Secret Santa instruction letter is a letter that is written by an employer and is addressed to the employees of an organization. In this letter, the employer provides the instructions around which the secret Santa would be administered. It is issued around the time of Christmas, and before the company decides to conduct this activity.
Secret Santa is about exchanging gifts secretly, which means the recipient of the gift does not know about its giver’s name. This fun-filled activity adds up to the Christmas celebrations and is often carried out in organizations. Although it is an informal arrangement, the decorum still needs to be maintained, as secret Santa is being conducted among professional colleagues.
To attain this objective, the organizations release a set of instructions for the employees to follow as well as to get facilitated. These are notified through an official letter. Depending on the overall culture of the organization, the employers’ instructions may vary from one organization to another. The general template of such a letter, however, include the following details:
- Date.
- Addressee’s name and contact.
- Addresser’s name and contact.
- Reference to Christmas and secret Santa.
- Important dates of celebrations/parties.
- Clear instructions for secret Santa.
- Specify that strict adherence is required.
- Provide reason/s of why the instructions need to be followed.
- Show openness for contact and queries.
- Gratitude and Christmas wish.
- Salutation and signature.
Although this letter is about an informal activity, the letter is still a formal one and should be written in the same tone, so that the employees would not take it for granted. In addition, the instructions should not be overwhelming or overbearing for the employees, rather they should be facilitating and accommodating for all the employees. The fun should not be spoiled to maintain the propriety through these instructions.
The letter can be written and sent to the individual employees or sent as a generalized letter to all the employees. It can be emailed, sent as a hard copy, or posted on the main notice board of the company.
Sample letter
Dear employees,
The most awaited time of the year is just around the corner, and we are aware of your excitement level to celebrate the Christmas festivities with your families and friends.
Before the holidays would start, as notified before, our company is holding a Christmas party on 20th December 20XX. Secret Santa gifts will also be exchanged at the same party. There are a few aspects we need to instruct about regarding the secret Santa, so to avoid any inconvenience or spoiling of the fun:
- Keep the name of your secret Santa a secret and avoid sharing it with your friends to keep the fun alive.
- The gift should not cost more than $[X].
- The gift should not be discriminatory or offensive in any way; socially, religiously, or morally.
- Purchase a gift that is professional, and something you can give to a work colleague.
- You can attach or include any creative give wrapping ideas, notes (printed so to maintain the secrecy), etc.
- Try to make your gift an interesting one to make your secret Santa excited.
- If you do not have the budget the to buy a gift, contact the HR department for alternatives.
We expect you to adhere to these instructions strictly so that the administration of secret Santa would be smooth and pleasant.
We hope that these instructions would clarify any sort of misunderstandings. If you still have any questions, you can contact the HR department.
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
Regards,
Silvia Moon.
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