Funny Secret Santa gifts for the office

The best office Secret Santa gift gets a laugh from the whole room and still ends up on the desk in February. The worst one gets a laugh from three people and a quiet word from someone else.

The line is simple: joke about the job, never about the person. Meetings, the kettle, Mondays, the printer — all fair game. Bodies, dating, drinking, age and anything they've confided in you are not.

Here are the funny ones that land, grouped by who you've drawn, plus the ones to leave on the shelf.

Funny gifts that always land

• A pin badge with a line they'll wear on the lanyard. Shop this card
• A candle named after something everyone in the office complains about. Shop this card
• A coaster set that mocks the meeting culture, not a colleague. Shop this card
• A print for above the home-office desk with a line they'd actually say. Shop this card
• A card written in the voice of the team group chat. Shop this card
• A badge for the thing they're famous for — the snacks, the spreadsheets, the playlists. Shop this card
• Anything that becomes a running joke rather than a one-off laugh. Shop this card
• Funny plus useful is the whole formula. Shop this card

For the boss or someone senior

• Keep the joke self-deprecating on the team's behalf, never aimed upwards at them. Shop this card
• A candle or a coaster set is the safe funny middle ground. Shop this card
• A print about meetings is fine. A print about their meetings is not. Shop this card
• Nothing that references pay, hours or performance. Shop this card
• A warm card signed "your Secret Santa" does more than the gift. Shop this card
• Avoid anything that looks like it cost more than the budget. Shop this card
• If you'd hesitate to hand it over in front of everyone, pick something else. Shop this card
• When in doubt, funny label, useful object. Shop this card

For a hybrid or remote colleague

• A badge for the video-call background shelf. Shop this card
• A candle for the spare-room office that smells of nothing. Shop this card
• A coaster, because the home desk suffers worst. Shop this card
• A print about being on mute. Shop this card
• Something flat and postable — you're paying the postage. Shop this card
• Send it to arrive before the call, not on the day. Shop this card
• Include a card so the reveal has something to read out. Shop this card
• Nothing fragile. Royal Mail in December is not gentle. Shop this card

What not to buy

• Anything about someone's body, weight, hair or age. Shop this card
• Anything about their love life, single status or divorce. Shop this card
• Alcohol, unless you know for certain they drink. Shop this card
• Anything referencing a health issue or a hard year. Shop this card
• Prank gifts that leave them with mess to clear up. Shop this card
• Novelty tat that's funny for eight seconds and landfill by January. Shop this card
• Anything that only three people in the room will understand. Shop this card
• A gift that makes them the joke rather than in on it. Shop this card

Christmas cards to go with it

A card turns a small gift into a proper present. Printed and posted in the UK.

How to write it so it lands

• Joke about the job, never about the person.
• Pick something they can display: displayed gifts keep being funny.
• Read it back as if the whole room is watching them open it — because they are.
• Add a card. The card is where the joke can be warm as well as funny.

Where to shop next

• Secret Santa gift ideas
• Christmas stocking fillers
• Christmas cards and gifts
• Pin badges
• Scented soy candles
• Buy Christmas cards
• Secret Santa rules
• How Secret Santa works
• Secret Santa gifts under £10
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas

Frequently asked questions

What is a funny Secret Santa gift for work?

Something that jokes about shared office life — meetings, coffee, Mondays — on an object they'll keep using, like a pin badge, coaster set, candle or desk print.

What Secret Santa gifts should you avoid at work?

Anything about a person's body, age, love life, health or drinking, plus prank gifts that leave mess. If it would be awkward opened in front of everyone, don't buy it.

Is a rude Secret Santa gift OK in the office?

Only if the whole group has agreed to it and the joke is about the job. Mildly cheeky beats genuinely rude in a mixed office.

What's a good funny gift for the boss?

A candle or coaster with a joke about office life in general. Keep it warm rather than pointed, and let the card carry the sentiment.

How much should a funny office gift cost?

Whatever the group set, usually £10 to £15. Funny doesn't cost more — a £6 badge with the right line outperforms almost anything else in the room.