What to give a colleague for his birthday
Collective and personal gifts, gifts for a “remote worker” or for an office worker – we have selected 25 surprise ideas that will delight your colleagues

Have you thought about the fact that we spend most of our lives with colleagues? If evenings and weekends are left for the family, then we communicate with colleagues daily for at least 8 working hours. They become an important part of our lives, so joint dinners, corporate parties and, of course, holidays are inevitable. When the question arises of what to give a colleague for his birthday, we think about how well we know a person in order to choose the right gift for him.

Often relations with colleagues are friendly: they seem to see each other every day, communicate a lot, but know little about each other’s life. It becomes difficult to find a gift according to interests. But there are universal things that suit everyone. We all go to dinner, decorate the workspace around us, sometimes we worry and get tired. If you start from the basic needs of all working people, options appear by themselves.

Of course, there is a proven scheme for resolving the issue: they chipped in, put the amount received in an envelope, ate the cake and dispersed. But it’s time to change stereotypes and paint our gray everyday life with colleagues in bright colors, so that everyone’s birthday becomes a real holiday, and not a classic ritual. How to do it? Let’s start with an interesting gift!

Top 25 Birthday Gifts for a Colleague

First, you need to decide how you want to congratulate the person: as a whole team or on your own. It is the price segment that will determine your opportunities.

Secondly, it is important with what words you accompany your congratulations. It is wishes that can make any thing appropriate for delivery. Therefore, if there is an opportunity to explain your choice and present a gift, use it.

Thirdly, any present should emphasize individuality. If the previous birthday person in the office was presented with a watch, then you should not give the next one an alarm clock, and, moreover, the same watch. The colleague must feel that this gift is especially for him. The KP invites you to consider options for different budgets and working conditions of the employee.

Colleague “at a distance”

1. Table for laptop 

New gifts in the new realities of our life. Portable tables are convenient to use in bed, in a chair, on the floor. They are foldable and take up little storage space. Almost all are equipped with ventilated holes to avoid overheating of the gadget. There are models with a stand for a computer mouse. There are large tables on wheels, convenient for moving around the apartment. You can choose a tray on a soft base so that it is comfortable to hold a table with a laptop on your lap. 

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2. Wireless network charging

A device to keep a colleague always connected. Each model has a stylish design and different charging characteristics to consider. The main thing is to find out if your colleague’s smartphone supports such a function as wireless charging. To do this, it is enough to clarify the model of the gadget and find its characteristics on the Internet. Further, it is advisable to choose a device with the most popular Qi charging standard, which works by means of electromagnetic induction. Less common standards may not apply to some phones. Warn your colleague that other gadgets should not be near the charger, and it is better to put the smartphone on the device without a case.

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3. Subscribing to online services 

If a colleague is on the move all the time, and there is no way to transfer a gift by courier or at a meeting, the Internet makes it possible to send a gift in electronic form. Almost everyone will be fine with a music subscription. This is an opportunity for a certain period of time to listen to any compositions through an Internet service. A photography lover will appreciate the annual access to the cloud for data storage. The most popular and relevant are subscriptions to services with films or TV shows – you definitely can’t go wrong here.

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4. Shoulder massage cushion

If a colleague has to stay in one place for a long time at the labor process, a good shoulder massager is useful to him. It is this area that takes on one of the main loads during sedentary work. There are models that are attached directly to the chair to massage clogged muscles without being distracted from business. Most devices also have infrared and heating functions. And if a person moves around a lot on business, there are compact tissue massagers that can also be used on other parts of the back. 

5. Speakerphone

When work requires frequent calls and conference calls, it sometimes makes it difficult to leave your laptop even to the kitchen for tea. So that your colleague has the opportunity to move freely around the apartment while he is negotiating, give him a speakerphone. The device is a speaker with echo and noise reduction functions, and most importantly – a microphone. Such a thing will also be useful in the office for meetings where the necessary employees are not present. Through the device, they will be able to connect to the negotiations and attend them, remotely communicating with colleagues.

Gifts from the team

6. Genetic test

A popular service to find out your predispositions in work, health and other areas of life, including ethnic origin. This is not a budget option, therefore, it involves collective participation in congratulations. However, the cost is significantly reduced if you purchase a test for the study of only one group of genes. For example, you can explore the ability and character. Or make an analysis to identify the characteristics of behavior and performance. The test can be selected depending on the type of activity of a colleague. A colleague will receive a box containing a test tube. Leaving his genetic material in it, he will call the courier. He will come and take the test tube for research. The test owner will receive the results electronically shortly.

7. Coffee machine

When choosing this present, it is important to understand whether the coffee machine will remain in the workplace, or will move home to the birthday person. If the gift will be an office gift, you should choose a capsule device. It does not require long refueling: I ordered a block of capsules, inserted it into the device – I got the desired coffee. This technique is very easy to use. By the way, if not everyone drinks coffee, you can order sets of capsules with tea. For the home, the coffee machine can be a grain one. This makes it possible to prepare better and more varied varieties of a noble drink with the addition of, for example, natural cream. 

