The holidays inevitably come with gift giving and the one group of people you may want to include in your gift list may be your workplace colleagues. But before you embark on a cowgirl gifts shopping spree for your boss, there are a number of things you will need to know.

According to the rules of etiquette, you cannot give your boss a gift. Gifts within a workplace flow downwards and not upward. A boss can give his employees or subordinates gifts but they cannot do the same for him or her. Without this rule, there would be a situation created where employees would feel obligated to buy their bosses gifts when they do not want to or cannot afford to. In addition, bosses should not be beneficiaries of such power dynamics.

Having said that, there are some offices that have a tradition of giving gifts upwards and it is up to you to decide if you will go with the trend or not. If you decide to join the rest then some home treats or a card will work well.

If you are under pressure to make a contribution to a group gift and are unwilling to, just give $5 and get done with it. However if the gift is going to be extravagant, it will do you good to speak up and state clearly that you are unable to afford it. You will earn your office colleagues’ gratitude when you stand up and put a break to an extravagant ski vacation plan for your CEO.

As for participating in the office secret Santa as well as other gift exchanges, find out whether they are opt-in; you do not want to be labeled as a the office Grinch. Go simple and give out gift cards or food. The gift cards may be for a nearby coffee shop or restaurant that your recipient frequents. Another good idea would be to give a bottle of wine and if it is not his or her taste, it can be re-gifted.

As a general rule, do not by any means give wearable gifts such as clothes, cowgirl jewelry, perfume, or lotion. They are not only inappropriate because of being too personal, but you may pick something that the recipient might not like. This will put the recipient in an awkward situation as he or she tries to read into the intention behind the gift; so it is best to stay away from such gifts.