Secret Santa Gift Ideas for Work: Thoughtful Picks Under £20

Office Secret Santa usually comes with three rules: a budget of £10 to £20, a name you may barely know, and a gift that has to be fine to open in front of everyone. That rules out most novelty presents. The safest gifts are small, useful things with a bit of personality, which is what this list sticks to.

Start with what they actually do all day

If you know their job or a hobby, use it. A mug that names what they do lands better than a generic one, because it shows you noticed. Our gift mugs cover dozens of jobs and hobbies, from the Off Duty Accountant mug and the Off Duty Engineer mug to golf, gardening and board games. They're £15, white ceramic, with the lettering on both sides.

Not sure? Our gift finder groups everything by job, sport and hobby.

Secret Santa gift ideas for coworkers you don't know well

When all you know is their name, go for something everyone uses:

• A mug with a kind message. Our mental health mugs say things like You Matter, Keep Going and Coffee First Feelings Later. They're warm without being personal, which is the right tone for the office.
• A kraft notebook. £15, with a pen loop, and nobody has ever had too many.
• A tea-themed mug. The Powered By Tea mug suits most offices, and you can see the rest in gifts for tea lovers.

More ideas by hobby: book lovers, plant lovers, knitters, artists, bird lovers, horse lovers and bell ringers.

Secret Santa ideas for your boss

Keep it modest and avoid anything that looks like it's trying too hard. A good-quality mug or notebook that matches their profession or a hobby is about right. If you know they play golf, the Golf Is My Therapy range goes from a £15 notebook to a cap.

A few rules that save awkward moments

• Stick to the budget. Going well over can make others feel they under-spent.
• Avoid food and drink gifts unless you know their diet, and avoid anything about alcohol.
• Skip jokes about age, weight or appearance.
• If you're stuck between two ideas, pick the more useful one.

Order in time

Everything here is made to order, so leave a few extra days before the office party. You'll find more options in gifts under £20 and gifts for employees and teams.

Every item is printed to order in the UK by Teemill using renewable energy. Buy 2 or more items and save 5%, or 4 or more and save 10%, applied automatically at checkout, and UK delivery is free on orders over £35.