What is Employee Appreciation Day?
Employee Appreciation Day is a day of celebration to show employees how much their efforts and contributions are valued by you and your organization. The holiday was created in 1955 by Dr. Bob Nelson and is observed the first Friday of March each year.
Why is Employee Appreciation Day Important?
While we encourage you to celebrate your employees every day of the year, Employee Appreciation Day is the perfect way to start a tradition of employee recognition in your organization. Eighty-two percent of employees don't feel that they are recognized enough for their hard work by management, and employee Appreciation Day is the perfect opportunity to turn that around. Celebrating the day with even the smallest gesture contributes to a welcoming company culture and overall employee happiness.
4. Bring in specialty coffee for a morning treat
5. Bring in a masseuse for some stress relief
6. Give everyone extra points in your employee incentive program platform
7. Cater lunch from a favorite local restaurant
8. Allow employees to choose a gift from a catalog of options
9. Take your employees out for a spa day
10. Post social media shout outs for each employee throughout the week
11. Hire a yoga instructor to lead a yoga or meditation hour
12. Ask for feedback - provide a platform for employees to submit new ideas and company improvement suggestions
13. Take everyone on a brewery tour
14. Make charitable donations and let employees choose who you donate to
15. Keep the work fridge stocked with free drinks
16. Allow everyone an hour or two to work on a personal project
17. Let employees praise their peers - showcase the recognition in a spot for the entire company to see
18. Give an extra hour for lunch breaks
19. Set up a photo or video booth
20. Go our for drinks after work - on the company's tab
21. Set up an ice cream (or frozen yogurt) sundae bar with a plethora of toppings
22. Create a thank you video from management
23. Hold a free raffle for the chance to win cool prizes
24. Let employees leave work early to work on a personal passion / gain inspiration that helps them be more creative during work hours
25. Set up an inspiration board for everyone to write fun and creative notes on
26. Splurge and take your employees on a workation - a working vacation
27. Celebrate with a sushi spread for lunch
28. Set up games in the break room - board games, video games, and more
29. Use an ecard platform to send thank you messages
30. Arrange for a company outing to an event - concert, comedian, professional sport
31. Set up a make your own smores bar
32. Take the company out to dinner after the work day ends
33. Let employees come in late the following Monday
34. Set up "cheer pong" - think beer pong without beer
35. Take the company out to a theme park
36. Use a prize wheel for employees to win exciting prizes
37. Have a fiesta with a "build your own" taco station
38. Hold a potluck and let employees bring in their favorite dishes
39. Try an escape room that doubles as a team building exercise
40. Create an "About the Team" book that showcases your employees' personalities
41. Provide fruit, yogurt, and other healthy snacks throughout the day
42. Welcome employees to a party at the CEO's home - ideal for smaller companies
43. Throw a cook-off competition
44. Give out a free vacation day or half day to be used throughout the year
45. Spice things up with some office mock-tails... or maybe even real cocktails
46. Hold a mario-kart tournament in the break room
47. Arrange for a tour of the wineries in your area
55. Come up with a fun theme for the day
56. Allow employees to work remote for a day
57. Shorten office hours for the week
58. Have some fun and set up some adult outdoor inflatables day (slide, bouncy house, bubble soccer, etc)
59. Show movies in the break room throughout the day
60. Let employees to bring their pets to work
61. Arrange for food trucks to come to your parking lot during lunch hours
Whether its a small gesture like a thank you note or an over-the-top company retreat, just make sure to say THANKS in one way or another for everything your employees do!
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