The Best Gifts for Bosses

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- While family members and close friends are the mainstays on most Christmas shopping lists, there is one person many people aren't so sure they should include: their boss. The ambivalence stems from the fact that there really is no hard or fast rule on whether you should give a gift to your direct superior.

"It really depends on the corporate culture at your office," says Rusty Rueff, career and workplace expert for Glassdoor.com. Some companies may even have rules regarding holiday gift giving, so you should check with human resources before spending money on a present.

If your boss is on your holiday shopping list, there are some great gift ideas that are thoughtful, affordable and office-appropriate.

"You should also consult with other employees, because you don't want to be the only one,"� says Dana Holmes, who runs the recommendation site Gifts.com.

If you do decide your relationship with your boss warrants a little holiday cheer, you';l want to keep it simple ... and fairly generic.

"Gifts should not be personal,"� says Bruce Hurwitz, president of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing in New York. "[It] should not have any romantic overtures (such as chocolates or flowers) and should not be embarrassing in any way."

It also shouldn't be very expensive. Holmes suggests keeping your boss budget between $25 and $100. Where the monetary value falls on that scale will depend on how close you are or how closely you work with your boss.

Finally, Rueff advises employees to make sure they are gifting for the right reasons.

"Your motives are a lot more transparent than you imagine,"� he says. "Bosses know who is being genuine and who isn't."

We rounded up some of the gifts you can get that are thoughtful without being pricey or inappropriate: