More Employers Celebrating the Holidays This Season

According to the survey, 40% of employers plan to give their employees holiday bonuses this year, up from 33% in 2010. Among this group, 73% are planning to give the same amount as last year. Fourteen percent plan to provide a greater bonus than last year, while 13% plan to provide a smaller bonus.

Fifty-eight percent of employers are planning a holiday party for their employees this year, up from 52% in 2010. Thirty-six percent of workers say they plan to attend their holiday part this year.

Thirty percent of employers plan to give holiday gifts to employees, up from 29% in 2010. Twenty-two percent of workers say they plan to buy holiday gifts for co-workers this year, with the same amount planning to buy their boss something. The majority (79%) of workers say they plan to spend $25 or less for each holiday gift they buy for the office. Thirty-eight percent plan to spend $10 or less and 12% plan to spend less than $5.

When asked to share the most memorable gifts received from co-workers, survey respondents said:

•  a zombie figurine,

•  a keychain that shouts expletives,

•  bacon of the month club membership,

•  a ceramic snake,

•  a clock that meows three times on the hour,

•  a hand-painted landscape on a toilet seat,

•  a glass high-heel shoe filled with dish soap,

•  mustache scissors,

•  a whip, and

•  a 12-pack of cola.

The survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,696 hiring managers and human resource professionals and 4,086 workers (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) ages 18 and over between August 16 and September 8, 2011.