some degree of thought. One retiree I know was thrilled to receive a gift certificate for a hotel stay on the California beach. When I retired, among the gifts I received from my colleagues was a share of stock in a major corporation. Aside from working in the financial area of the organization, this gift was unique in that many stock issues are going digital and are not providing paper shares. This one gift creatively acknowledged the area where I worked as well as recognized one of the major changes for my generation, digitalization of common data.
• When choosing a gift, be mindful of the employee's culture and religious background, so as not to offend.
• Remain within the budget established by funds received. Ensure that all funds given are transferred to the employee either through gifts, cash, or gift cards.

There is no exact rule of thumb. We must determine our budget and to whom the gift is being given. We should be creative and choose a gift that the recipient knows we spent some time thinking about in oredr to make it meaningful.

Whatever we do, we need to be sure we have taken time to creatively match the gift to the employee. This should be a gift that they will treasure and will evoke fond memories in the future.

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