If you buy your boss the "Decision Maker" to help make decisions, consider employment elsewhere. Photo: Target.com

It's a yearly quandary. The office holiday party is coming up, and you have to figure out what, if anything, to get your boss. Unless you really know your boss well (and who really does?), it's best to play it safe with a gift certificate or some other innocuous trinket. To help out, here are a few gifts to stay away from altogether.

A Tie: Nothing says indifference like a tie. And if you get a bad tie, it says you are indifferent and also have poor taste. And it can be used as a garrote. Just avoid this route altogether.

Perfume/Cologne: Start with the fact that this gift has possible romantic undertones. Then consider the fact the names are often puzzling. You may be proud that you got your boss a bottle of the hot-selling new fragrance Hu Chee, but she may not feel that way. Plus, maybe you don't want a boss who smells like Britney or Tim McGraw.Food: Fraught with danger. Unless you really know something your boss likes, don't buy food. Fruit cakes might be a funny gag gift, until your boss curses you under his breath. And your ten pound bag of Skittles is great until you realize your boss has a rare form of diabetes that makes his feet explode when he comes within ten feet of large doses of processed sugar.

Desk Toys: Yes, you do see them everywhere. But does anyone really enjoy getting that thing with the four balls on a string or the zen litterbox with the little rake? And if your boss has time to use these, you may want to reassess the health of your company.