Do you tell your employees you appreciate their contribution to the company? That was the question posed by Harvard Business Review. If your answer is no, it’s time you started! According to their collected research data, there is a significant positive correlation between recognition and engagement.

Don’t know where or how to start? National Employee Appreciation Day is the obvious choice. But you don’t have to stress about the details. We’ve put together a list of great ideas for you so that you can implement employee appreciation that delivers results. 

Here are our top 12 recommendations for how to show your employees you value them on National Employee Appreciation Day. 

When Is National Employee Appreciation Day?

In the US, National Employee Appreciation Day is celebrated on the first Friday in March each year. A similar day of nationwide employee appreciation is celebrated in a few other countries across the world. However, the date may differ.

While not an official holiday, it is gaining a huge following in the US and abroad. Some companies let their employees go home early for the day. Others organize events or offer physical gifts. The size of the company (and of course, the budget) will usually dictate how business owners mark the day.

What matters, though, is not how you celebrate the day in your workplace, but rather that you do celebrate it.

When Did It Start And Why?

National Employee Appreciation Day was first celebrated in 1995. It was instituted by Bob Nelson Ph.D,  a board member of Recognition Professional International, and in partnership with his publishing company, Workman Publishing. He had two good reasons for doing so. 

The first reason for it was to celebrate the publication of his book ‘1001 Ways To Reward Employees’. This was subsequently renamed  ‘1501 Ways To Reward Employees’. It’s a bestseller and we highly recommend it for everyone in the fields of management and HR. 

The second reason, and the most relevant, was to remind managers how important it is to thank employees for good work. And we couldn’t agree more with Dr. Nelson about the need for appreciation and recognition. Showing appreciation is so much more important in the workplace than you may realize!

Why It's Important To Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day

Your employees are the lifeblood of your business. Without their hard work and dedication, you wouldn’t attain your company’s goals, and achieve the successes you currently enjoy. This is especially true for those who go beyond the call of duty and prove their loyalty to your company over and over again. 

Everyone wants to feel that they are truly appreciated and that their efforts do not go unnoticed. This is a universal trait, and it’s just as crucial in the workplace. We think it’s even more essential at work because that’s where so many people spend the majority of their time.

Such tireless dedication requires proper recognition and reward. And this is possible no matter the size of your budget, or the industry you are in.

All it takes is a bit of ingenuity, and you’ll find the perfect way to say “I appreciate you” to your hardworking staff. 

The Benefits Of Making Employees Feel Appreciated

If all that celebrating this day did was make your employees happy, it would be enough. They work hard for you and deserve it. But showing your employees appreciation has several benefits, for them and the business. 

Your employees will:

• Be more engaged and therefore more productive. Productivity among highly engaged teams is 14% higher than that of teams with the lowest engagement.

• Feel less stressed at work.

• Have more job satisfaction. An employee who feels appreciated and recognized is 63% more likely to stay on at their job. 

• See the entire company in a more positive light.

• Feel valued, enjoy greater confidence, and get a morale boost.

Your company will:

• Build positive, lasting relationships with its staff.

• Reap the rewards of more engaged and efficient employees.

• Improve its brand and employer image.

• Reduce staff turnover. About 54% of employees leave their jobs because they don’t feel appreciated. 

• Provide a work environment that supports and nurtures its workforce.

Do you want your staff to start enjoying these benefits? Are you ready for your company to start enjoying those benefits? Then it’s time for your business to start wholeheartedly celebrating your employees. National Employee Appreciation Day may just be the start of a whole new dynamic in your workplace.

12 Awesome Employee Appreciation Day Ideas For The Workplace

If you’ve never done this before, you may need a bit of guidance. Or perhaps you’re not new to the concept, just in need of fresh inspiration. Don’t worry, we’ve got all of that covered, with these 12 awesome employee appreciation ideas for the workplace! 

However, you may have some ideas of your own that are more suitable for your particular work environment or industry. You know your employees best, so feel free to adapt these suggestions as you see fit.

1. Time Off

Your employees spend a large portion of their waking hours at work. What’s more, it takes time to get to work and home again. That’s not even taking any overtime into account, or time spent dropping and fetching their children at a childcare facility so they can work.

They give so much of their precious time to the company. It’s time to give them a bit of time back. Whether it’s the day off or just going home an hour early, giving them some time off is a great way to show your employees that you appreciate them.

