Maternity Leave Gift From the Office: A Simple Team Plan
A colleague is going on maternity leave.
Everyone wants to do something special. Nobody wants to be the person chasing payments through the group chat for two weeks.
The good news? Organising a maternity leave gift from the office is genuinely simple when you have the right plan. Create a free group gift page on Group Gift, share one private link with the team, and let everyone contribute in their own time using iDEAL | Wero, Bancontact, Pay by Bank, or SEPA transfer. No spreadsheets. No awkward conversations about who owes what. Just one thoughtful gift from the whole office.
This guide walks you through exactly how to do it, from deciding how much to collect to choosing a gift she will actually remember.
The short answer: Set up a free group gift pot, share the link with colleagues, collect contributions digitally, and present one meaningful gift before she leaves. The whole thing takes less than a minute to set up.
Why a Group Gift Makes Sense for Maternity Leave
Maternity leave is one of those moments that genuinely deserves a proper send-off.
It is not just a colleague taking time off. It is a major life event. And the gift the team gives will be remembered long after she returns.
The challenge is that individual gifts rarely feel as meaningful as one generous, shared gesture. A €15 voucher from one person is kind. A €150 contribution from the whole team is something she will actually talk about.
A group gift lets everyone participate without anyone feeling pressured to spend more than they're comfortable with.
That is the real appeal. A team of ten people, each contributing €10 to €15, can put together a gift worth €100 to €150. That is enough for something genuinely useful: a spa voucher, a baby essentials hamper, a gift card for a nursery retailer, or simply a cash contribution towards the bigger purchases that come with a new baby.
The problem with the traditional approach
Most offices still try to organise this the old way.
One person volunteers to collect the money. They send a message in the team chat. Some people pay immediately. Others forget. The organiser sends a reminder. Someone asks what the gift is. Another person says they already bought something separately. The deadline gets pushed back twice.
By the time the leaving party arrives, the organiser is exhausted and the experience has been more admin than celebration.
There is a better way.
How to Organise a Maternity Leave Gift From the Office: Step by Step
Here is a simple plan that works for any team size, whether you have five colleagues or fifty.
Step 1: Decide who is organising it
This sounds obvious, but it is worth doing properly. One person should take the lead. That does not mean doing everything alone. It just means having a single point of contact so the collection does not fall apart in a committee.
In most offices, this is a direct colleague, a team lead, or someone in HR. If nobody volunteers, a quick message asking "who wants to take the lead on the gift?" usually gets a response quickly.
Step 2: Set a budget and a deadline
Before you share anything with the team, agree on two things:
How much you are aiming to collect (a realistic total, based on team size)
When contributions need to be in (ideally at least a week before her last day)
A common guideline across European workplaces is €5 to €10 per person for a group contribution, with closer colleagues often giving €10 to €25. With a team of fifteen, that puts you comfortably at €75 to €150, which is enough for a genuinely memorable gift.
Team size | Per-person contribution | Estimated total |
5 people | €10 to €15 | €50 to €75 |
10 people | €10 to €15 | €100 to €150 |
20 people | €5 to €10 | €100 to €200 |
30+ people | €5 to €8 | €150 to €240 |
Always make contributions optional. Nobody should feel obligated, and letting contributors hide their amounts means nobody needs to know who gave what.
Step 3: Create a Group Gift page
This is where it gets easy.
Go to Group Gift and create a free gift pot in under a minute. You add a title, a short description and an optional target amount, then close the pot whenever you are ready. That is it.
Once the page is live, you get a private link. Share that link with your colleagues via email, WhatsApp, Slack, or Teams. Each person clicks the link, chooses their contribution amount, and pays using iDEAL | Wero, Bancontact, Pay by Bank, or SEPA transfer. No one needs to create an account. Each contributor can choose to hide their amount from others.
Step 4: Let the contributions come in
Once the link is shared, the organiser's job is mostly done.
Group Gift collects the contributions automatically. You can check the total at any time. If you want to send a gentle reminder a few days before the deadline, a quick message with the link is all it takes. No chasing. No spreadsheet. No awkward "did you send the money?" conversations.
Step 5: Decide on the gift
This is the fun part.
Once you know how much you have collected, you can choose the gift. Some teams decide in advance. Others wait to see the final total before committing to something specific. Either approach works.
The most important thing is to choose something she will actually use and remember. More on that below.
Step 6: Present it properly
The gift matters. But so does the moment.
Whether it is a small team gathering, a card signed by everyone, or a proper leaving lunch, take a moment to mark the occasion. Group Gift's reveal page brings every colleague's name and message together in one place, and it costs nothing to include.
For ideas on how to make the handover feel special, see our guide on how to organise a group gift for a colleague, friend, or family member.
The Best Maternity Leave Gift Ideas From the Office
Once the money is collected, the question becomes: what do you actually buy?
The best maternity leave gifts from colleagues share a few things in common. They are practical, personal, and not something she would buy for herself. Here are the ideas that tend to go down best.
A pooled cash gift or gift card
The most useful option, by a considerable margin.
New parents face a wave of unexpected costs in the first few months. A flexible cash gift or a gift card for a baby retailer, supermarket, or online store lets her put the money towards exactly what she needs, when she needs it. No guessing required.
This is also the easiest option to organise as a group. Collect the money through a Group Gift page, then either pay it out to yourself to buy a gift card, or send it straight to her: she cashes out to her own bank account via a private link and sees every message from the team on the reveal page.
A spa or wellness experience
Pregnancy is exhausting. The weeks before maternity leave are often even more so.
