During the summer I worked in my step-father’s office. I discovered that while he is generally well liked his (25) employees do have one gripe.
Q. During the summer I worked in my step-father’s office. I discovered that while he is generally well liked his (25) employees do have one gripe. At Christmas he always arranges for each one of them to receive a present of a hamper of ‘luxury’ foods. These, apparently, often contain items such as olive paste, wild boar sausages, crystallised fruit and stem ginger which the recipients are none too keen on. One employee told me they have Googled the cost of these hampers and, frankly, most of them would prefer the cash. How can I tactfully persuade my stepfather to start giving cash instead without hurting his feelings?
Name and address withheld
A. It would be inappropriate to give cash instead. Better to give vouchers from a store such as John Lewis from which virtually any desired goods can be bought either in person or online. Spare your stepfather’s feelings by casually steering the topic around to your time in the office. Joke that you are sorry you will not be there at Christmas and will therefore miss out on receiving a hamper…. Then ask him, ‘Is it true that in America they have stopped giving employees hampers at Christmas in case the employees are allergic to some of the foodstuffs within and sue their bosses?’ As he is considering this disagreeable scenario, cry, ‘I’ve just had a brilliant idea! Why don’t you give them all vouchers from John Lewis instead?’ You will have planted this idea in his mind in good time for Christmas.
Q. May I pass on a catering tip to readers? I have just returned from Uist which, like all remote places these days, was surprisingly social.
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