Who this Facebook exec buys holiday gifts for might surprise you

The holidays, while a festive time of year, can also be extremely stressful at work.

For some, the final sprint to the end of the year means putting in extra hours to reach company or department goals, and balancing these commitments with those of the family can be tough.

Carolyn Everson, Facebook's vice president of global marketing solutions, said during a panel discussion at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit last month that she likes to thank her team's families at the holidays for putting up with strain on family time.

As Jena McGregor reported in the Washington Post, Everson told attendees that her team at Facebook was working "insane" hours, so she bought gifts for all the spouses of her team members and wrote them personal letters as a sign of gratitude.

"I wish I could say it was my idea, but it was my husband's," Everson said, noting spousal gift-giving is one of the best things she's done so far to boost her relationship with her team.