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Choosing a diwali gift for office staff is harder in a small office than a large one. With 10 to 40 people, everyone knows everyone, including the driver, the office boy and the didi who keeps the place clean. Whatever you decide about who gets what will be noticed. Here is how to be generous and fair at once.
Who counts as staff in a small office?
Everyone who turns up for the business, in our view. In a CA practice, a small architecture firm or a family-run trading office, that list usually includes:
- The partners or owners, if they gift each other.
- Professional and accounts staff.
- The receptionist and admin.
- Drivers, office boys and peons.
- Housekeeping and security, including staff from an agency.
The last two groups are the ones most often forgotten or given a lesser gift. In a small office they are also the people who see every box being handed out. Including them properly costs very little and says more about the office than anything printed on a card.
One box for everyone, or two tiers?
Both can be fair. What matters is that the reasoning is clear and nobody feels ranked.
| Approach | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| One box for everyone | The office is under 25 people and everyone works in one room | Choose a box good enough for the senior people, not the cheapest one |
| Two tiers by role | There are partners or directors who also gift each other | Keep the difference small and the boxes similar in look |
| Same box, different fill | You want one look but some staff prefer sweeter or simpler fills | Tell staff it is a choice of fill, not a grade |
| Same box plus a cash bonus for support staff | Support staff rely on the festive bonus | The box should still be the same as everyone else’s |
Our view: in an office under 40, one box for everyone is usually the right call. It is simple, it looks fair, and handing it out together becomes a small moment for the whole office.
The Diya Blossom is a four-jar rope hamper in ivory with a diya pattern, made for Diwali. It suits a small office that wants one box good enough for everyone, from the senior partner to the office boy, and it looks like the festival when it is set out at home.
What fill suits the whole family?
Most of these boxes go home and are opened by a family, often with children and elders. So pick things everyone eats rather than things that impress a connoisseur:
- Kaju (cashew). Every household eats it, and children reach for it first.
- Badam (almond). Many families soak a few each morning.
- Kishmish (raisin). Goes into kheer and halwa through the festive week.
- Khajur (dates) or makhana (fox nut). Khajur for elders and anyone fasting, makhana for a lighter, roastable option.
Save pista, akhrot and Medjool dates for the partners’ tier if you have one. For how much to put in each jar so it looks full, see the gifting quantity guide.
The Blue Paisley is a three-jar carry case, lighter than the four-jar hampers. It suits a staff list where many people travel home by bus or two-wheeler, and it pairs well with a classic fill of kaju, badam and kishmish.
If you go with two tiers, the Ivory Damask works as the first tier: a twin window box in ivory and gold with a ribbon handle. It looks festive and complete on its own, so nobody receiving it feels they got the lesser box.
How do you hand them out fairly?
A few small things make a difference in a small office:
- Hand everything out at the same time, in one place, ideally at a short gathering with tea.
- Have the owner or senior partner give each box personally, support staff included.
- Write the card to the whole office, signed by the partners, so it is the same for everyone.
- Keep a few spare boxes for agency staff or someone who joins in the last week.
When should a small office order?
Dispatch is within three working days of the order being settled, and most cities receive it two to six days after. With Diwali on 8 November and many staff taking leave from Dhanteras on 6 November, order about two weeks before your hand-out day. Small offices in Chennai and Delhi NCR can check their city pages; everyone else can start from the corporate gifting page or browse Diwali gifts.
Questions people ask
Should the driver and housekeeping staff get the same box as everyone else?
In a small office, yes. They see every box handed out, and the difference in cost is small compared with what it says about the office.
Can we order just 12 or 15 boxes?
Yes. Send the count and we will suggest a box and fill for that number.
Is a single-item box a good idea for a small office?
It can look plain. Three or four familiar items in one box feels more like a festive gift and suits a family better.
We deliver across India See 87 city pages
Written at our counter, where these questions get asked every week.
