It's holiday time again, and once again you will have to deal with finding a present to give your boss. While this can be fun if you like your boss, what do you do if you really dislike your supervisor?
Remember that episode of Seinfeld where George creates a phony charity and gives everyone in the office a card saying a donation was made in their honor? Well, you might not want to take it that far, but while you are thinking of the perfect gift, it can be fun to consider some passive-aggressive gift ideas that can drive your boss crazy, but aren't offensive or clearly aggressive.
Warning- This is just for fun. Giving these sorts of gifts might make your boss hate you and increase your odds of getting fired. With the job market being so bad, I don't want to have your job loss on my conscience. You have been warned.
Some of the best passive-aggressive gifts for your boss:
- A highly rated book that teaches a skill you think they ought to learn- This one is tricky. So, you think your boss has people skill problems? Maybe she doesn't seem to understand Twitter and asks you help her all the time? Or maybe he doesn't seem to have a clue about the industry? How about a book like “Twitter for Dummies” or “People Skills For Project Managers”. This gift is mean without being obvious. Managers seem to love self-help books and only you (and maybe the boss) will understand the dig.
- Fruitcake of the month club - You can keep the holidays alive for your boss all year long by gifting them with a fruitcake of the month club membership. Believe it or not, there are sites that offer this. It is fairly pricey, so you should save this for an especially hated boss or CEO. If your budget doesn't allow it, consider a donation in their name to The Great Fruitcake Recycling Project or the Society for Fruitcake Preservation.
- A magazine subscription – Pick a magazine that you know your boss would have absolutely no interest in, or better still, one with a topic you know they would hate. Be careful here to not chose something obvious. You don't want to appear hostile. This is the time for subtlety.
- A World's Best Boss Trophy – One of these tacky desk dust collectors might be the perfect gift. They will feel obligated to put them on their desk, even though you know they have to secretly hate it. To top it all off, you can appear to be sincere in your praise of your boss while stifling the urge to giggle all season long.
Can you think of any more passive-aggressive gift ideas? Please put your suggestions in the comments.
Are you looking for a new job out of college? Be sure to visit CollegeJobBank.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!