As of: February 21, 2024, 12:11 p.m
By: Marvin K. Hoffmann
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It's not easy to find the right retirement gift for a colleague or friend.
An etiquette expert explains what is important and gives tips.
Hamm – When a colleague says goodbye to his well-deserved retirement, the question of a farewell gift quickly arises.
That was sometimes difficult.
You could give something homemade from the “DIY” category or just money.
The gift could also be funny and funny - such as sayings about retirement.
An etiquette expert knows what you should pay attention to.
Retirement gifts should meet the preferences of the person concerned
“A gift for retirement should be tailored to the preferences of the person concerned and the budget of their colleagues,” explains Linda Kaiser, deputy chairwoman of the German Etiquette Society, to wa.de.
If you know your colleague who is retiring well, it's easy.
Hobbies and interests are a good anchor for finding the right gift.
“As a guideline,” says Kaiser, “gifts for big birthdays could serve.” For example, if you know that your colleague wants something specific, you could get it.
“A gift of money from a colleague’s collection in a nice card can be an alternative,” says Kaiser.
And that brings us to the next question.
Make a big speech about retirement?
“When saying goodbye and when dealing with one another in general, it is important to be honest and authentic.
If I like someone, I don’t have to think about it too much,” says etiquette expert Linda Kaiser, referring to saying goodbye to a colleague who is retiring.
She also advises, “If I don’t like someone, I hold back.
When saying goodbye, it should be possible to wish the other person a good wish.”
Speeches simply look back on the time we spent together and we can talk about positive and funny situations from our time together.
“Everything negative is consistently left out,” says Kaiser.
A gift for retirement should be financially reasonable
Once you've found a suitable retirement gift for a colleague, it's all about finances.
Not everyone may know the departing colleague as well as the person taking care of the gift.
In the future, people will have more time to get to know each other at work because the retirement age is gradually being raised.
However, not everyone works in a company for the same amount of time or has the same number of contact points.
When it comes to the question of money for a pension gift, the etiquette expert says:
Nobody should have to spend money on a gift from colleagues.
Everyone gives what they want, even nothing.
If it is an unpopular colleague and the gift would be very small, it is better to forego it and hand over a bouquet of flowers as a farewell and say a few nice words about it.
If you are unsure about a retirement gift, you should ask
In general, of course, any retirement gift is a good gift.
After all, it’s the kind gesture that counts.
Nevertheless, it can sometimes happen that your selection is really wrong.
This is equally unpleasant for the donating colleagues and also for the pensioner, who can still look forward to a pension increase in 2024.
Fortunately, such a situation can be avoided.
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“If you are unsure about what you can do to make your colleague happy, you should simply ask him or her,” says etiquette expert Kaiser.
Not all presents should come from colleagues.
“Large gifts, such as an expensive watch or something similar, should be initiated by management if this is part of the company’s tradition,” she says.
And: It doesn't always have to be something material.
After all, a great farewell party would also be a suitable gift that everyone will remember fondly and for a long time.