Come festival season, HR executives try to think out-of-the box with regard to Diwali gifts for employees. For instance, there has been a growing move away from boxed sweets or dry fruits to healthier alternatives in some companies. There are internal discussions within some companies — especially among MNCs — to stop gifts during religious occasions (neither Diwali nor Christmas) and move to a neutral end-of-the-year reward.

But as one HR manager confides, “We are overthinking Diwali gifts.” He points out how, when they changed the normal laddos they were in the habit of gifting and moved to a higher quality sweet, the feedback was that employees preferred the traditional laddoo !

Meanwhile, interesting experiments at pleasing employees continue. This Diwali, Volvo, which offers a work-from-home policy to any of its employees who need to take special care at home for situations like sickness of a family member or children’s exams, has extended this benefit to pet care — the rationale being that pets often are scared out of their wits by the noise of crackers around Diwali time!