This gesture is sure to be deeply appreciated, as it means more time for them to spend with their loved ones or doing things they enjoy. If it’s not feasible to do this for everyone on the same day, stagger it over the course of a week, or even throughout the month.

2. Guest Speaker

Inviting a guest speaker to speak to your employees is another top idea for celebrating Employee Appreciation Day. But remember, this is all about your employees and not about the business. So choose a speaker that has nothing to do with the company, your clients, or with the work. 

Don’t know who to pick? Select someone who is an authority on the most prevalent hobby amongst your workers. Or a motivational speaker. Whatever you decide, be sure to make attendance voluntary. It’s not a lecture, it’s a reward. Encourage attendance through an emailed invitation to all the staff.

Don’t worry if you aren’t sure of what their hobbies and pastimes are. A quick look at their social media accounts will usually provide the answer. Or simply do a quick in-office survey and ask them what they do in their free time. It’ll show that you are interested in what interests them. 

3. ‘Lunch Is On Us’

Everyone needs to eat to stay healthy and fuel their brain cells for the workday. This is why hosting a special lunch for your employees is a no-brainer. It will be a lot easier if your workforce is a small one, and there are no unusual dietary requirements. But even a light lunch featuring an array of snack foods will make their day!

Remember to inform all your employees in advance that “lunch is on us” on Employee Appreciation Day. This will avoid the inconvenience and confusion of them packing in lunch they don’t need for the day. It will also give them all enough time to let you know if they need any special catering.

Find out if anyone needs kosher or halal meals or vegetarian cuisine. Nearly one-third of adults have some type of allergy, and food allergies are very common. So make sure that you check if anyone has a food allergy, before ordering platters or booking a restaurant. They will love that you care enough to ask.

4. Fun & Games

There’s not usually much time for fun and games at work. Sure, some work environments are more laid-back, but even so, the workplace is not the place for playing games. Unless it’s Employee Appreciation Day, that is.

Stress in the workplace is a reality that we all have to deal with, but it can become a problem if left unchecked. Fortunately, playing games and engaging in fun activities can help alleviate stress and boost your workers’ moods.

The experts at the Occupational Safety And Health Administration say that workplace stress can negatively affect your employees’ workplace engagement, job performance, and productivity levels. If severe, it can even affect their physical abilities and daily functioning. 

So help your employees relax and have fun by organizing some fun activities on National Employee Appreciation Day. Choose an activity that fosters problem-solving and teamwork, but is still fun.  Examples of this are a fun run, relay race, or even a scavenger hunt with competing teams.

Indoor activities can include trivia contests and testing employees’ general knowledge. You can also include some fun prizes. This is the best route if your team includes less physically able people.

5. Gifts For All

A small gift for each employee is a surefire way to show them your appreciation. Of course, gifting everyone at the company may not be within your budget. But with some careful forethought and planning, you can supply your employees with rewards and recognition gifts whenever the need arises. 

A rewards platform like PerkUp is the best solution for your employee appreciation gifts. From quality tech devices to office supplies, and sweet treats to wellness options, there’s something for everyone. Many rewards are customizable, so you can cater to your employees’ interests and ensure maximum impact. 

Your employees can also choose their gifts, according to a budget that you set. That’s a winning recipe – showing appreciation while respecting their power of choice. It’s the perfect foundation for a rewards and recognition program, not just for Employee Appreciation Day, but all through the year.

6. Online Recognition

Give your employees some online recognition, with a shout-out to all your hard-working staff on your website and social media pages. If you have a small complement of staff, go the extra mile and mention each by name. But if you’re going to name names, please don’t leave anyone out. 

This will show that you value their contributions to the company, big and small, one and all. Teamwork is what keeps the cogs and wheels of your business turning. This includes every person on the payroll, not just the team leaders and the management. So give recognition everywhere it is due.

If you don’t already have a social media account for your business, this may be the ideal time to set one up. It’s a great marketing tool, and suitable for all sorts of special days like Employee Appreciation Day. Have fun with it, and it will prove to be very useful in the future.

7. Outdoor Event

An outdoor event is another fun activity for Employee Appreciation Day. Most office workers would love the opportunity to get some more fresh air during their workday. Research suggests that just 30 minutes of fresh air boosts productivity, too. 

