Finns want gifts from their employers to boost their work performance

Edenred's October 2021 survey on corporate gift culture explored how employees feel about rewards and gift-giving in the workplace. The survey shows that gifts are perceived as motivating and engaging. Up to 97% expect a Christmas gift from their employer!

Almost everyone expects a Christmas gift from their employer

Gifts are a way for employers to get staff to put even more effort into their work. 83% of Finnish employees say that gifts from their employer increase their motivation to work. 

Gifts are primarily wanted as thanks for work performance and congratulations on career milestones. The exception to public holidays is Christmas, when practically everyone wants a Christmas gift from their employer. If given a choice, only 38% would rather choose a Christmas party than a Christmas gift from the employer. The monetary value of gifts is also essential in Finland. More than half of the employees consider the monetary value to be comparable to the appreciation they receive from their employer.

The data comes from the answers to a survey conducted by Edenred in October 2021. The survey was answered by 812 employees in Finland. Of the respondents, 59% are women and 40% men. One per cent are of a different gender or do not wish to disclose their gender.

Christmas gifts encourage and motivate employees

In Finland, employers should remember their employees with gifts to get the best out of them. 83% of Finnish employees say that gifts from their employer increase their motivation to work. Only a third of employees do not consciously reduce their work performance even if they receive gifts from their employer.

"Finns have a Lutheran attitude to employment gifts, because gifts are needed above all as a sign of diligence and excellence. Gifts are preferably wanted as thanks for work performance and congratulations on career milestone anniversaries. They prefer surprises in the middle of everyday life rather than on holidays and events. 53% of Finnish employees think so. So, it's a good idea for employers to treat the distribution of employee gifts as a token of appreciation," says Laura Kuusela, Delicard's Finnish Brand Manager.

"In addition to work motivation, gifts boost retention. 62% of employees see retention as the main reason why an employer should remember them with a gift. One in five feel that the most important reason is to boost team spirit," Kuusela adds.

Everyone wants a Christmas gift

Practically everyone wants a Christmas gift from their employer, with 96.5% of employees expecting a Christmas gift. Of the other holidays, Midsummer is the only one where a significant proportion feel the need to give gifts. 20% think that their employer should remember them around Midsummer, at the start of the summer holidays.

"Christmas gifts are clearly part of the Finnish work culture, and Finns expect to receive a Christmas gift from their employer. This is reflected in the fact that, given a choice, only 38% would rather have a Christmas party than a Christmas gift from their employer. One can probably conclude from this that employers have been successful in their Christmas gift purchases. It hasn't just been soft packages," says Kuusela.

The most convenient option for an employer when choosing a Christmas gift is to let the employee choose. 60% of employees want to decide for themselves what their employer will give them for Christmas. In general, Finnish employees feel that paying attention to their employees' birthdays is more important than paying attention to holidays.

It's the monetary value of the gift that counts

In Finland, an employer's appreciation of its employees is measured by the cost of gifts given to them. More than half of employees see it that way. Only a third disagree. The rest have no opinion for or against.

47% feel that a good gift costs between 51 € and 100 €. 31% say between 101 € and 200 €. From the employer's point of view, 100 € is an essential limit, as this is the value of the tax-free gifts that can be given to each employee per year. In addition, 52 % of employees value a personal gift the most. Only 4% value gifts divided with colleagues the most.

Respondents to Edenred's October survey were most represented in health and social work, public administration and organizations, telecommunications, construction, installation and maintenance, and customer service.

Source: survey by Edenred Finland, autumn 2021.