August 21, 2024
According to the calendar, staff appreciation day is the first Friday in March.
According to us, every day is the perfect day for appreciating your employees. We've rounded up our top gift suggestions, with options at every price point. Check them out below.
Paid Time Off
PTO is a gift of time and money. Nearly every worker will appreciate the opportunity to take a paid day off and spend it however they want. Consider gifting employees with a PTO day on their birthdays to help them make the most of the day.
A Bonus Check
A little extra money is always a welcome gift. This lets employees put the money where they see fit, whether that's paying for their kids' soccer club or upgrading their laptop.
Wellness Packages
A wellness package may be especially appreciated if your company already strives to promote employee well-being through a wellness program. Packages are also ideal because you can add items at a variety of price points and tailor them based on individual employee preferences.
Potential items that might be in a wellness package include -
- Yoga mat
- Reusable water bottle
- Fitness tracker
- Online fitness classes
- Essential oils
- Acupressure mat
- Resistance bands
Desk Plants
Low-maintenance plants will brighten up just about any workspace. You can double the impact by working with a local greenhouse or nursery instead of a corporate outdoor supply store.
These low-light options are easy to keep alive even for someone with a black thumb.
- Snake plant
- ZZ plant
- Peace lily
- Pothos
- Spider plant
- Philodendron
- Chinese evergreen
Work-From-Home Essentials
A great choice for remote employees, work-from-home gifts make their workday run a little more smoothly. Popular items include an ergonomic mouse pad, noise-canceling headphones, and blue light-blocking glasses.
Experience Gifts
Experience gifts create lasting memories and can often be tailored to a worker's individual preferences. You may opt to provide multiple options and let employees choose an experience that most appeals to them.
Popular experience gifts include:
- Concert or event tickets
- Adventure experiences such as zip-lining or a hot-air balloon ride
- Cooking workshops
- Escape room vouchers
- Photography sessions
Some local vendors may offer discounted prices for large groups, making it more feasible to offer lessons or memberships to employees in small to medium-sized businesses.
Online or In-Person Classes
Offer course subscriptions for classes that don't relate to work, like a mixology class at a local bar or an online watercolor painting class.
For remote employees, a gift card to MasterClass or Teachable will allow workers to choose a class that they find interesting.
Snacks
It's hard to go wrong with a snack mixture. Lay out a spread in the breakroom and let employees grab something to eat whenever the urge strikes them.
Books or Games
Entertainment options can be a fun choice, but unless you have a clear sense of each employee's preferences, provide a spread of options and let each individual choose their favorite. You may even catch some colleagues playing during their lunch break.
Branded Apparel
Your team probably doesn't need another branded pen, but branded jackets or work polos are almost always a welcome treat.
Price can be a determining factor, but try to find a middle ground between the cheapest option available and the high-end choices. Quality items will last longer and reflect well on your company brand.
You might choose from apparel items such as -
- Premium polo shirts
- Fleece or softshell vests
- Baseball caps
- Hooded windbreakers
- Corporate socks
Out-of-the-Box Employee Appreciation Gift Ideas
We've covered the conventional favorites, but sometimes you need to rock the boat and appeal to a unique set of employees or surprise an individual with something that shows you listen. Here are a few ideas to inspire your creative side:
- DNA ancestry kits
- Customized LEGO sets
- Star naming
- Personalized comic strip
- Sound wave art
- Star naming
- Custom pet portrait
Employee Appreciation Matters
Making an effort to celebrate your employees has a direct impact on productivity, employee retention, workplace morale, and employee engagement.
People who feel like they are appreciated are more likely to remain with your organization and strive to perform at a high level.
While tangible employee appreciation gifts are a welcome treat, you don't have to blow your budget to demonstrate your gratitude.
Recognizing workers through in-person praise, email shoutouts, and post-it notes left on their computers can go a long way.
You can opt to streamline the employee appreciation process by using Terryberry's employee recognition platform that allows for peer-to-peer and top-down recognition.
Want to learn more? Connect with us today.
