Boss Day gifts

Boss Day gifts are easy to get wrong: too expensive looks like flattery, too jokey looks careless. The safe ground is something modest for the desk, with their name on it, given by the whole team. Boss's Day falls on October 16 in the United States.

For the desk

• A desk mat ($38): 16 x 32 in with an anti-slip rubber base and their name in the corner.
• A hardcover journal ($29): 150 lined pages with their name and the year on a matte cover.

From the whole team

• A framed photo collage (from $44): up to four team photos with a title and a second line, such as the department and the year.
• A name mug set ($49): four mugs with one name each, for a small team's kitchen shelf.
• A photo puzzle (from $42) of the team photo, for the break room.

Keeping it appropriate

Split the cost evenly and keep it under what you would spend on a colleague's birthday. Sign a card from everyone. If your workplace has a gift policy, check it first.

For a leaving or retiring manager, see retirement present ideas; for a simple thank you, see a thank you gift.