A gift that gets used

Every year, around November, someone is handed the same task. Choose the team's Christmas gift. And the same ideas nearly always come up: a hamper, a bottle, a branded notebook.

They are safe choices, but few people remember them by February. The problem is not the amount spent. It is the message the gift sends. A gift identical to every other company's says little about the person receiving it.

December is a heavy month. Targets close, deadlines tighten and the holidays draw near. Many teams reach the break tired. A gift that offers a real pause meets that moment, and shows that someone noticed.

The amount per person

Start here. Once the amount per person is set, every other decision gets easier. For a wellness gift, there are three natural levels.

  • A contribution, from €25. It is a kind gesture. But the recipient has to top it up to book a session.
  • A full session, €85. It covers a 60-minute massage at home, with travel included. The recipient pays nothing.
  • A longer session, €99 or €115. It covers 75 or 90 minutes. It suits a particularly demanding year, or a small team.

Not everyone has to receive the same. Some companies give everyone the same card and a larger amount to whoever carried a hard project. Others spend the budget on a morning of office massage. Internal and tax rules on gifts to employees should be checked with your finance team or accountant.

Gift cards or a morning in the office

These are two different gifts, and neither is better in absolute terms. One gives each person freedom. The other creates a moment together. The choice depends on your team.

Gift cards

Each person receives a card by email for a massage at home, with a message from the company. They book whenever they like, within 12 months. They choose the length and the type: Swedish, deep tissue, sports or pre-natal.

The card works as credit. Anyone who picks a longer session simply pays the difference. Nobody has a massage in front of colleagues, or has to squeeze it into a full December diary. For the organiser, all it takes is a list of emails and a message.

A morning of office massage

Therapists come to the office and give chair sessions of 15, 30 or 60 minutes. Everyone stays fully clothed and there is no oil. The work focuses on the neck, shoulders and upper back. Afterwards, people go straight back to their desks.

What changes is the atmosphere. For a morning, the office slows down, people talk about it over lunch and the gift belongs to everyone. It works beautifully in the last week before the Christmas break. The limit is obvious: it only reaches the people who are in that day.

Both together

Many companies do both. A morning of office sessions in December, and cards for anyone working remotely, on holiday or off sick that day. That way, nobody is left out.

Nobody left out

In a hybrid team, a physical gift complicates everything. Addresses, shipping, postal deadlines, packaging. And an office event leaves out exactly the people who are already furthest away.

A gift card solves both. It arrives by email, on the same day, for the whole team. Someone working from home in Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve uses it in their own home, with travel included. A colleague in Cascais, Matosinhos or Lagos gets exactly the same gift as someone in the city centre.

For remote employees, home is also the office. A massage in that space, on a day without calls, changes it for an hour. It shows the company has thought about that person's real life. If part of the team lives outside these three regions, check coverage before you order.

For your clients

With clients, the logic is the same, but the tone shifts. The gift should be discreet, useful and free of obligation. A card for a massage at home does all three. It takes up no space, does not depend on taste like a wine or a book, and is used in their own time.

  • A personal message for each key client. Two sentences are enough.
  • An amount that covers a full session. A partial card leaves the client paying the difference, and the gift loses its shine.
  • A considered delivery date. In mid-December, an email gets lost among dozens. On a quiet morning, it gets read.

A simple plan

A team gift is a small project with deadlines. With a clear order, it takes little effort. Start early and leave the message until last.

  1. Close the list in early November: team, remote employees and clients.
  2. Set the amount per person and, where it makes sense, different amounts for different groups.
  3. Choose the format: cards, office sessions or both.
  4. Book the office date early. December fills up fast.
  5. Write the company message in good time, so it is not rushed on the last day.

The company message

The message is what gives the card its meaning. Without it, it looks like an admin perk. With two honest sentences, it becomes a thank you. Talk about the year, not about the company.

  • "Thank you for this year. This hour is yours, with no meetings and no emails."
  • "It has been a demanding year. Book it whenever suits you best, even if that is March."
  • For a small team, a line written by whoever leads it, with each person's name, is worth more than any long text.

Avoid the tone of a campaign. Nobody needs to read about company values on the day they receive a gift. Simply recognise the effort and offer the pause.

How it works with RHEA

For cards, the corporate gift cards page sets out the conditions. Amounts run from €25 to €200, or any amount from €25, and each card is valid for 12 months. For several cards at once, message us on WhatsApp at +351 920 540 239, and we reply within minutes. For one or two, the Christmas gift card can be bought online.

For office sessions, see the massage for companies page. Chair sessions last 15, 30 or 60 minutes, fully clothed and with no oil. Our therapists are certified, and RHEA assigns the team for the area and time.

Anyone who receives a card books at www.rhea.pt/booking/en, any day from 7am to 10pm, with 4 hours' notice. Sessions of 60, 75 or 90 minutes cost €85, €99 or €115, with travel included. We bring everything: the table, linens, hot towels, hypoallergenic oils and ambient music. For more ideas, read about corporate massage in Lisbon or massage, stress and anxiety.