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8. E-book or tablet

A suitable gift for those who get to work for a long time by public transport. In order for a person to get distracted from the phone and start reading educational literature, hand him an e-book. Modern models already include access to libraries, so you don’t even have to buy books to read. If reading to a colleague is too boring, replace the surprise with a tablet. The gadget will allow the employee not only to have fun on the road, but also to start work at the allotted time remotely if they suddenly had to be late.

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9. Safe

This is a gift for both home and office. If a colleague has large sums or important documents, he will be more comfortable leaving them in a safe place. At home, such an item is useful for storing important things. After all, safes protect valuables not only from thieves, but also from fires, if you choose a fireproof model. Small storage will be easy to hide. And to prevent theft of the safe itself, choose an option that is attached to other, larger items. 

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10. Motivational poster

This is a budget gift, however, it will require the participation of the team if you decide to create a poster with your own hands. You buy a canvas and paints, and then each worker leaves his wishes, prints, drawings on it – it depends on the person’s creative streak. The main thing is to fill the entire space of the poster. The best option is to write inspiring phrases: “You will overcome everything”, “We believe in you”, “Only forward”. When creativity in the team is bad, you can choose a finished picture with a motivating phrase. There are stylish paintings with a simple inscription “Work Harder”. A more gentle option is a scratch poster, from which you erase the coating if you completed the task indicated on the poster. This series has many suggestions from the category: 100 books to read, or 100 dishes to try.

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Gifts from myself

11. Non-spill mug

If you have a close relationship with a birthday colleague and want to congratulate him personally, we offer budget options that will be useful both in work and in life. Your friend will be very grateful for the non-spill mug. The most dangerous thing for technology is a drink that is nearby and can destroy your favorite gadget forever at any time. Spill-proof mugs will not allow this. There are models with special lids, and there is a mug with a suction cup, which you will never knock off the table, no matter how you push it. 

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12. Light alarm 

When you have to get up early, the actual gift will be a new device that will gently wake your colleague in the morning. The highlight of the light alarm clock is that half an hour before waking up, the device begins to shine with soft light, simulating the sunrise. This effect prepares the body for lifting. Later, the set melody, radio or nature sounds begin to play – depending on the choice of the owner. Models have a different design: in the form of a ball resembling the sun, or a disk, on which there is also a clock. The device can be used before going to bed as a night light or an anti-stress that makes the sounds of chirping birds in the forest. Its main function is to relieve tension and have a relaxing effect.

13. Power bank

Surprise a colleague with a 20 or 000 mAh battery. Such a device allows its owner to remotely charge the phone for several days without using a wall outlet. And even more power allows you to distribute power to two gadgets at once. The only drawback is that they are heavier and larger than standard portable batteries. You can choose a device with an interesting design. For example, a power bank in the shape of an Iron Man’s head, or a can of condensed milk.

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14. Piggy bank for vacation

Pigs with a slit on their backs are a thing of the past. Modern capsules not only save money, but also give positive emotions when they are put off. For example, there is a piggy bank-safe, to open which you will need to enter a special code. They also sell boxes with a thief: when you put a coin or banknote in a certain area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe toy, a paw of a cute little animal appears from it, which slowly pulls the money into a container. Of the stylish ones – a piggy bank-frame: throwing off money for transparent glass, you can see how much they have accumulated. Of the novelties – a box with a bunch of numbers on the surface. You need to choose any amount that is indicated there, just put that much money in the box and cross out the number. Goal: cross out all the numbers on the piggy bank by putting the appropriate amounts in the box.

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15. Lunchbox

Containers for lunch will come in handy on the farm, and are needed at work for a lunch break. The originality of the containers exceeds any expectations. They are equipped with different compartments, cells for sauces, cutlery, coasters for hot dishes. The most useful lunchbox has a food warming function. The most non-standard is made of fabric – it is used to carry sandwiches. And the most environmentally friendly is made from bamboo fiber.

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Gifts that help in work

16. Antiseptic dispenser

A personal automatic dispenser is one of the hottest gifts these days. Regardless of the place of work: in a store, or a salon, while driving or in an office – people forget to use hand sanitizer if it is not in front of their eyes. A stylish neat dispenser at the workplace can be filled with a high-quality antibacterial agent that cares for the skin of the hands. And you can use it exclusively for cosmetic purposes and pour your favorite cream into it. The most modern model is touch dispensers that do not require touch. They give out a dose of the drug when they bring their hands to the body. Many dispensers are wall mounted. For a gift, it is advisable to choose more stylish desktop options for containers.

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17. Golf set

Golf trains concentration – an important quality for employees of any company. Therefore, the game will be appropriate, especially since it is considered the privilege of successful people. The set allows you to have fun at home, and on the street, and in the office. The kit is a case that contains a team club, a ball and an arch that performs the function of a hole. There are elite options where the club is made of metal, and the storage box is made of natural wood. And there is table golf with a miniature club, ball and hole. Such mini-sizes make the task very difficult. By the way, most of the sets are called “office golf”, since the game has long been popular in many companies during lunch breaks.

