4 Ideas on How to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day

Creating a culture of recognition in the workplace is important. Employees who feel appreciated are more productive, have a positive attitude, and stay in a job longer. Eighty-one percent of employees say they’ll work harder for a boss that recognizes their hard work, according to a Glassdoor survey.

How does your company show its appreciation? Here are four employee appreciation ideas you can try:

Help alleviate stress

Every job comes with stress. From large projects with short deadlines to difficult clients, your employees deserve some time to unwind.

Consider hosting a regular wellness class, like a monthly Workplace Mindfulness Meditation event or a Self-Care Workshop. Each online event is led by a wellness instructor via Zoom and offers practical, useful ways to battle stressful situations.

You can also arm your employees with ways to manage stress in the office with virtual events like Stress Busters in the Workplace. Employees can learn stress-reduction techniques, paths for self-discovery, and tips to regulate big emotions.

Create an employee recognition program

To ensure employee recognition is an ongoing priority, set up a program that consistently rewards your staff.

These programs can take on many different structures. You can simply ask employees to nominate a hard-working employee each month via a Google Form or you can implement software that lets employees collect points for each project they take on. Points can be redeemed for prizes like company swag, paid time off, or continuing education opportunities.

No matter how employees are recognized, make it a public event. This kind of recognition will encourage others to work hard too.

Encourage laughter

Sometimes, a good laugh is all you need to feel lighter. Treat your employees to a comedy night at a local club or book a virtual comedy show that everyone can attend. Events like A Professional Comedian Walks Into a Zoom or Cartoon and Improv Comedy are one-hour virtual performances meant to lift everyone’s moods.

Simply pick the show you’re interested in, book it via Offsyte, and click a Zoom link when it’s time for the show. You can gather your team in the conference room for the event and serve light snacks, while your remote employees join on their home laptops.

Host a company happy hour

Invite your staff to a local restaurant or bar for a happy hour. Give each employee a gift card for apps and drinks and sponsor a shuttle to get employees home safely. During the happy hour, team leaders can recognize top-performing employees or hand out awards.

If you’re looking for a unique twist on a happy hour event, host a DIY mixology class where employees learn how to make their own drinks. Individual kits with necessary ingredients are sent before the event and are used at the instruction of a mixologist who joins your team via Zoom.  

Try Virtual Mixology Class - Let’s Shake Things Up or a Seasonal Cocktail Class.

Give these four employee appreciation ideas a try to show your staff that you value their work.