How to buy team doughnuts when WFH?
wfh · 3 comments · 700 words · read ~319 times.
I have a conundrum. I'm not very good at social stuff. But I know that buying a couple-of-dozen doughnuts it a nice gesture for a team. So, every few months, I used to pony up for a case of sweet treats. I'm not a manager, or team leader, or anything like that. I just know that an unhealthy amount of sugar is a nice way to bond with colleagues - and meet new people in the office.
And, much like buying a round in a pub, I'm aware of the loose social obligation created by me greedily eating the home-baked treats brought in by others.
But how do you do that when working from home?
The cost of doughnuts is pretty cheap - less than a quid each (unless you're buying the really fancy ones). Call it about £1.50 per team mate.
Sending a single doughnut by post appears to be an untapped market - probably for good practical reasons!
Giving everyone £1.50 via PayPal feels a bit weird and impersonal.
Sending everyone a bag of sweets or box of chocolates involves collecting addresses (which not everyone will be comfortable giving out) and it can be hard to find something which is vegan, gluten free, suitable for diabetics, etc.
I asked my friends how to solve this problem - and this is what they suggested:
So, dearest blog reader - what are your thoughts?
I quite like the Cameo suggestion and would extend to say there could be performers & artists not on Cameo who might be willing to record / make something which could be shared online with a team
Don't do what I did and drive 1.5 hours to a friend's house to drop off brownies, only to learn on arrival that you've forgotten the brownies
Send them the doughnut money as a micropayment Add the doughnut money onto their salaries Let them quit half an hour early on a day of their choosing this week Praise them sincerely by name in public