If you’re an owner or a superior in a company, you should consider giving your employees or subordinates some gifts from time to time. Especially on special occasions like Christmas, work anniversary, or Chinese New Year, giving out corporate gifts is a highly recommended and admirable gesture.

There are many types of items you can give as corporate gift. Among the numerous kinds of gifts that you can give, the most well-loved ones that will surely put a smile on your employees’ faces are red packets.

A red packet or “ang bao” is a red envelope containing money that is traditionally given as a gift and is considered a symbol of luck and happiness. Here are some of the traditional rules you should keep in mind when giving red packets as gifts for your employees.

1. Give red packets in even numbers

Red packets are typically given during a Chinese New Year celebration to take the place of the Christmas bonus that is common in western offices. For this reason, many employers choose to follow Chinese beliefs or customs when giving red packets as gifts.

According to Chinese belief, odd numbers are usually associated with funeral donations. Hence, the amount of money in the red packets that you have for your employees should be of an even number.

This means that the money inside your red packets should end with an even digit – $6, $8, $10, $20, and so on. These even numbers are usually associated with happiness and prosperity. The number 4, however, is often avoided because many people think it resembles the word “death” in Mandarin.

2. Consider the status of the employees

In general, you can give red packets to your employees, regardless of their civil status. However, if you want to follow traditions, you should reserve the red envelopes for your single employees only. This is in accordance with the ang bao-giving etiquette that many people in Singapore observe.

Technically, as long as your employees are single, they can still receive red packets. But for courtesy, many employers opt not to give ang baos to their old and single employees so as not to embarrass them in front of others.

Nonetheless, if you really want to give out red packets to all your single employees, you can do so for as long as you avoid commenting on their lack of a partner in front of everyone else.

3. Carefully decide how much you will give

There are generally no hard rules when it comes to the amount of money you have to give for every red packet. You have the freedom to decide how much you can give comfortably.

However, in accordance with Chinese belief, you should avoid giving an amount that includes the number 4 because of its resemblance to the word “death.” The number 8, on the other hand, is considered a good choice because it’s believed to symbolise prosperity and fortune.

Moreover, as a common practice, coins are usually avoided when putting money in red packets. Many employers choose to place new bills instead.

Conclusion

Red packets are a great choice when it comes to giving corporate gifts to your employees, especially on an occasion like the Chinese New Year. These red envelopes will surely bring happiness and good fortune to your workers. Regardless of the amount inside, giving out red packets is such a lovely gesture that can motivate your employees to work harder.

If you want to spruce up your corporate red packets, having them customised through Print&Pack’s red packet printing service is a great idea. Aside from red packets, we offer a variety of other high-quality printing services, such as packaging printing, calendar printing, and tote bags printing. With our reliable services, we can help you refine all your corporate gifts of any kind!