Secret Santa Office Rules
Office gift exchanges can be quite a hoot! Munching Christmas cookies, sipping on eggnog, and listening to festive tunes while you joyfully exchange gifts makes for a jolly good time—as long as everyone follows the rules. You don’t want George to show up with a “gift” he got from the office supply closet again this year, do you? Of course you don’t.
To make sure your office gift exchange is a success, download Elfster’s Secret Santa Office Rules printable explaining exactly how this classic holiday game works. Once you’ve printed the guide out, just scribble in the party location, the spending limit, and the theme in the spaces provided. Then, tack these eye-catching, illustrative rules up on the break room bulletin board, tape them inside the elevator, or make a bunch of copies and hand them out to all of your coworkers to ensure that everyone gets the memo (especially George).
The holidays tend to be a busy time of year—especially at work—so more often than not your office mates will need a little reminder to check their email and accept their Secret Santa invitation, make their online wish list, and buy a gift for their giftee. They may also need to be told not to spoil any surprises—you don’t want any Grinches bringing down everyone’s Christmas spirits!
If you’re the office elf organizing the exchange, it might be wise to brush up on some detailed Secret Santa Rules yourself so that you can decide whether you want to play the classic version or a more modern game with a fun twist. You could also get super naughty and try a game of White Elephant this year; your office mates will love stealing and swapping each other’s gifts!
Set an Expectation
If you establish rules, like the ones mentioned on our site, then you can help people with the role of being a gift giver. For example, if you create a theme and establish a price limit, then people will know what they should aim for with their gifts. You can then establish an expectation when it comes to a Christmas gift.
Avoid Disappointments
People may enjoy a gift exchange, but no one wants to be disappointed with their gifts. If you create rules and allow people to mention their ideal gifts, then you can help your employees find the perfect gift options for the receiver. This kind of pre-planning will make the most people happy if everyone gets a gift they wanted.
Keep the Holiday Spirit Going
If you turn this event into a Christmas tradition for your office, then you can really keep up the spirit for your coworkers when the holiday season rolls around. It’s always fun to take part in office traditions that give everybody some time to kickback, have a good time, and share in some wrapped gift giving.
A Christmas party can be difficult to do right, but if you have basic rules for a Secret Santa gift exchange, then your whole group can enjoy the event. Make sure that the rules are established way before, so that there's no last-minute confusion. Once the office is clear with the kinds of gifts they can get, everybody can relax, and the holiday party can begin.
While it is important to stay organized, remember this is really just about having fun with your coworkers! Secret Santa gift exchanges can really help bring you and your office mates closer together, allowing you to get to know one another outside of the context of work. And, with some help from the Elfster elves, everyone will have such a good time that they won’t be able to wait for next year’s holiday gift exchange! But don’t worry—there’s always Christmas in July!
At Elfster, we want office Secret Santa gift exchanges to be as festive and fun as elfishly possible! Let the elves help keep you organized with our online Secret Santa Generator and gift giving inspiration that even Cindy Lou Who would be proud of!
Sharing is caring—and the Elfster elves love to do both! Feel free to print and distribute our downloadable printables in your home, classroom, or business—as long as you don’t get too creative and alter our original designs. Happy crafting from your friends at Elfster!