Good bonuses and bad office gifts this holiday season

Spirits will be bright for many workers this season as holiday bonuses, parties and gift exchanges take place. CareerBuilder's annual study shows companies plan to offer more perks than last year, another sign that the economy is recovering and businesses can afford to spread more holiday cheer.

It's the most wonderful time of the year for bonuses
Bonuses aren't always a certainty, though this year more workers will receive one than in recent years. When surveyed, 46 percent of employers said they expect to give their employees holiday bonuses this year, up from 40 percent last year and 33 percent in 2010. Nineteen percent plan to provide a larger bonus than last year.

Deck the office halls for holiday parties
Holiday parties are alive and well this season, though not everybody is excited about the office mingling. While 60 percent of employers are throwing a holiday party for their employees this year, up from 58 percent last year and 53 percent in 2010, only 40 percent of workers say they plan to attend. If you RSVP'd "yes," keep your workplace wardrobe rules in mind when getting ready, and don't get too wild at the party, or you may have to deal with an embarrassing situation come Monday.

Lovely weather for a gift exchange together
Thirty-six percent of employers plan to give holiday gifts, up from 30 percent in 2011 and 2010. Twenty-three percent of workers plan to buy gifts for co-workers this year, and 22 percent are buying for their boss.

Eighty-one percent of workers who plan to buy gifts expect to spend $25 or less for each office holiday gift. Thirty-eight percent plan to spend $10 or less, and 10 percent plan to spend less than $5.

While a nice gift doesn't have to be pricey, some workers may be left wishing for coal instead of the strange gifts they're given. When asked to share the most memorable gifts received from co-workers, here's what workers reported:

• CD of the co-worker's recorded songs
• Dolphin oven mitt
• 4 rolls of toilet paper
• A harpoon
• Can of wasp spray
• Jar of sand
• Homemade pickles
• Conch shell
• Lava lamp filled with fake fish
• Expired body lotion
• Book about kittens

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Susan Ricker is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.