Are you the owner of the company?

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

Yes. Also, he is very close to my sons. They have worked together every summer for 8 yrears. So hes a little more than just a good employee. It will be an emotional day for everyone when he leaves.

Give him one of your kids.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

I thought there was something wrong with you tonight because of your normal first question.

My wife might want to send one of them but I need them both for the rest of the summer. Got anything else?

Blow job?

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

A nice watch with inscription would be a generous gift. I don't know the size of your company, or if you have stocks that are publicly traded, but if so, a few shares of stock would be nice as well.

Sorry to hear that you are losing such a treasured employee. It is really awesome that he can return to care for his father.

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-TMT

Wow, this is a tough one. 12 years with you and you care about him. Buy him an airline ticket to fly back to visit everyone a year from now. Buy him a moped/scooter to ride in his town (nice way to get started before he buys a car).

What does your company do? Is there something unique about it, or the town you live in? When I left a former job (and city) my co-workers got me a nice beer sign from the local brewery. It was a nice gesture, and I still have it on display in my home.

I was coming in to say a watch or a nice pen. Maybe no inscription if it is a pen, but a watch with vaya con dios on the back would be sick. But the problem with a watch is you are going to have to shell out big bucks to make it worth it, because a crap watch means nothing with an inscription.

You could get him a custom tailored suit with a nice pair of shoes, this could get very expensive fast though! Do you have a budget in mind?

Small construction company, 8 employees. Budget? I guess around 1,000.00. Maybe something from the town we are based in and he lives there too. A kilt and a bowl of haggis?

The watch sounded the best but I looked last night and got turned off a little. Pretty flashy stuff. I don't want him to get his hand cut off for the watch. Peru ain't like NJ. We just shoot you here, then take the watch. A plaque sounds good but I'm not sure about that either. This is not easy.

$$$$$

Take him out for lunch, give him a thank you card that everyone has signed with a $1k cheque in it. That's what I'd want.

Do you know what his hobbies are? I got a personalized fly fishing rod from Orvis as a gift and I love it!!!

I would make it as personal as you can. A watch? Not too personal, and as you stated a $1000 watch is nice, but may be something he will never feel comfortable wearing. I agree with what someone else said - something to fit one of his hobbies, something that is expensive enough that he wouldn't splurge himself to buy it. Like a set of Zipps (which are out of your price range). :-)

Yep, if it's personal you want then personal it should be...something related to a hobby is the perfect gift. Another thought, though it would depend on the other employees in the company, is a little 'pass the hat' - everyone who feels like it throws in a few bucks and that gets presented to the employee. They did this at my father's retirement (we was the equivalent of a CFO at a prison) and it wasn't the amount of the gifts being given but more that everyone--from the sherrif to the secretaries to the guards--threw something in. At such a small company such as yours you could get a nice card that has alot of room, have all the employees sign it with their own messages, throw a few bucks in, then the 'company' has a check in there.

Given his circumstances, I say cash is king. Give him $1,000 cash and a nice card that everyone has signed. Sign it yourself and write something sincere.

I have a similar business as you, I know all of the employees would want the money. But, I also know that they seem more grateful about what is said. If he is married, have his wife come to work too. Tell hem both how you will miss him and how happy you were by knowing him. Give him the card with the $. Take him and his wife and everyone at work out o eat and share stories from he last 12 years.

Or, get a hooker for a blow job as Duffy suggested. Your choice of what will work better.

What part of Peru? Some parts are fine to wear nice things in, others like you said, are a little rougher...

What about a matted and framed picture of the company or a job site he has worked on? Have everyone sign the picture or the matting before framing and he has an instant reminder hanging in his home or new office of the good times he had with your company. We did this for a couple of guys who retired from Navy while stationed on the submarine I was attached to. A good size picture, matting, and frame would probably come in around $150 - $200 if done professionally. The rest the budget could be a nice gift card.

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Formally azclydesdale, back in Northeast Ohio.

No watch. We had lunch on Monday at a nice restaurant in town and I invited 2 other contractors and some of their employees. They know Juan and it was very nice of them to come. He had a good time and he was very surprised that they all came to see him off.

We gave him a small picture album from the last 12 years and his Xmas bonus, Vacation pay, and a check for $500.00 from my wife and myself. My boys gave him some of our company clothing and he also has his retirement plan which I will send to him as he wishes, once he gets settled.

He will not be replaced easily. He was a great employee and a great guy. We are sad he's leaving but happy he will see his family again. He has not seen them in 18 years. When we said goodbye today he told me and my boys we were his family too. Very nice. Thanks everybody for the ideas.

I have a feeling that I will see him again some day. Maybe we will go to Peru. You never know.

That is very cool. Recently a coworker of mine left the company to spend more time managing a veterinarian practice that he and his wife own. He had been with the company for over 20 years. They brought in lunch from subway and decorator cupcakes. I think he got a framed picture from some party we had.

You did well.

My family is from Peru but I have never been so I can't personally advise. But my relatives do not ever have cash in substantial amounts there for safety reasons. They also don't wear/store valuables if they can help it. Just a different world. Do you have photos for an album someone can put together? Perhaps something religious if he is. Hope that helps.

Nice. We get engraved pens, plaques, clocks, etc... Lame unimaginitive corporate crap. Even our parties have been the same for two decades: subs from the same shop, same dry Safeway cake, same catered cheese and meats from the same place, for 20 years.

Watch is a not a personal gifts. I think give him a small pictures of album from the last 12 years experiences and oraginse a lunch party will be the best personalised idea that he would love