Jaluch Limited

HR and Training Consultancy Jaluch, which has offices in London, Reading and Ringwood, tell clients: “Don’t buy anything for a colleague that you’d be embarrassed to show your mum!”

The advice follows a catalogue of Secret Santa blunders at local companies. Over the years Jaluch has heard of staff at local companies receiving chocolate body paint and other gifts with a sexual connotation, extra strong deodorant, a bottle of wine (given to a Muslim) and, in Scrooge-like fashion, an unwanted gift recycled from the year before.

Despite this 75 per cent of companies which responded to a recent Jaluch poll thought Secret Santa a great idea whilst only 15 per cent believe it can cause more bad will than good and 10 per cent deem it ‘highly inappropriate’.

Kathie-Louise Clarke, an HR Advisor at Jaluch, said: “Most people take Secret Santa in the spirit it is intended and we’d certainly encourage companies to continue the tradition.  

“However – it’s essential that Secret Santa is voluntary – not everyone celebrates Christmas and for some the cost of buying an extra present can be a burden. There’s also the potential to offend and what might seem a bit of light fun now could form a small part of a complex grievance later on.

“Part of the fun of Secret Santa is that staff all open their presents together at the Christmas party – choosing something with the potential to embarrass or offend or something that taps into a personal vulnerability could cause problems. If staff are in any doubt they should play it safe.”

Other Secret Santa upsets include buying self-help guides, ‘how-to’ books, diet vouchers, nose and ear hair trimmers and political or religious joke gifts.