When suppliers send Christmas gifts to executives

Last year, anonymous workers made an issue out of holiday gifts received by our executives. While the issue didn’t ripen into a full-blown controversy, we'd like to be proactive this time with an objective policy. Please help. - Brown Rock.

- REY ELBO

Every December, as corporate inboxes fill with year-end reports and final billing reminders, another seasonal tradition quietly unfolds: suppliers, affiliates, and business partners send Christmas gifts to company executives, managers, and procurement supervisors. Some arrive as modest tokens of appreciation.

However, in many cases, holiday gifts show up looking suspiciously like an attempt to smuggle influence inside a ribbon-covered basket. It isn’t inherently wrong. In many cultures, including the Philippines, Christmas gift-giving is a longstanding symbol of professional respect and goodwill.

However, in modern corporate governance, good intentions collide with an even stronger imperative: ethical transparency. One charming holiday hamper can easily become tomorrow’s audit headache. And nothing ruins the Christmas spirit faster than the office grapevine fueling discord.

This is why a clear, firm, and fair gift policy isn’t optional. It’s a risk management necessity. Transparency is not just a corporate buzzword. It’s a mechanism for trust. When executives receive gifts, even innocently, it can create real or perceived conflicts of interest. Business decisions might be questioned. Vendor relationships might be distorted. Competitors may suspect bias. Employees might see favoritism. And people on the sidelines won't be amused.

GIFT POLICIES MATTER