25 Year Service Gifts, Ideas?

Give them £1k each. Or a week off or something.

Unless you know them well, and what they like, you are otherwise at risk of getting them something that they don't really want, which puts them in an awkward situation and you've basically wasted a grand.

I think paid time off is the best answer and is the easiest to be consistent.

Coke and Hookers

£1k should get decent ones too! 🙂

Give them £1k each

May have tax implications, what are the rules around long service gifts? But many would rather have the cash less tax than a gift they didn’t choose

May have tax implications,

True, which is why paid time off is easier

I bought myself a classic Anglepoise desk lamp for my 20th work anniversary. It sits on my desk at home and I’m very pleased with it. I chose it and it was in company budget (a lot less than £1000). We automatically get extra holiday, but something classic like the lamp. Or just vouchers for John Lewis.

I had to buy tangible items up to the designated value (and not a penny more!).

Where I work long service (21 & 35 yrs) gifts are handled via a gifting company. The recipient can choose via a website the gift(s) they want up to the value / points set by the employer. Maybe something similar or Amazon / John Lewis voucher.

Maybe also take them & partners out for a meal.  With taxi pickup/return.

(I did actually choose a watch which I'm wearing now. )

I've just come back to work after a five week paid sabbatical linked to my length of service </smugface>, it's easily the best perk I've ever had in any job. I'd happily take it or something similar over anything else they could have given me, even a cash bonus equivalent to having worked the time away from the office.

£1k cash and the employer pays the tax. My employer in the early 00s did this for exceptional work, worked very well and people got what they wanted - my friend Dan bought a Cotic Soul.

I personally prefer the idea of a gift to the idea of cash. I just went past 20 years and get £600 with the company paying the tax on top, into my pay slip. Trouble is, that just washes in with the rest of the cash that I get, so I don't have anything to show for it

if you're not sure on the what, how about a voucher to a hotel chain for a few nights? that gives them something to remember

My brother got a coffee machine for 10 years, and not even an email for 20 years.

MrsDoris got a £100 shopping voucher for 10 years.

I'm public sector so I'm fairly sure I won't be getting anything when I hit a decade next year!

Conversely I prefer the idea of cash rather than a gift although time off would trump both for me.

Any gift would need to be very personal or else it loses the meaning. Perhaps a voucher or points is a compromise?

For my last, albeit not 25 year, HR asked me if I wanted an engraved crystal (?!) or a nice fountain pen.  I declined as the crystal would get thrown away and the pen sit in the back of a drawer as I barely write anyway and fountain pens suck for left handers.

I also got a day off and that was the best gift I've had.  Rode my bike all day and it was wonderful.  I still remember it.

I could have had a medal at 25 years but as it was only given to uniformed staff I refused it despite very amusing attempts to give it to me! As it had been issued on behalf of the Queen there was a duty to keep it safe, which is probably where it still is, in a safe.
Back to OP, a thousand pounds would be a very nice appreciation - not many people wear watches these days.

Thanks all for the suggestions. It'll probably be an option of cash with us paying the tax or extra annual leave.

My employer asked me what I would like upon retirement after 15 years, so £250 in Wiggle vouchers, thank you very much. The vouchers got round the tax problem it seems and our HR team are absolutely risk averse.

please ask them, I would have been very ungrateful for a watch which was the suggestion originally. You are very fortunate to have staff who have stayed with you for 25 years, well done for getting it right for them.

A grand? I got an iPad for 25 years service! (And it was 3 months late too 🤬).
My first employer gave me a lovely cut-glass decanter with an engraved silver thingy-on-a-chain and a gold tie pin from the American parent company for 5 years service (1986 - things were different back then 📺)

Porcelain poppy.

P45

I’d totally take annual leave myself, if a decent amount - and after tax for cash being a consideration as well.

It would say “thanks so much, and as that genuine thanks for that, please don’t worry about this crap for X weeks - go, bugger off, do shit that matters to you - make memories”

Money is rarely a ‘thank you’

Or ten grand, in which case **** memories.

