Secret Santa with a surprise: an employee complained to HR about a “disgusting” gift

In the UK, the usual Secret Santa game at work ended with a complaint to HR. A female employee shared on the Mumsnet forum that instead of the usual symbolic gift, she received from a colleague a set of expired sweets, old nail polish, and a pair of socks that, according to her, looked worn.

Photos of the “gift” sparked a wave of outrage online: most users considered such items completely inappropriate and offensive for an office environment. The woman contacted HR, and according to her, the company management also expressed disgust at what happened.

The story sparked a discussion about the boundaries of humor and the appropriateness of gifts at work — even within the framework of an informal New Year tradition like Secret Santa.