Whereas the fun and games idea is suitable for both indoor and outdoor spaces, this focuses on getting your workforce out into the open air. But what should you do out there in the open air? That depends on your unique workplace dynamics. 

Are there any sports or outdoor fans on staff? A friendly game of softball or beach volleyball may do the trick. Hiking and walking appeal to all age groups and activity levels. So a gentle hike or nature walk in beautiful scenery would be better if many of your employees were older or less active.

8. Appreciation Wall

If you don’t have the time or resources to go hiking or to a catered lunch, do some decorating instead. Create an appreciation wall at your workplace, with candid snaps of your employees that you can print out and attach to the wall. Choose a wall in a hallway that they all have to walk past at least once a day.

In the days leading up to National Employee Appreciation Day, get the photographer to walk through the premises snapping everyone's photo. Once again, you don’t want to leave anyone out.  That’s why you’ll do this a few days in advance, in case you miss a few due to a sick day or other reason.

To make it even more fun, allow your employees to be as quirky as they like when they get their snapshot taken. Mount these pics under a banner, saying "We appreciate you!” It will make them smile whenever they walk past the appreciation wall and see themselves and their coworkers. 

9. Say It With A Personalized Card Or Certificate

There’s something about seeing one’s name in print that makes a profound impact. Tell your employees that you appreciate them, all of them, with a personalized card or better yet, a certificate of appreciation, for each.

As always, you need to be realistic about the number of employees in your workforce. If there are just too many to send a personalized card to individually, choose one of the other ideas above. But if the numbers are doable, this kind gesture is sure to melt their hearts.

Intent on saving the environment? You don’t have to go the paper route. E-cards and digital certificates will do very nicely, too. The medium is not nearly as important as the message. Even a generic e-card with a simple message like “Happy National Employee Appreciation Day. We appreciate you” will suffice.

10. Encourage Peer-To-Peer Appreciation

Want to know what’s just as effective as words of appreciation from the boss? Signs of appreciation from your peers. Encourage this form of recognition and appreciation, by including an element of peer-to-peer recognition in your National Employee Appreciation Day activities.

The easiest way to do this is by using the general channel on your communications platform (Slack, Microsoft Teams, etc). Give your staff an hour to send shoutouts to one another on the platform, saying what they appreciate about their coworkers. 

This makes it a team effort and maximizes the impact. Peer recognition is also a good takeaway for the future. Try to incorporate it into your existing rewards and recognition program, if you have one. If you don’t, it’s time to get one set up! 

11. Memes Galore, Gifs & More

Office communications quickly become a bit generic and boring. Liven them up a little on this special day. Invite staff members to use memes, gifs, or anything else they like to inject fun into the day’s communications. 

Keep it light and entertaining, and advise everyone to stay away from controversial topics or imagery. Every meme or gif should spread positivity. Or choose a theme that aligns with your industry. An example would be AI-themed movie scenes and characters for a tech company. 

While they’re kept busy doing that, upload some fun Employee Appreciation Day gifs of your own. To make it even more relevant, include funny memes or gifs that feature popular bosses, or leaders of any kind in movies and pop culture. 

12. Show Appreciation With Some Company Swag

If a day filled with fun activities isn’t feasible, here’s an engaging gift idea perfect for Employee Appreciation Day. Show how much you appreciate their contributions to the workplace, by dressing them up in some high-quality company swag! 

This celebrates your employees with gifts they can actually use and fosters a deeper sense of belonging and community. It's the ideal employee appreciation gift idea for remote workers too, making them feel more connected to the company and their team. 

Examples include t-shirts or baseball caps bearing the company slogan or logo. Alternatively, have laptop bags or backpacks embossed with your company’s name. Branded coffee mugs are also always popular, and an affordable option for a large workforce.

Final Thoughts

Do you show your employees that they are appreciated? There are many ways to achieve this, but one of the most effective is a rewards and recognition program. PerkUp makes this easy, with our wide selection of products, gift cards, tailor-made experiences, and company swag options.

Now you can delegate spot rewards and general recognition, and celebrate employee milestones with ease. Best of all, your employees get to choose the rewards they really want. Leading companies use PerkUp to show their employees how much they value them. Book your demo today, and discover why.