18. Magnetic whiteboard

The most useful thing at work for saving notes and messages. You can pick up a half-meter board on the wall or a small tabletop. The main thing is to take care of a set of magnets for attaching notes and markers for drawing, as well as a special sponge for erasing ink. Improved version: marker-magnetic-textile board, which is divided into 2 parts. One of them is classic, and the second has a fabric cover, to which notes can be attached using buttons.

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19. Motivational literature

It is best to choose books that are bestsellers. They will be not only useful for reading, but also a stylish accessory on your desktop. If your co-worker isn’t a fan of fashion, books from more classic authors like Napoleon Hill or Robert Kiyosaki will do. A proven version of the publication for all time for colleagues, bosses and partners – “Capital” by Karl Marx. It will be especially solid to give the birthday man a gift edition.

20. Grid-organizer

A modern accessory is metal rods intertwined with each other, on which, with the help of clips and trays, the necessary records and tools for work are placed. Sometimes, accessories are not included with the grille, so you should take care to buy them in addition and donate a complete set. The shape of the product can be rectangular or hexagonal. And the interlacing inside – from simple squares to bizarre geometric shapes. These designer patterns add more options for using the trellis. Such an interior detail will be useful not only for work, but also in household use, like a key holder or a mesh for jewelry.

Gifts that relieve stress and fatigue

21. Certificate in the spa-salon

Try to choose a salon near the office so that the person does not waste time on the road and does not put off the gift indefinitely. It may not be a whole spa program, although who would refuse, right? You can choose a subscription for a foot or head massage or an aromatherapy session. Among the latest innovations is floating: a person is immersed in a capsule with water, into which neither sound nor light penetrates. In the absence of all external stimuli, with conditions close to gravity, the body relaxes, which promotes relaxation and stress relief.

22. Table fountain

One of the most popular remedies for the stress that so often arises at work is the sound of singing birds and the murmur of water. A small spring of water on the office desk will serve as an anti-stress background during the working day. Models of modern fountains are very stylish. For example, there is a wall-mounted mini-fountain, where a stream of water flows vertically along a plane with a pattern or backlight. Of the exotic: oriental-style waterfalls with a Buddha head or a Ganesha figurine. Decorative fountains with Chinese vessels will appeal to Feng Shui lovers. And for a change, you can give a water stream with backlight and fog.

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23. Fortune cookies and tea set

The most neutral, symbolic gift: delicious tea and unusual sweets. Popular fortune cookies can be selected by theme. There is a box where instead of prophecies there will be compliments. And there is a set with quotes from the great classics of literature. Of course, cookies should be accompanied by the birthday person’s favorite drink. It is advisable to choose gift wrapping for tea or coffee and a cute accessory in the form of a French press or coasters. 

24. Coloring-antistress

This is a popular type of art therapy that helps a person focus on one activity, discard obsessive thoughts, calm down and relax. The peculiarity of this coloring is that the drawings in it have smooth rounded lines, there are no sharp corners and sharp outlines. It is important to supplement the book with items for coloring. Wax crayons, felt-tip pens, gel pens are perfect. Do not risk buying pencils – they wear out quickly, often break and make an unpleasant rustle when used.

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25. Visualization Board

The wish card can be sold in different formats. For example, a double-sided poster-board with schematic symbols that needs to be filled out and hung in a conspicuous place. Or a whole set that contains a drawing paper with a drawing, stickers, trackers or markers. There is a cork wall organizer with the designation of thematic areas for visualization purposes. As an alternative, you can choose a wish diary: it has a stylish cover and inscriptions that inspire new achievements.

How to choose the right birthday present for a colleague

Healthy Food Near Me shares useful tips that will help you make a choice and decide what is best to give a colleague for his birthday.

  • Gifts to colleagues should not vary greatly in price. Don’t give an expensive watch to one person if you gave the other a budget mouse pad. People tend to compare themselves to others – such different presentations can offend or embarrass your colleagues.
  • Do not give gifts that may seem like a hint of a flaw. Deodorant or irrigator can make a person think they smell bad.
  • Avoid gifts that are “a matter of taste.” A vegetarian may not appreciate the BBQ set. A girl on a diet is unlikely to eat chocolates.  
  • Do not risk choosing a gift for a colleague of interest. You can simply not understand the specifics of his hobby and buy an unnecessary thing. For example, not all fishermen need a set of hooks of different shapes and sizes. Maybe a person prefers the hooks of one particular company. In this case, your set will go to dust on the shelf and will not be appreciated.
  • When choosing a gift for a colleague, remember that your present should not be too personal. Bed linen or slippers for the home will be presented to a colleague by his relatives and friends. And your mission, as colleagues, is to facilitate the work of a comrade-in-arms and motivate him to new achievements.

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