Best Gifts for Your Secretary, Paralegal, and Admin
The holidays are a fun time of the year around the office. People are often in good spirits and are looking forward to a little break, and maybe even that end of year bonus and merit raise (if they're so lucky).
If you have a secretary, paralegal, and/or an admin, that work for you, getting them small gifts can often be an easy way to boost morale and buy their undying loyalty. To help you figure out how to buy your employees' love, below you'll find a few tips on what to give. And to no one's surprise, it doesn't include any of that novelty legal professional garbage that we all dread getting.
Money or a Day Off
If you have the power, a raise, bonus, or even just a gratuitous day off, is probably the best gift you can give to anyone that works under you. If your office already has an end of year bonus or raise, make this in addition to that, otherwise, it's a pretty hollow gesture. Also, if you have multiple subordinates, be careful as this could cause dissension within the ranks if some get it, while others don't.
If you don't have the power to issue an additional official bonus or pay increase, there's another option. While normally gifting a prepaid visa card, or a gift card to a shop or restaurant you know a person likes, is a gifting faux paus, it could also be much more meaningful than flowers, or some other impersonal token, and it's not (exactly) cash. If you plan on spending over $50, you might want to ask yourself if that employee would just prefer to have the money.
Tech
Getting someone a tech gadget can be hit or miss, especially if you don't know what the person is interested in. Also, if that gadget is for use around the office, is it really a gift or just something you should have purchased for them anyway?
Easy, and not so expensive, tech gifts can include things like:
- Bluetooth speakers and headphones
- Accessories for the fitness tech you know they already have, like an Apple Watch or Fitbit wristband
- Simple Internet of Things devices, like WiFi enabled light bulbs and power outlets
- A gift card to the iTunes/App store, or the Google Android App Store
Experiences
Gifting experiences is nothing new. Movie passes are generally a hit so long as they can be used at a theater near the worker's home. Unfortunately, unless you know the person well enough, theme park or special event tickets are a big risk, especially as these can be rather pricey, date dependent, and you'll need to get two or more so they can bring a friend or their family.
Unless you know that the employee likes a particular spa, getting spa gift certificates can be tricky as many spa-goers can be rather picky about where they like to go. However, one gift that seems to always be a perpetual crowd pleaser is getting an in-office chair masseuse. Protip: If you're not alone in needing to get gifts for staff, you can pool with the other bosses in the office to hire someone.
Have an open position at your law firm? Post the job for free on Indeed, or search local candidate resumes.
Related Resources:
- Administrative Professionals Day Is a Thing. Get to Know It. (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- Gift Giving 101: Holiday Gift Guide for Coworkers (FindLaw's Strategist)
- A Lawyer's Guide to Last-Minute Gift Ideas (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
FindLaw has an affiliate relationship with Indeed, earning a small amount of money each time someone uses Indeed's services via FindLaw. FindLaw receives no compensation in exchange for editorial coverage.