Ben Thompson
Secret Santa season is upon us! It's time to head out and grab a gift for a colleague that you either barely know or you're joined at the hip to.
Either way, some cash is going to be spent.
Usually, workers can enjoy this harmless holiday tradition and revel in finding the perfect gift for their colleague, or just wing it by getting a gift card. Win win, right?
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But there has to be some among us who really resent being made to cough up a gift for a coworker who we're really not that close with.
However, there's a good chance that they wouldn't vocalize this, out of fear that they'd be seen as the office Grinch or Scrooge. Or they could even fear for their job.
But what exactly happens if somebody refuses to partake in the office Secret Santa?
A HR expert has taken to TikTok to explain the potential outcomes.
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Speaking on the channel cubehr, the expert said: "If an employee doesn't want to participate, then as an employer you can't compel them to.
"In order to understand if there's a wider issue at play though, it would be advisable to have a conversation with the employee who doesn't want to participate.
"It might be that there are some very real reasons for their stance.
"Although most businesses set a limit they'd spend on a Secret Santa, for some employees that might still be too much if they are experiencing financial hardship.
"The employee might not want to participate for cultural or religious reasons, which should be respected."
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According to a YouGov poll, 14 percent of Brits don't celebrate Christmas. But religious considerations aren't the only factors at play in opting out of Secret Santa.
The HR expert continued: "Secret Santa is sometimes a way of reinforcing workplace banter. And as we know, that can sometimes step over the line.
"So the employee may be experiencing some bullying and doesn't want to join in, in case the present they receive is offensive or perpetuates the bullying in some way."
In the end, the conclusion was clear - an employee has a right to abstain if they choose to and shouldn't be forced to join in.
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Many people in the comments shared their thoughts on whether or not it should be compulsory.
One person commented: "It's definitely not an employer's place to be questioning someone over Secret Santa."
And another said: "Is this a joke? I'm a complete introvert and refuse stone cold to participate in any workplace activities."
The verdict was pretty unanimous - forced fun isn't okay.