Every year on the first Friday of March, Employee Appreciation Day is celebrated in the US. It’s the perfect opportunity to share Employee Appreciation Day memes and add a touch of fun to your team’s day.

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No matter how big or small the company, employees are an organization's most valuable asset. When leaders and management appreciate and encourage their employees, there is a significant shift in employee engagement and productivity. 

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That said, the primary focus in most work environments is business objectives and the day-to-day operations of the organization. Although employees are quintessential to a company’s success, their efforts are often overlooked.

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Employees love to be recognized by their employers. Even a simple thank you note can have a significant positive impact. 

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A sincere yet casual way to express your gratitude from time to time is to use an Employee Appreciation Day meme. 

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Memes are images with text overlays that express views and feelings, and are intended to be humorous. 

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There is now widespread recognition of their social engagement value.

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Using Memes In A Professional Setting

 Here’s some guidance on using memes in the workplace before you share one:

Employee Appreciation Day memes are excellent for engaging with your teams, especially remotely. For the most impact, try to keep them relevant.

Remember that you may be dealing with a large audience beyond your workplace because memes often spread quickly. Not everybody enjoys the same humor. Plan carefully so you do not offend anyone. 

Keep the language appropriate, and don’t forget to spell check.

Jokes about religion, race, gender, sex or stereotypes are divisive and inappropriate.

Do not use humor that could discredit your clients, the organization, or employees.

We've lined up a few fun Employee Appreciation Day memes to help you get started! 

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Employee Appreciation Day Meme Ideas

1. Mr Bean

Facial expression can be very impactful for conveying a message. Who has a more expressive face than Mr Bean? A comedy legend, Mr Bean effortlessly communicates across cultures and requires few words to understand.

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It is not hard to get a good dose of laughter from a Mr Bean meme. This well-known and beloved comedy character is perfect for light-hearted and funny employee appreciation memes.

2. Celebration Minions

Minion memes can be used for employee appreciation and many other occasions. These cute yellow characters from the popular Despicable Me movies come in so many different versions and poses. 

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There is a minion and a meme for every fun workplace occasion. We’ve picked this one for employee appreciation day.

3. The Most Interesting Man in the World

This meme comes from a Dos Equis beer advert featuring actor Jonathan Goldsmith. He’s a suave-looking gray-haired gentleman dubbed “The Most Interesting Man in the World”. 

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This is the perfect meme for a more serious message from management. In the original advert, Goldsmith comments, “I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis. Stay thirsty, my friends.”

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It was not long before Internet users began posting screenshots of the advert with the text, usually starting “I don’t usually…” at the top and “But when I do..” at the bottom. 

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This open-ended phrase has made this one of the most popular memes worldwide and it’s used to express a multitude of ideas and situations. 

4. A Toast to Outstanding Employees

This meme features famous actor Leonardo Dicaprio in a dashing formal suit as he makes a toast with a glass of champagne from the film The Great Gatsby. The message of this meme comes across even without adding text.

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But you can also find an image such as this one and add text to make a meme especially for your employees. There are plenty of free apps to make new memes online.

Related: 8 Fun Employee Appreciation Day GIFs To Share With Your Team

5. Office Space

What better meme to use than one in an office setting? This meme is from the hilarious 90s comedy Office Space.

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It’s about a stereotypical boss overloading a hapless employee with pointless paperwork and overtime until the employee just stops going to work.

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A meme like this can be used ironically by managers who truly value their staff and frequently show appreciation. 

6. Business Cat 

For cat-loving employees, this professional-looking feline named Emilio is just the meme you need to tell them they’re awesome.

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Emilio’s cat parent took this photo of him wearing a tie and the meme community went to work. Usually it includes text appropriate to management. This is another great meme you can use to express your gratitude. 

7. Success Kid

The well-known photo of a toddler with a clenched fist and determined facial expression is the perfect meme to congratulate people on their performance. 

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If you have a team or employee that has hit the ball out of the park, consider this cute fist pump meme.

8. One Does Not Simply… 

Many people are familiar with this meme from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings featuring Boromir. 

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The endless variations of this open-ended meme always start with the words: “One does not simply…” and finish with a witty follow-up. 

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Feel free to add whatever text is most appropriate to your team. For example, “One does not simply recognize employees only once a year”.

9. Buddy the Elf 

The main character in the film Elf is an incredibly versatile character for memeing purposes. 

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If you want to show how excited you are to have your employee on your team, Buddy the Elf is the way to go.

10. Thanking Squirrel

Who can resist a photo of an adorable animal? The Thanking Squirrel, standing on its hind legs with its arms reaching to the sky, looks as if it is singing praises. 

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This is the perfect meme to use to celebrate your team. 

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Final Word

Employee Appreciation Day is the perfect opportunity to give your people the recognition they deserve!

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With that being said, it’s widely documented that employee rewarding and appreciation needs to be frequent in order to achieve real employee engagement.