A voucher for a massage, a spa day, or a wellness experience gives her something to look forward to, either before the baby arrives or once she has settled into the new routine. It is the kind of gift she would not book for herself but will genuinely appreciate.
A meal delivery subscription
The early weeks of parenthood are relentless. Cooking falls to the bottom of the priority list almost immediately.
A subscription to a meal kit service or a voucher for a food delivery platform is one of the most practical gifts a team can give. It removes one genuine pressure from her first weeks at home.
A baby essentials hamper
If the team prefers something tangible, a curated hamper of baby essentials works well.
Think soft blankets, organic skincare, comfortable newborn clothing, and a few treats for the parents. Pair it with a small cash top-up from the group collection and you have a gift that covers both the sentimental and the practical.
A personalised keepsake
Something engraved, embroidered, or printed with the baby's name adds a personal touch that no generic gift can match.
A personalised baby blanket, a memory book, or a custom illustration of the family home are all gifts that will be kept for years. These work especially well when combined with a cash contribution for the bigger-ticket items.
A photography session
A professional newborn or family photography session is a gift that genuinely lasts a lifetime.
Most new parents do not think to book one themselves, partly because of the cost and partly because the early weeks are too hectic to plan anything. A voucher removes both barriers.
The best maternity leave gift is one that makes her life easier, not one that adds to the pile of things she needs to manage.
Whatever you choose, the act of collecting together as a team is what makes it meaningful. One gift from everyone carries far more weight than a dozen individual gestures.
For more ideas on occasions where group gifting makes sense, take a look at our post on the best way to collect money from friends for birthdays, weddings, and special occasions.
How Group Gift Makes the Collection Effortless
Payment apps move money. Group Gift is built for gifting.
That distinction matters more than it sounds. When you use a generic payment app to collect for a group gift, you get a list of transactions and a running total. That is it. There is no gift page, no shared message from the team, no celebratory moment built into the process.
Group Gift is different because the collection itself becomes part of the experience.
What happens when you create a Group Gift page
You set up a free gift pot in under a minute, no account required for contributors
Contributors receive a private link and can pay using iDEAL | Wero, Bancontact, Pay by Bank, or SEPA transfer
Everyone chooses their own contribution amount, so there is no pressure and no awkwardness
The organiser can see the running total and close the collection when the deadline arrives
The funds are paid out to the organiser to buy the gift, or straight to her own bank account
Nobody chases anyone. Nobody handles cash. Nobody feels put on the spot.
It is the kind of thing that used to require a spreadsheet, a designated collector, and at least two reminder messages. Now it takes less than a minute to set up and runs itself.
For a full breakdown of how digital group gift collections work compared to traditional bank transfers, our guide on online gift collections vs bank transfers covers everything you need to know.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a maternity leave gift from the office cost?
For most European teams, a contribution of €5 to €15 per person is the standard range. Colleagues you work with closely might contribute €10 to €15, while a wider office contribution of €5 to €8 per person is perfectly appropriate. With a team of ten contributing €10 each, you have a €100 gift, which is enough for something genuinely meaningful. Always make contributions optional and let contributors hide their amounts.
What is the best maternity leave gift from colleagues?
The most appreciated gifts are those that make the first weeks of parenthood easier. A pooled cash gift or flexible gift card is the most practical option, as it lets the new parent spend the money on exactly what they need. Spa vouchers, meal delivery subscriptions, and personalised keepsakes are also popular choices. The key is choosing something she would not buy for herself.
How do I collect money from colleagues for a maternity leave gift without chasing people?
Create a free group gift page on Group Gift, share the private link with your team via WhatsApp, Slack, email, or Teams, and let contributions come in automatically. Contributors can pay using iDEAL | Wero, Bancontact, Pay by Bank, or SEPA transfer. The organiser can check the total at any time and close the collection before the deadline. No reminders needed, no cash to handle, no awkward conversations.
How far in advance should I start collecting for a maternity leave gift?
Aim to start the collection two to three weeks before her last day. This gives everyone enough time to contribute without feeling rushed, and leaves you time to choose and arrange the gift before the leaving celebration. If her last day is approaching quickly, a week is still enough time with a digital collection tool.
Should maternity leave gift contributions be anonymous?
Yes. Keeping individual contribution amounts private removes any social pressure and makes the process more comfortable for everyone. With Group Gift, each contributor can choose to hide their amount from others, while their name and message still appear so she knows who took part. The organiser always sees the total raised.
Is it appropriate to give a cash gift for maternity leave?
Absolutely. Cash or a flexible gift card is often the most practical and appreciated option. New parents face a long list of unexpected costs in the early weeks and months. A pooled cash contribution from the team gives them the freedom to spend it on exactly what they need, whether that is baby equipment, groceries, or a moment of self-care. A group gift from colleagues is one of the most common and appreciated approaches for a birth in the team.
Can remote or hybrid teams organise a maternity leave group gift?
Yes, and it is just as simple. A digital collection link works for any team, regardless of location. Share the Group Gift link via your usual team communication channels, collect contributions from colleagues across different offices or countries, and pay the funds out to the organiser or straight to her when the collection closes. Remote teams can join a video call to present the gift virtually, or arrange for it to be delivered directly to her home.
Ready to Start the Collection?
A colleague going on maternity leave deserves more than a last-minute card and a rushed collection.
With a simple plan and the right tool, the whole process takes less time than the group chat discussion about what to get her.
Create a free Group Gift page, share one link with the team, and let everyone contribute in their own time. No chasing. No spreadsheets. No awkward conversations. Just one thoughtful, meaningful gift from the whole office, ready before her last day.
Ready to start your Group Gift?
Create a private gift page, invite your colleagues through one simple link, and focus on celebrating rather than organising.