what are you getting your assistants this year?

Calypso1977

i like to be generous with my assistants, but i sometimes feel awkward because their other boss (who is my boss) is super cheap.  he usually spends $10 on each of them. 

dumdumfroggie

I no longer have assistants, but when I did, I would give a night out in gift cards.  So basically a GC for a nice restaurant for them and SO and then maybe a GC for two movie tickets or something.

Birdie1483

Well, I don't have any assitants, so I can't answer it for you.

But I used to get vouchers for the movie theater at my old job and it was actually pretty awesome.

I don't drink coffee, so I never like it when I get a gift card to a local coffee shop.

Anything I can eat is always good, but only as long as it's not too fancy (the chocolates with the fancy fillings are sometimes too much trouble for what they're worth).

Girlie1030

As an assistant, GC's are always appreciated.  Especially when they're somewhat personal (i.e., they know I love coffee so Starbucks or one for Petsmart because they know I have critters). 

missy68

I like gift cards. I am one of 2 assistants, though. We each got decent ones to a local eatery John and I frequent for lunch.

I don't know if they'll do anything this year. One department member gives everyone lottery tickets.

Marrin713

My assistant and her pastor husband do not celebrate Christmas.  Before she met and married him, she did celebrate and we used to pool together and donate to a different charity each year.  So in respect to her beliefs I have not given her anything in the last two years, but this year I am going to give her a potato masher since she borrows mine all of the time.  Hopefully it will not insult her.

SarahPLiz

I am getting my staff members GC to their favorite taco place. I swear they are both addicted to the same place. I may also get something for the other staff in my office and my boss so they don't feel left out. One of them gave me a cup with soft peppermints in it this morning. They are almost gone ;/

LDYGTR13

I wish my boss would get me something legit and not another coffee cup. As an assistant, I'd love something that I can't/won't spend money on myself...like a massage (and let me leave early for it!) that'd be great

ski2play

I get my assistants GC for an evening out at a nice place to eat and/or a spa treatment.  They absolutely loved the spa treatment!

ootmother2

Ordinary assistants participate in the bonus pool with the traders.so I don't tip them personally

It;s customary to give cash to each client service rep you have.  Norm is $500 per but one always asks for a week at my summer house in RI for he & his BF

Calypso1977

for the assistants who replied - do you prefer a GC or good old cash?  i know i always preferred a GC since cash always seems to go to something practical like bills, whereas the GC forces me to enjoy it.

mica178

For one of my clinics, we doctors are pooling together money to get the medical assistants a decent sized check for Christmas.  At the other clinic, apparently the doctors never give anything extra to the staff (the university automatically gives bonuses to  all support staff).  I'm bringing them my caramels but don't work enough with everyone enough to want to upstage the other doctors by giving a big gift.

rebeccaa12

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_getting-assistants-this-year?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:2765f22b-0837-46b7-affc-32b15e24dd13Post:73e46934-9ecd-40e1-9c6d-95eb9a809d97">Re: what are you getting your assistants this year?</a>:
[QUOTE]for the assistants who replied - do you prefer a GC or good old cash?  i know i always preferred a GC since cash always seems to go to something practical like bills, whereas the GC forces me to enjoy it.
Posted by Calypso1977[/QUOTE]

Besides a bonus check from the president, I haven't really gotten cash as a gift, either. Last year, the Head of Business Development (whom I work directly under) bought me a year subscription to a wedding mag and a home magazine with an ornament. I thought it was really thoughtful :) But I'm in the GC camp, too.

Matty143

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_getting-assistants-this-year?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:2765f22b-0837-46b7-affc-32b15e24dd13Post:00b3ba24-737c-4c1f-8591-d9d27e2466ba">what are you getting your assistants this year?</a>:
[QUOTE]i like to be generous with my assistants, but i sometimes feel awkward because their other boss (who is my boss) is super cheap.  he usually spends $10 on each of them. 
Posted by Calypso1977[/QUOTE]

<span style="font-weight:bold;">Cash</span> is always preferred, but if that is not an option a nice bottle of wine, or a GC like others have said.

Matty143

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_getting-assistants-this-year?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:2765f22b-0837-46b7-affc-32b15e24dd13Post:73e46934-9ecd-40e1-9c6d-95eb9a809d97">Re: what are you getting your assistants this year?</a>:
[QUOTE]for the assistants who replied - <span style="font-weight:bold;">do you prefer a </span>GC<span style="font-weight:bold;"> or good old cash?</span>  i know i always preferred a GC since cash always seems to go to something practical like bills, whereas the GC forces me to enjoy it.
Posted by Calypso1977[/QUOTE]

I say cash or a check if its an option. Its nice of you to give anything, but with a GC to a specific store or restaurant, there is the chance that they may not like it. Getting a starbucks GC if you don't drink coffee is kind of a bummer, KWIM?

StephBeanWed61502

We give our assistants straight-up cash for the holidays in my office (at least, the three other attorneys who are also assigned to the same assistant as me do this, so I am joining them). 

Marrin713

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_getting-assistants-this-year?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:2765f22b-0837-46b7-affc-32b15e24dd13Post:727f4f43-90a2-4d86-bf63-97e2d129f7a1">Re: what are you getting your assistants this year?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: what are you getting your assistants this year? : Totally off topic, but this confused me. If he is a pastor I am assuming they are Christian, so do they celebrate Christmas, but just not in the secular way of decorations and presents? Or do <strong>they just go about Christmas day as if it were any other day? </strong>Just curious. And so this isn't only a threadjack. I think gift cards are always best. My mom gets a lot of gift baskets from her clients. Sometimes they are good, but not always.
Posted by Liatris2010[/QUOTE]

Liatris - I truly don't know but I think it's the bolded.  Their religion does not believe that Dec. 25 is the b-day.  But they don't celebrate it in July either KWIM?  I try not to get into religious conversation with her because they always end up in her trying to convert me.  She also has little to no tolerance for others who don't have the same beliefs, so I save myself the aggro.

[Deleted User]

As an assistant, my managers had always pooled together to get me something related to my interests.  I got a Tiffany & Co. necklace on year and Apple gc's another to help towards my new computer.  However, those were in better years when they were making their goals and numbers.  I always loved that they put thought into their gifts by selecting things like gift cards to Cheesecake Factory (fav restaurant/engaged there) or iTunes.  It depended on the relationship because there was sometimes a cash bonus from them as well.

I'm now a secretary and not sure how my current location handles gifts.  I was asked my favorite restaurant.