Chicago — Dec. 12

The scrooge economy appears to be loosening its grip, as CareerBuilder's annual study shows companies plan to offer more perks — bonuses, parties, gifts— to employees than last year.

The national study was conducted by Harris Interactive from Aug. 13 to Sept. 6 and included 2,494 hiring managers and human resource professionals and 3,976 workers across industries and company sizes.

Bonuses: Forty-six percent of employers expect to give their employees holiday bonuses this year, up from 40 percent last year and 33 percent in 2010. Nearly one in five of them — 19 percent — plan to provide a larger bonus than last year.

Parties: Sixty percent of employers are throwing a holiday party for their employees this year, up from 58 percent last year and 53 percent in 2010. Forty percent of workers say they plan to attend.

Gifts: Thirty-six percent of employers plan to give holiday gifts, up from 30 percent in 2011 and 2010.

Moreover, 23 percent of workers plan to buy holidays gifts for co-workers this year and 22 percent are buying for their boss.

The majority — 81 percent — of workers who plan to buy gifts expect to spend $25 or less for each holiday gift they buy for the office. Thirty-eight percent plan to spend $10 or less and 10 percent plan to spend less than $5.

When asked to share the most memorable gifts received from co-workers, workers reported:

• CD of the co-worker's recorded songs.
• Dolphin oven mitt.
• Four rolls of toilet paper.
• A harpoon.
• Can of wasp spray.
• Jar of sand.
• Homemade pickles.
• Conch shell.
• Lava lamp filled with fake fish.
• Expired body lotion.
• Book about kittens.
• Survey Methodology.

Source: CareerBuilder