Are you looking for cheap gifts for employees? We’ve rounded up the best staff gift ideas, as well the best brands for corporate gifting too.
It feels like only a moment ago we were all scrambling to work from home, and juggling zoom calls with making sourdough bread. However, it’s been a while, and it’s only fair to thank your employees for their hard work.
We understand budgets might not be big and posting to lots of different addresses can be a lot, so we’ve rounded up the best affordable gifts for employees to inspire you. These staff gifts would also be a welcome surprise on their desks!
Sending small gifts for your employees is a great way to boost morale and make everyone feel appreciated and valued. Read on to discover the best affordable gifts for employees that will make your staff’s day.
If you’ve got a small team that are all mates, check out our best cheap gift ideas for your friends for more inspiration.
15 of the Best Affordable Gifts for Employees
1. Natural Bath Salts – from £1.20, Etsy
You can choose from a range of dreamy scents to help your employees unwind when picking these natural bath salts. Prices start from £1.20, depending on the scent you choose.
There are 386 five-star reviews from a star seller on Etsy with more than 2,700 great reviews overall. Lots of reviewers praise the scent and the delivery time: “They smell amazing! I want to keep them for myself but know they’ll make perfect little Xmas gifts.
“Presented really nicely and quick delivery thank you.”
They’re a lovely cheap gift idea to show your employees that you appreciate them – treat them to a bit of luxury pampering!
2. Double Trouble Chocolate Mice – £5.95, Fortnum & Mason
How cute is this Double Trouble chocolate mice box from Fortnum & Mason? At £5.95 for two luxury chocolate mice, it’s one of the most special affordable gifts for employees we’ve found.
These white chocolate mice are handmade in England, and you can also choose between turtles, frogs and chocolate fish and chips – we’re obsessed.
Fortnum & Mason also offer a corporate gifting service if you’re looking to send out more serious employee gifts.
3. You’re a Star Wish Bracelet – £2.70, Etsy
These star-themed wish bracelets, are a touching yet budget-friendly way to show your employees how much you appreciate all that they do.
These make lovely gift ideas for nursery staff – they are a lovely yet affordable way to show you value them.
These items have multiple five-star reviews, with one reviewer commenting: “They were very helpful in making sure the customization was right. Perfect gift for my team and fit in the holiday card for mailing to them since they are all working at home.”
You can add a personalised message to the card too.
4. Themed Biscuits – £POA, Etsy
Create branded, themed biscuits for your employees to enjoy! Whether it’s your logo or something relevant to what you do, this Etsy seller can create amazing biscuits for you.
They ask for three weeks’ notice for large orders, and will make bespoke biscuits to match your branding or specifications.
They come individually wrapped, although they can provide them all in one hamper if you wish.
There are 15 five-star items for this product, with one reviewer writing: “These biscuits turned out better than I ever could have imagined! I gave Annie a brief and she was so diligent and a total perfectionist.
“My client, a branding agency, were delighted to see that anything can be branded, even biscuits! Oh, and they were delicious too.”
5. Assorted Lindor Truffles – £4.99, Funky Hampers
Can anyone resist a Lindor truffle? This box of assorted Lindor truffles contains milk, dark and white chocolate so there will be something for everyone.
Everyone will love coming in to find these on their desk with a heartfelt note about how much you appreciate them.
Funky Hampers also offer a corporate gifting scheme too if you need to order items in bulk as gifts for your staff or clients.
6. Gift Card – from £10, Molton Brown
Who doesn’t love Molton Brown?! Giving a gift card offers a little bit of luxury, but the flexibility on price means it’s in line with the whole ‘affordable gifts for employees’ brief.
You can choose how much you give, and your staff can choose what they spend it on – everyone’s happy! They’re highly reviewed due to their flexibility.
Molton Brown also offer a corporate gifting scheme for staff gifts or client gifting.
Browse more budget-friendly Christmas gift ideas here.