Extra annual leave, not just a one off but every year.

I got a certificate at 20 years 👌

A reed.co.uk account?

P45 & a fat pension.

For 25yrs I got so many points to use in a catalogue, turned out everything in it was vastly overpriced so you had to add money to buy anything decent. I ended up with an iPod thingy ( not apple) and some crap ....oh and a " Thanks a lot" certificate. Thanks Stena line .

I’ve heard of everything from a days leave and a lump of engraved metal, to a load of vouchers, to a choice of £15k or 6 weeks off.

Honestly, what's wrong with luncheon vouchers?

I had my 20th a few years ago, I got a tacky glass trophy thing, 2 bottles of Gin and some engraved gin glasses.

Given I expected nothing, I was pleasantly surprised.

I'll be even more surprised if I hit 25 years, company has been running on fumes all year and at some point, the fumes will get too thin.....

Here's me going WFT is this at the trophy...

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51293538741_9df3f566a8.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51293538741_9df3f566a8.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2m9CN2B ]CBNG Summer Do July 2021-009[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Holiday vouchers or a weekend away somewhere lush with a good restaurant.

Erm, can't see this already said, but could you just ask them what they want?

Nothing apart from a letter. 15uears is currently £25 voucher.

My partner and her colleague both got hampers at the college where they worked.
Her colleague's one had quite a few things out of date in it. 😂

Not a hamper.

I was offered either an extra 5 week’s annual leave, or 5 week’s salary, or a combination of the two.

took an extra week and 4weeks pay.

Friend of mine got one extra day of leave, just that year. FTSE 250 company.

He sounded a bit miffed, more than he'd have been if they'd given him nothing. It showed that they'd thought of it and decided this was the right amount of gift, whereas nothing and no mention could have been put down to forgetting.

Longest I’ve ever stayed in a job was 7 years so never had this problem! And hopefully I’ll have less than 10 years to do if I start a new job soon before I can retire!

I’ve just passed 5 years and got £100 (after tax) and an extra day of annual leave (every year going forward). At 10 years it’s £500 and an extra day, 15 years is £1000, 20 years and every subsequent 5 years is £1500. Someone just completed 40 years!

I used to work for a company that now puts anyone that gets to 20 years on a four day week but pays them for five.

I think I remember getting 10 days extra holiday after 10 years. I should have stayed there.

Long service leave.
An extra 13 weeks for every 10 years where I work.

25 years would be ... ooh, at least 2.5 times that.

Air miles vouchers

Extra week off work, assuming they get 4 weeks already

Kruggerand or sovereign, small high value  may well appreciate

A couple of years ago I had £500 for 25 years, def better than a gift I probably wouldn't want - although now jealous of those that got several weeks additional holiday...

Trouble is, that just washes in with the rest of the cash that I get, so I don’t have anything to show for it

I really don't understand this. Unless you're very well off it doesn't seem hard to think about something you've been holding off buying or thought was a bit frivolous and can use the extra cash for that/towards that (and if the former I'm sure a charity would appreciate it)? You don't have to leave it in the bank and forget about it.

I have my grandfathers long service watch. It's only a Rotary hand wound but it's inscribed with my grandads name and from his friends at Fletcher bank quarry 1954. It might have not meant much to my grandad judging by the screwdriver marks on the back cover but it sure means a lot me to me!

At my place - big soulless American firm - its £2500 to spend in a sort of argos catalogue of goodies - so vouchers really, then it's a week or 2 weeks additional paid leave that year, then an awkward meal with someone senior in the firm

I got a £100 amazon voucher for 25 years service , I wish they hadn't bothered 😕

then an awkward meal with someone senior in the firm

Meal out with senior people who have been there less than you, and might be younger too!

Meal out with senior people who have been there less than you, and might be younger too!

If they’re paying, there’s very few folk I won’t go for tea with.

I got a bar for my Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, I would have preferred cash.