An employee calling themselves ‘X-mas’ is eager to keep the Christmas hampers. “What’s wrong with reflecting on a year of hard work together and receiving a small reward for your efforts?” they ask. Another employee enjoys receiving the hamper. “A Christmas market isn’t a must for me, but a simple gathering or some festive decorations on campus is always nice.”
For colleague Marlies, the social aspect of the Christmas festivities is what matters. “The Christmas market at Arboretum is fantastic. It’s one of the few moments to relax and have fun with colleagues. That sense of connection is valuable.” Another staff member emphasises the symbolic importance. “It’s about the gesture. Staff feel appreciated, and it shows that the university cares about its employees.”
Another employee offers a different perspective: “I think the Christmas gift should be transformed into a New Year’s gift to better reflect the cultural diversity of our university community.”
‘A wise choice’
Peter Mascini supports cutting back on festive activities. “The money saved could be better distributed among faculties. Cancelling these activities could even enable additional budget cuts at the central level, as the organisation and workload surrounding Christmas would no longer be needed”, he says.
Colleague Paul agrees. “Scrap the Christmas gift”, he says firmly. “For twenty euros, you can buy the same at the supermarket, while EUR spends almost 100 euros per package. What a waste of money! This could save a few jobs that might otherwise be lost due to upcoming cuts.”
But that’s not accurate, says Danielle. She’s done a quick calculation: a Christmas gift and market cost about 200 euros per person per year. With an average hourly rate of 50 euros, that equates to four working hours. “Cutting back on appreciation seems an easy choice, but employees who feel valued are more productive. A demotivated employee costs far more than 200 euros a year.”
Bob also thinks the cost of Christmas festivities is a drop in the ocean. “The university should cut back on external freelancers, bonuses and allowances, international trips, on-campus lunches at EUR’s expense, and off-campus events instead.”
Mixed reviews on the content
The content of the Christmas hampers is another source of debate. “The packages are often disappointing. Last year, we got a subscription to Trompenburg. I wonder how many people actually used it, as I don’t know anyone at EUR who did”, says one employee. John recalls one gift he found genuinely useful: “A white suitcase that I still enjoy, but otherwise my cupboard is full of abandoned Christmas items from EUR.”
Marlies advocates for one sustainable gift. “The Erasmus backpack is used by many people, but the rest could really go.” She suggests using the leftover money for sustainability initiatives. “The university should set an example, especially for young people.”
Alternatives to traditions
Not everyone sees the Christmas market as a success. “It could definitely be better than standing in the mud and cold at Trompenburg again. It looks so sad and unwelcoming”, one employee says. Tanja agrees. “I don’t go myself and find it completely unnecessary. Organising a Christmas lunch with colleagues, where everyone brings a dish, is much more fun and costs EUR nothing.”
Still, not everyone is ready to say goodbye to festive traditions. Some see opportunities to adapt the festivities rather than scrap them entirely. One staff member suggests organising a Christmas market with local vendors, where employees can use tokens to choose a gift or support a charity. Janssen Brennan proposes a small departmental gathering to end the year. “The Christmas gifts and market are nice, but the money has unfortunately run out.”
Thank you for this article! This is a very important discussion to have and I agree with many critical voices to the hamper as reported in the article. Of course, the perspective of the people involved in deciding on what should go in the hamper is missing, which I think should be relevant (and fair) to report. But indeed the “degree of satisfaction” about these hampers by employees and how money should be spent more wisely to thank employees for their years’ efforts at work should definitely be on the table. At aggregated level, I believe it is quite some money altogether!