7. Plant a Star Paper Gift – £6.95, Not on the High Street
This plantable star paper is the perfect affordable and postable gift for employees. It’s £6,95 for one, but you get discount for bulk ordering.
If you order more than 50, you’ll get the personalised printed inset for free.
Not on the High Street also offer a corporate gifting service, where you receive 10% for making an order as a company via their phone service.
This is a lovely – and cheap – gift for your staff to know that you think they’re stars!
8. Personalised Christmas Decoration – £8, Not on the High Street
Let your employees know you think of them as stars with this star-themed personalised Christmas decoration from Not on the High Street.
We’ve actually ordered from this seller ourselves at TGC and were super impressed with the quality and service of the product. So are 191 reviewers, who comment on the quality of the product and how different it is.
9. Team Tea Break Hamper – Not on the High Street
This letterbox hamper is a great affordable gift for remote employees who miss catching up over a cuppa together.
The team tea break hamper, £6.50, includes a selection of teas and can be sent out with a note inviting everyone to a virtual catch up, if you fancy it. This would also make a great gift for a teacher!
One reviewer writes that it’s a “fun little gift”.
10. Small Tuck Box – £7.99, Funky Hampers
The small tuck box from Funky Hampers is the perfect selection of retro sweet treats if you think your employees deserve a little sugar rush after a crazy time at work.
It’s full of nostalgic sweets like Double Dips, Whams, Fizz Wizz and Flumps – we bagsy the Flump!
They’re packaged in a letterbox friendly box, so they’re a great pick if you’re looking for employee gifts you can post directly to them.
11. Accountant Pencil Set – £9.90, Not on the High Street
If your search for affordable gifts for employees directly relates to your finance team (because they are the ones telling you to keep it affordable, we assume), you might like these funny accountant themed pencils.
The seller has a huge range, including doctors, architects, gardeners and more – you can choose based on their profession, or go for their passion to make it more personal.
If you’re on a really tight budget for your staff gifts, but want a token for them, you could even split the packs between multiple employees and accompany each one with a tea bag and some chocolate treats.
12. Chocolate Card – £9.99, Not on the High Street
You can’t really go wrong with chocolate, so this branded chocolate card is a cute and delicious way to show your appreciate to your team. Browse more chocolate gift ideas here.
You can choose from a range of messages – from ‘thank you’ all the way through to ‘happy Christmas’.
You can add your logo to the design too, and if you want to send them to multiple recipients, you simply need to contact the seller and they can facilitate that for you.
13. Dozen of Dapper Dogs – £8.50, Hotel Chocolat
Hotel Chocolat do have a corporate gifting scheme, but if you’re buying on a smaller scale, we love these Dapper Dogs, and your staff will too.
They’re made from 40% milk chocolate, and you can have them delivered or order them for click and collect if you are near to a Hotel Chocolat store.
If you opt to use their corporate gifting service then you can easily shop for staff gifts online, and they’ll come in a hand-tied gift bag, with a free personalised message. They can deliver to up to 20 different addresses per order, making it a great gift for remote staff or lots of clients.
14. Botanical Fresh Flower Box – £17.95, Not on the High Street
Nothing says ‘I appreciate you’ quite like flowers, and this mini fresh flower box from Not on the High Street is the perfect budget friendly way to nail it.
You can choose from natural or colourful hue, and add a personalised message. You can also upgrade this staff gift by choosing to add chocolate or a bath soak, making it the ideal employee gift idea for someone who has gone the extra mile.
Delivery is free, and there are over 500 positive reviews.
15. Enamel Team Mugs – £15.70, Not on the High Street
Are you even in a team if you don’t have matching team mugs? These enamel team mugs, £12.95, can be personalised with everyone’s name too, making them even more special. You get discounts for bulk orders.
It’s better value to order more mugs – an order of 20 personalised mugs as a gift for your team will work out as approximately £11.88 per mug.
Still looking for gift ideas for your employees? Browse even more gift hampers to suit everyone for similar ideas.