40+ Employee Holiday Gift Ideas for Every Type of Employee

Do you feel like you have everything under control for the upcoming Holiday Season at work? Whether you like it or not, the end of the calendar year is only a couple of weeks away!

But you don’t need an excuse to show your employees that you care. Any time is a good time to express your appreciation and recognize their dedication and loyalty. You can easily do that with a thoughtful gift.

Pro Tip: Not sure what gift to give? Let employees choose! With a service like the Applauz Rewards Marketplace, employees can use Gift-Vouchers to shop for their very own holiday gifts. 🎁

Gift ideas for under $100

The Holiday Season is ideal for rewarding your employees for their hard work and motivating them for the coming year. But finding unique employee reward ideas can be challenging, especially if you’re on a budget. 

To facilitate the process for you — whether you’re looking for employee gift ideas or you want to get something for your co-workers — here are several employee gift ideas for under $100.

Feel free to jump to the section that suits your needs:

1.  For the frequent travelers
2. For the self-care lovers
3. For the practical and intellectual
4. For the foodies and home chefs
5. For the outdoorsy and nature lovers

Employee Gift Ideas For Frequent Travellers

Manta Sleep Mask

This sleep mask is a must-have for anyone who travels or simply wants to get a good night’s sleep. It’s a full black-out mask, so you can snooze peacefully while you jet off to your next destination. 

Packing Cubes

Every avid traveller knows: Travelling light is more than a catchphrase; it’s a must. Packing cubes help make travelling light easy, and they make a great gift for frequent flyers. 

Portable Power Bank

Many of us commute to work and spend at least eight hours in the workplace. It’s not uncommon for phone batteries to die during the day, which can often lead to panic! (“Does anyone have a phone charger?!”). So, the portable power bank is definitely a practical gift!

Filter Water Bottle

Unsafe drinking water is a travel reality. A filtered water bottle makes an excellent gift for people who travel internationally. This bottle cleans up 99.9% of waterborne parasites & bacteria from water sources in many countries where water quality can be an issue.

Flight Flap

Nothing worse than a long flight with no good movies to watch. The Flight Flap comes in to rescue frequent travellers by allowing them to watch their favourite movies or TV shows comfortably from the device. They’ll arrive at their destination before they know it. 

Employee Gift Ideas For Self-Care Lovers

Sunset Lamp

Light therapy is a real thing. And the sunset lamp’s warm, sunset hues are an inexpensive and powerful way to unwind at the end of the day. It can be especially beneficial to those living in climates with long, dark winters. 

Scented Candles

Who doesn’t love a beautifully scented candle? Especially during the harsh winter months. That’s why a candle is an easy and thoughtful gift for anyone on your list who loves to cozy up at home. 

Bamboo Bathtub Caddy

Perfect for the TGIF moments. This is the perfect accessory for the ultimate at-home spa experience. Choose one that is designed to safely hold a book, tablet or smartphone, but most of all: the wine glass holder.

Essential Oil Diffuser

Essential oils are known for encouraging tranquility and offering a sense of comfort. Your employees will be happy to use this natural diffuser in the office or at home to clear their minds and relax.

Live Air Plant Terrarium Desk Garden

Air plant terrarium gardens add a touch of greenery to your employee’s desks, boosting their mood and possibly promoting better health. The best part is they are low maintenance, so there is no need to have a green thumb to take care of their own mini-world!

Spa Gift Certificate

Give them a day of relaxation where they can ‘work’ on their well-being with some well-deserved “me-time.” A gift certificate for a spa treatment or massage makes a great employee gift idea because it shows employees that you care about their health and well-being. Just make sure to pick a spa that is easily accessible and not an hour out of town!

The Mini Bar
Nothing like a fancy cocktail or holiday-inspired drink to get you in the mood to relax and unwind. This “Mini Bar” deck features over 100 classic cocktails recipes. Self-care lovers can indulge and enjoy the holidays while enjoying their favourite drink. 

Bath and Body Gift Set
Deliciously scented soaps, lotions, and bath bombs – yes, please! You can’t go wrong with gifting a beautiful basket of bath and body products to any self-care lover on your list. 

Gratitude Journal

Journaling is an important self-care practice. This simple and elegant journal features pre-set gratitude prompts, so the perfect gift for anyone on your list who has a thirst for self-improvement or is trying to integrate these positive habits into their life. 

Employee Gift Ideas For The Intellectual and Organized

Stylish Desk Organizer

A practical person knows a clear desk means a clear mind. This beautiful set is practical and stylish and makes staying organized look good! It’s the perfect accessory for at home or work. 

Coffee Gift Card

Your employees likely spend a chunk of their salary purchasing coffee throughout the workday because we all know office coffee quality is highly questionable. It’s always a battle between those who complain that the coffee is too watery and those who just want to sip on a warm liquid. Get your employees a coffee gift card from their favourite coffee shop. Your caffeine-addicted employees will love it for sure.

Book Store Gift Certificate

Everyone has a bookworm on their team. A simple, practical gift is to give the gift of choice and offer a gift certificate to a bookstore to choose their gift. 

Magazine Subscription

Books are not the only important source of knowledge. Increasingly online content is locked behind a paywall. So offering a yearly subscription to a magazine or online publication can be a wonderful gift for that intellectually curious individual on your team.

