In Holland you either give gifts or money as a gift. Most people give money i think. I think 50 is enough. that would be what i would give.
Well, because I work in small office I can usually ask around and see if people know what it is and I go from there..
I agree with Trader_Jorge. I think the issue here is that you have to see these people on a daily basis. Yes, it is nice to give gifts to friends and stuff, but in terms of greasing the wheels at work, I would rather go higher than lower. Think of it as a business expense. Even if they are not your supervisors or have any direct connection with the work you do, they are part of your daily work environment. You want them to think good thoughts about you, always. So when the Man comes and screw with you guys, you'll have some folks looking out for you. Am I paranoid? Yes. But believe me, every little bit of positive karma helps at work. One caveat, though: Don't give SO much that it looks like you are trying to show off.
i thought TJ was just kidding. if not, i've got only one thing to say, ARE YOU MOTHER****ERS NUTS!? there's no way i'm handing off a Benjamin so I can get in good graces with someone I don't even correspond with when I'm not at work. there's other ways you can "suck up" to them. how about using teamwork by helping them out with their work? or standing up for them in some manner. if you can't get your coworkers to say something positive about you w/o paying for it, you might need to pick up some social skills. hell, buy them a round of drinks during happy hour but don't drop a bill for their wedding. i suppose it's all relative to how much you make but although i could afford giving my coworker $100, um, that's still not gonna happen.
Well, I agree that you should do ALL those things for your coworkers. I'm not saying the money is used instead of doing nice things. Money is just the bonus on top of all the nice things you should be doing for your coworkers anyway. As for whether $100 is appropriate, I have to agree with you partly that it is all relative. If you are the chief engineer for Google, then $100 is too low. If you work at Wendy's nightshift, then it might be too much. I guess I'm saying try and give a little more than what is expected of you by your office's culture. P.S. I never said I wasn't nuts.
That is why there are gift registries. So you and your fiance can get stuff you'll need, but don't want to buy. ie. a nice toaster, blender, good crystal wine glasses, etc. I guarantee you, I wouldn't have very nice kitchenware, or dishes, or wine glasses without it. And, no, you won't buy it after the wedding like you think you will. That said, the stupidest thing people give at weddings are crystal bowls. I must have close to a dozen of them. What the hell are they good for?
