Hi— I am an associate and wondering if $25 gift cards are too little to give to the support staff for Christmas?

likeuplifting
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You should ask other associates at your firm to get a sense of what’s typical there. Us fishbowl randos are going to be all over the map for all kinds of reasons, so you won’t really get much value out of listening to any of us.

likehelpfulsmart

I’m reading some of the responses provided here to the OP and here’s my question: why is giving a gift to others to express thanksgiving and appreciation for their help throughout the year an antiquated concept for some? So what if the support staff are already being compensated for their work.

There are people receiving regular wages and still barely making it (especially right now), but they might never tell you. You don’t know what an extra blessing you could be to them. Why is it hard for some of us to admire the benevolent spirit of others in the practice of law?

likeuplifting

P2, that’s very nice of you! I’m sure they appreciate it more than you know.

Recent IconRecent

Yes. That's barely anything.

like

Depends who it is and how many people you are looking to give those to. Also, I think it’s a nice gesture where if you otherwise wouldn’t give any gift, $25 is sufficient if you’re thinking about office services or IT or reception

likeuplifting

Thank you all for your input. I will be giving $50 gift cards to my 4 main paras and clerk and $25 to the 3 other remaining support staff I don’t work with but am friendly with + a smaller personalized gift.

likeupliftinghelpful

gift cards will be a store I know they like or an Amex one they can use as cash

like

Whether your firm expects it or not, I personally would always gift my support staff at least $100pp. The gesture goes a long way in showing your appreciation of them. If that’s not within the budget, $50 would be reasonable.

likehelpful

SC1 I also give my support staff 50-100 pp in an envelope with a Christmas card (one I send out to friends and family). My LA is the best so I give her 100. The three paralegals I work with I give 50 pp. Others I give chocolate (front desk person or others). I find that cash is best. My staff is always happy to receive cash. Idk what the firm does but I appreciate my support staff so I show my appreciation in this way!

likeuplifting

I appreciate whatever is given to me. At a previous firm, I worked for a top tier equity partner who was the firm “rainmaker” and two associates. Outside of the Holiday Bonus from the firm, he would write me a nice note and enclose a check for a few thousand dollars. My associates would each give me a $25.00 gift card. I appreciated all equally because no one was required to give me anything. I also understood that the associates were in a far different financial situation than the equity partner. The $25.00 could easily be a financial hardship for a young single attorney who was paying off student loans, paying inner city rent, etc.

likeuplifting

Depends on how much support staff you have. You should not be expected to have to treat everybody to a large Christmas gift. I don’t even get a Christmas bonus so whatever I’m able to give my staff, it’s better than I’m getting and if they don’t appreciate it, don’t care.

likefunny

So you're a staff attorney, and therefore have different expectations.

I will never understand why lawyers at firms are giving support staff money. I wonder what the overlap is of people who are against tipping but also give money to support staff who actually get paid a living wage.

likefunny

That's so not the point lol

like

My partners told me associates aren't expected to give anything to assistants, but that that the partners give generously

I still give my main assistant something smallish like a $25-50 gift card and maybe a box of chocolate

likehelpful

At my big law firm I was told $100 per class year (so $500 if you’re a fifth year, $700 if you’re a seventh year, etc.) for your assigned assistant. Now, I’m at a boutique where I don’t have an assistant but I’ve been told we are expected to pay $100+ into a fund that will be used to purchase a gift card for each non-attorney team member.

likehelpful

I am a legal assistant, I work for 2 partners and 2 associates. Only the senior partner gives me a gift for the holidays. He also hands out 25 coffee gift cards to the other assistants in our group to thank them fo their support while I was away during the year. I think if you can, giving something small is great.

like

Thank you!

like

I’m a first year associate, and last year I gave my four paralegals handwritten thank you notes, homemade Christmas cookies, and $50-100 depending on how closely we worked together

like

Thank you!

At my prior BigLaw firm, support staff in my office didn't get anything from the attorneys (but were invited to a Christmas lunch at a nice restaurant, or - one year - to the managing partner's house for a Christmas get-together, with a good truck parked outside for custom tacos which was a hit with those who like tacos and not those who didn't).

At a boutique firm after that, the staff and attorneys got invited to an evening holiday party in a hotel and brought spouses, for a nice meal and music and (a little) dancing and everyone got to go pick a gift box, among which were a couple of iPads. The staff also got $50 gift cards, and some of the partners (not associates) gave gift cards (I received a $100 one from one partner - not sure if partners split the staff among themselves to give gift cards to).

like

I've worked with partners and associates my entire legal career. Personally, I never "expect" a gift from any of them. However, my people have always been generous on holidays. I currently do work with an attorney who hasn't given me anything in the five years I've worked with him and that's okay with me. The associates I worked with at my last firm gave me gift cards ranging from $25-$100 and I appreciated it. From my point of view, a $25 gift card is fine.

like

I didn’t even know associates were expected to give gifts to support staff 😅😅

like

It’s very much expected in my experience.

If your salary is within 20% of big law, $100 per year. So 1st years gave their admin/para/sec $100. 4th years $400. Etc. Plateau at $500.

Jr partners usually $1000, up from there for fancy partners

like

Thank you for your input!

Lol yikes. Even when I was a rookie at a small rural firm I gave my support staff $100 restaurant gift cards to a decent place.

like

5 years

I only give a gift to my paralegal. I don’t buy for any other support staff.

like

You should take 10% of your bonus and split it between all four paralegals.

likefunny

10% of your salary seems fair. 😆

likefunny

10% of his bonus not his salary.

like

If you are just giving a GC than $25 might seem a little. $50 might be better. If it becomes too much burden, I've done a small gift bag with stocking stuffers like hand lotion, cozy socks, lip balms, mini sized alcoholic bev, chocolates, etc. or whatever you feel like putting in. Usually $25~$40 depending on what you get. I've done Starbucks holiday tumblers with $20 GC inside wrapped nicely and a small card. I get those tumblers with stars and maybe $5-10 in cash to cover the difference because I end up with thousands around the holidays since I drink coffee everyday. If it shows that you put time and thought into putting a gift together, then it should be ok regardless of the amount.

like

Thank you for this

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