38 Amazing Birthday Gifts For Employees

Birthdays are supposed to be special, but they can feel mundane when you have to go to work and spend the day ticking items off task lists. 

Fortunately, you can zhuzh up your employee's birthday with an incredible birthday gift. It will make the day more memorable and show just how much the company appreciates and values their work. 

If you need help with what to gift your employee, we’ve got you covered. Here are 38 amazing birthday gifts for employees guaranteed to win you loads of appreciation. 

38 Employee Birthday Gift Ideas To Celebrate Their Special Day

Make your employee's day and celebrate their birthday with one of these awesome gifts.

1. Rewards Card 

Reward your birthday employee with a rewards card. More than half of employees prefer choosing their gift, making a rewards card the perfect birthday gift option. 

Get a PerkUp rewards card, stipulate how much you want to gift the employee, add a thoughtful message, and send it straight to your employee – no matter where they are. 

2. Company Swag 

Company swag, short for stuff we all get, is most commonly found in employee welcome kits. Branded company items are a right of passage. They also make great birthday presents. 

However, if you gift your employees branded swag for their birthdays, it must be special. Don't give them company swag they already have or items all other employees have. It should be something special and meaningful.

3. Personalized Pen 

Personalized pens are a mainstay of corporate gifting and an excellent option for senior employees who have been with the company for years. Purchase a high-quality pen, one worth getting personalized, and add your employee's name to the pen’s barrel. 

4. Daily Planner

Another popular corporate birthday gift is a daily planner. Every employee needs one to manage their workload and plan for the week. Birthdays are the perfect opportunity to help your employees get rid of their old, dreary planners. 

Replace it with a high-quality planner, preferably customized with their name on the front. Daily planners are especially great for employees who celebrate their birthdays early in the year. 

5. Snack Box 

Whether your employee has a sweet tooth or fancies more savory flavors, there is a snack box option for every palate. 

Common options include: 

• Candy snack boxes with a variety of sweet and sour treats. 

• Popcorn snack boxes have all types of popcorn, including caramel, cheese, chocolate, etc. 

• Meat snack boxes are perfect for any meat connoisseurs in the office. These types of snack boxes contain a variety of cured and smoked meats. 

• Cookie snack boxes offer an assortment of delicious cookies and biscuits. 

If you're unsure which one your employee will like, play it safe with a neutral snack box like popcorn or candy. 

6. Kitchen Appliances

While a considerable want for most people, kitchen appliances often fall on the back burner to purchase other essential items. 

Birthdays, however, are an opportunity for you to spoil your employees with a new kitchen appliance. Popular birthday items include air fryers, food processors, and smoothie or juice makers. 

7. Luxury Chocolates

Chocolates are a timeless birthday gift. They're also a perfect option for new employees or employees you don't know. 

Gift your employee a box of chocolates for their birthday. Fork out a little extra cash for a luxurious collection with an assortment of flavors. 

Remember to check if your employee has any severe allergies. Fortunately, you can still buy them chocolate if they do have allergies. There are many dairy and nut-free options to choose from. 

8. Wireless Charger

Long hours at work drain even the most powerful phone battery, and only some of us remember our chargers on the way to work. Help your employees avoid the awkward search for a compatible charging port with a wireless charger they can always keep on them.

9. Meal Subscription Service

We've all been there: it’s been a long day at work, and you finally made your way home – only to realize you still have to prepare dinner. 

Give your employees the gift of convenience with a meal subscription service like Hello Fresh. Offer a voucher or pay for the first month or two of the subscription service, and let them enjoy easy and delicious meals at home.

10. Streaming Subscription Services

Another great gift of convenience is a streaming service subscription. Whether it be music streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music or video streaming like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, your employee is sure to enjoy the opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy their favorite entertainment. 

11. Desk Fan 

Whether your employee works at home or in the company building, sitting hours at a desk can be stuffy and hot – especially in summer. Make work easier by giving your employee a small but powerful desk fan for their birthday. 

12. Online Course

Further your employee's education and improve their existing skill set with free online courses. Learning platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, and Coursera offer a variety of educational certifications your high-achieving employees are sure to love. 

13. Mug Warmer 

It’s an office tragedy as old as time: you’ve just brewed a warm cup of coffee or tea. You’re more than ready to enjoy your first warm sip. Only work gets in the way. When you’re done, you realize your coffee is cold and tasteless. 

Armor your employee and beat their office coffee woes with a mug warmer. It’ll keep their freshly brewed beverage warm while they complete their daily tasks. 

14. Event Tickets

Give your employees the chance to experience their favorite musician, comedian, or online personality with event tickets.

15. Spa Voucher 

Work and the 21st century is stressful. We’re all constantly bombarded with news, information, and things to do. One effective way to deal with this stress is by taking a day to relax and recharge.

Gift your employee a spa voucher and let them take time to rest their mind, body, and soul at a local spa. They’ll have a good time and return rejuvenated, ready to do even better work. 

16. Healing Box 

If you don’t have the budget for a full spa day or your employee is more of a homebody, take self-care home with a healing box. 

There are a variety of brands to choose from, but they all have common self-care and relaxation items – candles, incense, essential oils, moisturizers, and meditation guides. 

Related: Wellness Gifts For Employees: Ideas To Balance The Team

17. Food Delivery Voucher

Food delivery is more advanced than it has ever been. There are dozens of apps to choose from – Uber Eats, Doordash, PostMates – and they can be a real lifesaver when you don’t feel like cooking. 

So, send your employee a food delivery voucher. Give them time to relax and enjoy a delicious meal without picking up the bill. 

