Friday, March 1st is National Employee Appreciation Day. The day is meant for employers to thank and recognize their employees. Although the day is not celebrated at every company, taking a moment one day a year to show your employees how much their hard work is appreciated can go a long way in keeping morale and engagement high.

Employers don’t need to spend large amounts of cash or do an elaborate event for this occasion. In fact, many times, smaller, well-thought-out group events, or gifts will be more appreciated. When doing something special for your employees, it is important that it goes with your company culture and is inclusive to all employees. Here is a list of ideas on how to celebrate your dedicated employees! You can choose one or a few, depending on your budget.

Employee Gifts:

Expressing to your employees how much of a difference they make to your company or organization can be difficult. This Starfish Pin with Card features the “Starfish Story” by Loren Eiseley. It is a short passage about how even small efforts can be a positive force in a big way. From teachers to healthcare workers, this gift is sure to lift their spirits and be a reminder throughout the year that they are making a difference. 

Starfish Pin with Card

For technology companies who thrive in market innovation and rely on their employees to be at the forefront of ideation and new products, show them how much their ideas make a difference or contribute to the business or company's success. Choose from either a Smart Employee - Bright Ideas lapel pin, or an Innovation - You Make The Difference Challenge Coin. Both gifts have the classic light bulb icon in different designs. 

If you are looking for a gift geared towards motivating your employees, the Above and Beyond Pin has a fun hot air balloon design they will love to wear all year long. This pin has a simple but powerful message to tell them they go above and beyond for your company.  

Most employers with physical locations have security entrance systems, with many using fobs for each employee to use to gain entry to the building. A thoughtful and useful gift for your employees this year is a custom wood keychain they can keep their security fobs on. Reduce the cost of having to replace lost fobs and keys while giving them a fun and unique gift. With keychains from 1.5” to 3”, you will have plenty of space for a laser-etched design of your company logo and a special message for your employees.

Employee Perks

Everyone is busy and finding a few hours to yourself is increasingly more difficult. One nice way to say thank you on Employee Appreciation Day is to offer pre-scheduled time off. Make an announcement that each employee will get a bonus of two to four hours of paid leave to be taken in the month of March. Employees can schedule time off with their managers to ensure all departments will still function. Companies can set as little or as much time off as they desire, but giving employees extra time to do chores and tasks that are easier done during business hours is always appreciated.

Many employees have long commutes. One way to say thank you for being in on time every day is to give them a subscription to Audible or another audiobook membership. Employees can then choose to listen to anything from fiction to self-improvement books. There are thousands of topics in every genre, and everyone will be able to find books and tutorials that will allow them to learn new skills as they drive!

One way you can be sure to please everyone in your company is to offer a gift card to each employee. There are many different options and price points to fit your budget. First, you will need to set a dollar amount for the gift cards. Once you have your budget set, you can purchase prepaid Visa cards or use a company that specializes in offering many types of gift cards from various businesses. If you Google “gift cards for employees”, you will find many results from companies that can assist you in setting up a program for employees to choose the gift cards they want the most. While prepaid Visa cards are easy to purchase and distribute, keep in mind these cards are typically only good in the US, so if you have international employees, they may not be able to make purchases on some websites and locations. 

Employee Appreciation Day is the perfect time to announce an Employee Recognition program.  Click on the images below to read about how to set up a program that will show your employees how much they matter and motivate them all year long!

Ways to Bring The Team Together

A great way to bring your entire team together is over food! An inexpensive treat for your entire company is to arrange an ice cream social during an extended lunch hour. You can set up an area in your break room or kitchen area with several flavors of ice cream and offer bowls of dozens of toppings for them to create a treat just to their liking. You can also do the same concept with a chili bar. Order catering from a local restaurant that is known for its chili and has different cheeses, sour cream, and toppings, and share a lunch together. Potlucks are always a fun way to get to know fellow employees and say thank you while keeping the costs down, or consider ordering pizza for your team. 

Depending on your company culture, hosting a game day is a way to have fun and create camaraderie with your employees.  You will need to choose if you would like to have the event on or off company property. If offsite, consider a night of bowling, mini golf, or a trip to a place like Dave and Busters, which offers different video games and attractions for a reasonable cost. However, if you choose to do an offsite game event, some people may not be able to attend. Onsite options can be bingo, trivia hours, or BBQ while playing touch football, softball, or frisbee if it is warm enough at your location in March. For either option, be as inclusive as possible and keep in mind any special needs for employees.

No matter how you acknowledge your employees this year, it is a great opportunity to show them they matter. You will be surprised at how much people appreciate even a small gesture of appreciation. If you offer a small perk, gift, or time together in a relaxed environment this Employee Appreciation Day, morale will improve, and you will find motivation and enthusiasm will increase.