'HR is involved': Mum gets 'disgusting' Secret Santa gift at work

"I'm disappointed and confused," the woman said, using her strongest mum-language. 

It’s the thought that counts, but a woman has been left wondering what exactly she's received as a secret santa present. 

The "baffling" gift, which was given to her by an anonymous colleague,  was so disturbing that she admitted: “To be honest, I’m disgusted by it."   

But she's also not sure if she being "ungrateful" - so off to the interwebs (and HR) she's gone for advice.

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"Covered in dust"

The woman explained that her gift had several parts to it:

1. Chocolate with a 2020 expiration date
2. “Manky old” nail polish and coffee pods
3. Suspiciously "worn" socks

“They stink of stale perfume and are falling to bits,” she added. 

“The nail varnish doesn't look bad but the lids were covered in dust and felt dirty. There's also nail varnish all over the outer bottles.” 

But wait, there's more.

“It gets better - the little balm I also got has clearly been used because it's full of fingerprints."

A 'slightly worn' Secret Santa. Image: MumsNet

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"Charity shop aroma"

It all came complete with a “charity shop” aroma... and the mum claims it's all destined for the bin, as she wouldn't even give any of the items to her kids.

She explained that the lack of Christmas spirit has left her feeling deflated. 

“I'm really disappointed by it and extremely confused,” she said. 

“I wasn't expecting anything extravagant!”  

The expired chocolate. Image: MumsNet

Commenters on the post strove to give her some festive cheer.

“Throw it away and forget about it," suggested one, and another joked,  “Scrooge at his finest!”

A third reasoned, “That’s grim. I’d assume someone forgot and just grabbed a few items around the house.” 

Others suggested it could just be a reflection of financially tough times. 

“I’d assume they were really strapped for cash,” was one offering, but it was countered with, “Even if someone is struggling for money there’s no excuse for that."

One person opined, "Blimey! What did other lucky employees get... or do you think someone's trying to tell you something?"

Which is exactly what the mum was wondering, too.

The mum admitted later in the post that she felt strongly enough about the weak effort - when everyone else had got into the spirit of things - that she felt compelled to report it.

“Management knows and is just as disgusted. I would genuinely rather have got a cheap bar or chocolate." 

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Originally published as 'HR is involved': Mum gets 'disgusting' Secret Santa gift at work