18. Desk Plant 

Brighten up your employee's desk and improve the overall atmosphere of the office with a cute desk plant. A low-maintenance plant, like a cactus, is both pretty and easy to manage. 

19. DIY Cocktail Kit 

Nothing tastes as good as a cocktail after a long week of hard work. Making DIY cocktails is also a fun skill to learn, one your employee's guests are sure to enjoy. Gift your employees a DIY cocktail kit and let them have some adult fun. 

20. Massager Tool 

Muscle and fascia tension is a common problem among modern workforces. Sitting for long hours every day, especially in front of a computer, causes the body to bunch up around the shoulders and lower back. 

One way to manage this tension at home is with a massage tool. From massage guns to foam rollers, these tools are guaranteed to improve your birthday employee’s quality of life. 

21. Workout Or Yoga Subscription

Consistent movement and stretching are also effective ways of managing work-related tension and stress. Help your employee stay healthy with a workout or yoga subscription. Whether for online or in-person classes, offering your employees free self-care will be a great motivator. 

22. Meditation Apps Subscription 

If your birthday employee isn’t the active type but still wants to work on their stress levels and mental clarity, get them a subscription to a meditation app like Calm or Headspace. With these apps, they can take mindfulness breaks whenever they need them. 

Related: 8 Ways To Celebrate World Mental Health Day & Employee Wellbeing

23. Bluetooth Speaker

Music is universally loved, and a Bluetooth speaker is a fun way to enjoy music at home or in small gatherings. It also makes for a great birthday present to employees. 

24. Unique Candles

Candles, another much-loved birthday gift, are delightful and affordable. There are also many options to choose from. You can buy your employee one or two of their favorite candles or opt for a candle gift box with unique scents. 

25. Book Or E-Book 

A good book can be entertaining and educational whether your employee reads before bed or on their break. 

So buy your employee a book. You can opt for one of your favorite books that you would recommend they read. Or, you can gift them a book voucher or e-book subscription so that they can choose their next read. 

26. Beverage Sampler 

Beverage samplers are extremely popular as gifts. They’re also more affordable than full-size drink packs. Gift your employees a coffee, tea, or hot chocolate sampler and let them enjoy a variety of new flavors. 

27. Board Game 

Bring out child-like joy in your employees with board games. Choose from classics like Clue, Monopoly, and Jenga or modern variations like the Harry Potter Monopoly. You can also include international favorites like Go, Mahjong, and Nine Men’s Morris. 

28. Small Desk Humidifier 

Humidifiers offer many benefits, including relieving allergy symptoms, alleviating nasal dryness, and moisturizing skin. If any employees struggle with these issues, give them a small desk humidifier for their birthday. 

29. Lunch Box And Cooler Bag 

Taking lunch to work is healthier and cheaper than buying it at work. But working up the motivation to pack lunch is a struggle. A great way to help your employees is by making lunch fun.

Buy your employee a fun, modern lunch box and cooler bag. A popular option is tiered lunch boxes and bento boxes. They’re big and fun to fill and will inspire your employees when packing lunch for work. 

30. Socks 

Socks, like music, are almost universally loved. They’re also entertaining to shop for and customize. You can be as creative as you want without worrying about what other people think. 

If you’re part of a smaller team and you know your employee well, gift them quirky socks for their birthday. For bigger companies, branded socks are a great replacement option. 

31. Electronic Gadgets

Electronic office gadgets will always come in handy. They’re also a great option if you want to purchase a birthday gift that is useful in the office. Favorites among employees include wireless mice, USBs, power banks, and wireless keyboards. 

32. Desktop Organizer

Desktop organizers are super helpful for remote and in-office employees. A clean desk is necessary for mental clarity and job satisfaction. So, help your employees sort out their office with a desktop organizer. 

33. Alcoholic Beverages

For some, one of the best ways to end the week is with a cold beer or glass of wine. And we’re sure many of your employees agree. 

Get your birthday employee a high-quality bottle of wine or spirits. For beer drinkers, you can opt for a craft beer from a local brewery. And for employees who don’t enjoy alcohol, there are many delicious alcohol-free options to choose from. 

34. Activity Tracker

Health is vital, especially if you’re sitting for hours every day. 

Help your employees on their wellness journey by gifting them an activity tracker. Activity trackers are an effective way of conceptualizing how much you’re moving and how much you need to improve. 

35. Hand Cream 

The combination of air conditioning, dry office air, and frequent typing can leave your hands dry. 

Give your employee hand cream to keep by their desk. Don’t just grab any hand cream from your local drugstore. Instead, get a luxurious-smelling cream from a nice skincare brand, like Lush or Bath & Body Works. 

36. Glassware Set 

Glassware, like wine glasses and whiskey decanters, is excellent for senior employee birthdays. They’re more expensive but offer a more mature vibe than the other gifts on this list. If you want to go the extra mile, have the employee’s initials cut onto the glass. 

37. Travel Experience 

Another great gift for senior employees is a travel experience. Book an all-expenses paid holiday or, if you don’t have the budget, provide a travel voucher to get them started on their journey. It’s a big gift and an experience your employees will appreciate for years to come. 

38. A Day Off 

Nothing beats the joy of having the day off. If you can afford to lose the staffing, gift your birthday employee the day off to spend time with friends and family. 

Final Thoughts

Make your employee's birthday memorable and show them you appreciate the work they do with a fantastic birthday gift.

If you're unsure what to get your employee, browse this guide and choose from the 38 amazing gifts above. Every item on this list is guaranteed to be a hit. 

Streamline birthday gifting, team dinners, employee rewards, and branded company swag with PerkUp. Use PerkUp to recognize achievements and celebrate special moments by sending global gifts and rewards.