Apple AirTags

The AirTag acts as a versatile, easy-to-use tracking device. You can attach it to a keyring or any personal item you want to track. Then enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that you're only a few clicks away from finding your belongings. It's a great gift for frequent travelers as well!

iPad Keyboard Case

This item will not only cover and protect your iPad, but it also doubles as a keyboard and features a trackpad. The nifty gadget will instantly turn your iPad into a laptop, making you more productive from anywhere.

Mood Lamp and Wireless Charger

Is it a wireless charger? A lamp? A speaker? How about all three!? This nifty gadget is perfect for the bedside. It wirelessly charges your phone while emitting a soft and calming light and music to help you doze off to sleep. 

Employee Gift Ideas for "Foodies"

Nice Bottle of Wine

Ok, it’s a bit cliché. But a good bottle of wine is totally appropriate for the festive period and going to be useful. It’s simple. It doesn’t have to blow the budget, and attaching a personalized note to the bottle will work for pretty much everyone.

Stainless Steel Knives Set

If you know someone in your company who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, get them a nice set of kitchen knives that are dishwasher-friendly, as well as comfortable to hold. The Foodies in your team will appreciate having the proper tools to cook their everyday meals.

Gourmet Salt Set

A good home chef knows spice is life. And great quality salt can make the difference between an OK meal and an amazing one. This salt set makes an excellent gift for anyone who loves to cook and enjoys the finer things in life.

Fancy Meat Seasoning

Are any meat or BBQ lovers on your team? A set of gourmet meat rubs or unique specialty spices makes for a wonderful (and tasty!) gift.

TRUFF Gourmet Sauce

Sauce...as a gift? Yes! Consumable items are the best gift — especially for people who already have everything. And The sauce industry has really stepped up its game. A fancy sauce like TRUFF makes for an elegant and practical gift you know they will get used to and enjoy from start to finish.

Selection of Specialty Tea or Coffee

Coffee and tea and everyday essentials. So they make great gifts for people that already have “everything they need.” And true tea or coffee lovers are always open to trying something new. Offering a specialty tea or coffee is a great universal gift for anyone.

Premium Olive Oil Set

We are not talking about the standard 10$ olive oil from the supermarket. Olive oil, just like perfume, can come in a range of qualities and prices. An olive oil bottle or a set of infused olive oils will always be appreciated by those who enjoy good food.

Gourmet Hot Sauce Selection

Every team has a hot sauce lover. The perfect gift, of course, is a hand-picked selection of gourmet hot sauces. Featuring 10 different sauces of varying heat levels, this little starter kit is the hot sauce lover on your team. 

Automatic Wine Bottle Opener

Wine lovers will rejoice at this invention. This nifty tool allows you to open a bottle of wine with minimal effort, boasting a sleek and modern design, making this affordable gift practical and stylish. It's the perfect gift idea for all the wine lovers on your list.

Employee Gift Ideas For Outdoors and Nature Enthusiasts

Crank Brothers Bicycle Tool

On every team, there’s a person who is always biking. This compact and practical tool makes an excellent gift for any biking enthusiast. 

Titanium Camping Mug

This is an old-school tin camp cup reinvented. Perfect for keeping drinks as hot or cold as people like them when sitting at a desk all day or on a weekend getaway.

Yoga Mat Duffle Bag

Do you have anyone on your team who loves to do yoga? They probably already have a mat, but there are other yoga accessories that can make great gifts. Such as a yoga mat strap, duffle bag, or block. 

Touchscreen Gloves

If you’re like me, you lose a pair of gloves practically every winter. So while gloves are a bit of a cliche gift — they probably already have a pair, gloves are a cold-weather essential. So a backup pair always comes in handy. 

Portable Fireplace

Want to have the vibe of summer camping in the middle of the city? Portable fireplaces help you get the bonfire experience from your home and can be used any time of the year! 

Ear Warmers with Built-In Headphones

This is a good one if you’re reading from Canada or any other place where winter has started. If you have an athletic employee, they might enjoy running with a pair of ear warmers that double as headphones. It’s also great for anyone who defies the Canadian cold and walks to work.

Carhart Beanie

Beanies are a wardrobe staple if you live in a cold-weather country. In my opinion, you can never have too many. When winter lasts 6 months or more of the year, having different colours of stylish beanies can help carry you (and your outfits) through the cold winter months. 

Pendleton Portable Checkers Set

Any camping aficionados on your team? They’ll love this portable checker set by Pendleton. Not only is this gift practical, but it also looks good! Featuring the brand's signature print, you'll want to carry this item outside of your camping gear just to show it off.

YETI Mug

All outdoor lovers know about YETI. This high-end outdoor equipment company makes some more affordable items that make for the perfect holiday gift idea. Especially this durable and stylish camping mug. Any outdoor enthusiast will be happy to have it!

Give Employees The Gift of Choice!

After seeing this list, you might still be unsure about what employees want as a holiday gift. Or maybe you don’t have the time to select carefully?

Well, why don’t you just give them the best option — choosing their own gift!

More and more companies are opting to use an employee reward catalogue powered by services like the Applauz Rewards Market, so employees can shop independently and purchase a gift they truly want.

The Foodie, the Nature Lover, the Gym Fanatic, the Gamer, the Fashionista and everyone else! There is something for everyone.