Tradespeople are the most generous workers when it comes to Secret Santa with plumbers, builders and electricians spending the most on Christmas gifts for their colleagues.
According to research by short term loan provider Wonga, more than one in five (21%) tradespeople spend between £21 and £25 on a Secret Santa gift, compared to the national average of £13.
The professions that spend the most on Secret Santa gifts on average are:
- Plumber, builder or electrician – £18
- Designer or artist – £16
- IT – £16
The thriftiest professions, by the percentage of people who spend £5 or less on a gift, are:
- Teacher – 21.1%
- Sales – 12.5%
- Retail – 11.4%
Plumbers, builders and electricians also spend the most overall on seasonal workplace festivities, with 19% spending £76 – £100 on everything including Christmas parties, lunches, decorations, gifts and treats.
Geographically, people in Edinburgh are the most festive, with 90% buying a colleague a Secret Santa gift and attending at least one party. Workers in Southampton are the biggest party poopers, with just 51% taking part in Secret Santa and only 64% going to a party.
Lawyers, meanwhile, tend to have the largest number of Christmas meals and parties to look forward to. Almost a third (30%) have four such occasions coming up this year, while 19% have five. Workers across the country will attend two parties on average.
More women participate in workplace Christmas activities than men, though almost half (48%) said they feel more pressure to spend money in the workplace during the festive season, compared to just over a third (35%) of men.
James McMaster, Wonga’s Head of Marketing in the UK, said: “Christmas can be an expensive time – it’s easy to forget about work events and that these costs can easily build up, as our research shows.
“We’ve put together tips on how to control your Christmas spending and organise your own Secret Santa at work.”
For advice on budgeting during the festive period, visit Wonga’s Cash Smart hub for tips on planning a Secret Santa: www.wonga.com/cashsmart/articles/image-articles/planning-a-secret-santa/
