# Organising Secret Santa at work: a guide for HR Organising a company Secret Santa takes more than a draw: dates in Advent, voluntary participation, fair rules, data protection and the budget. This guide shows the order in which to settle them, so the season stays pleasant for everyone and in January you know how it went. Updated: 8 November 2026 ## A timeline through Advent In 2026 the first Sunday of Advent falls on 29 November. If you invite and draw by 24 November, everyone knows their giftee by the first Sunday of Advent and has almost four weeks. A December start is possible too, with a shorter lead time. The later the draw, the more sense digital gifts or a handover in the office make, because time for the post runs short. Align the reveal date with the Christmas dinner, if there is one. That way you don't need to organise an extra event, and most people are there anyway. - By mid-November: set the budget, the rules and the reveal date. - By 24 November: send the invitation, collect sign-ups, hold the draw. - December: buy gifts, share hints and small rituals in the team. - Shortly before the holidays: the reveal, often at the Christmas dinner or on the last office day. - January: a short review, then delete the data. ## Voluntary participation A company Secret Santa should always be voluntary. Invite everyone, but don't sign anyone up automatically. A decline needs no reason. Make sure declines stay invisible, both to the team and to managers. Anyone who doesn't take part should be just as welcome at the Christmas dinner. Word the invitation as an offer: what is planned, what the gift budget is and by when people can decide. A short note that declining is perfectly fine takes the pressure off. Managers, too, should not ask who declined or why. ## Rules for the draw A purely random draw can produce awkward pairs, such as two people who already work closely together every day. Common rules are: - Not within your own team, so Secret Santa connects people across departments. - Not your own manager. - Not the same pair as last year. - With several locations: either within a location, so the handover is easy, or deliberately across locations. - Couples who live together should not draw each other. ## Data protection under the revFADP Even a Secret Santa involves personal data, and the revised Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP, revDSG) requires you to collect only what you actually need. For a draw, a name and an email address are enough. Decide in advance who sees what: who drew whom should be known only to the giver. Wishes and allergies belong only to the person buying the gift. Also decide when the data is deleted after the season. Allergies and intolerances are health data and therefore sensitive personal data. Ask for them only on a voluntary basis and with explicit consent. If you use an external tool, check where the data is stored and whether a data processing agreement is in place. The list of who takes part is personal data as well. Don't share it more widely than necessary. ## Budget and invoicing Set two amounts separately: the budget per gift that staff spend, and the cost of organising it, which the company pays. For the gift budget there are two models: staff pay for their own gift, or the company covers it. Decide in advance and put it in the invitation, so nobody is surprised. With Wichtli, the company pays a flat fee of CHF 79.00 per round plus CHF 2.50 to CHF 6.00 per person, graduated by team size; for 15 people that is CHF 169.00. A round is possible from 3 people. Payment is by card, in Swiss francs; prices are final. Seats of people who don't join are credited at the draw. HR never sees the pairs, and participants' data is deleted on 31 January. ## A report for management In January a short review helps you justify or improve Secret Santa for next year. Useful are participation figures, a short survey of two or three questions, a few comments from the team and what you would do differently next time. Note what went well and what didn't straight after the reveal. By January the impressions will otherwise have faded. For this, Wichtli provides a report in January that you can show to your leadership team, with anonymised participation figures and nothing about individual people. ## Frequently asked questions ### When should you organise a company Secret Santa? Ideally invite and draw by 24 November. A later start works too: with Wichtli, starting by 16 December still allows a reveal on 23 December. ### What rules does a company Secret Santa draw need? Commonly: not within your own team, not your own manager, not the same pair as last year, and a rule for locations if you have several. ### What does a company Secret Santa with Wichtli cost? A flat fee of CHF 79.00 per round plus CHF 2.50 to CHF 6.00 per person, graduated. For 15 people that is CHF 169.00. ### What data does a company Secret Santa need under the revFADP? As little as possible: a name and an email address for the draw. Only the giver knows the pair, and the data is deleted after the season. ## A company Secret Santa that runs itself Wichtli invites, reminds, draws by your rules and guides your team to the reveal. Setup takes about ten minutes. - [Start a Wichtli round](https://wichtli.ch/en/index.md) - [Guides](https://wichtli.ch/en/guides.md)