Employee appreciation day is a day to remind managers, HR, and other senior departments & individuals of the importance of employees and their work throughout the entirety of an organisation. It serves to help strengthen corporate culture by improving & maintaining employee–employer relations.
Why does employee appreciation day exist?
Employee appreciation day was created in 1995 by Dr. Bob Nelson, at first solely to promote his book surrounding the topic of employee appreciation ‘1,001 ways to reward employees.’ It’s celebrated in the US, UK, & Canada officially but as the years go by it’s continuing to grow, with more companies celebrating their employees every year on the first Friday in March and hopefully celebrating their employees in more subtle ways throughout the year as a whole.
What makes employee appreciation day so important?
Appreciation of employees is absolutely essential in the modern corporate world. Recognising and appreciating employees and their work is a major driver in employee engagement and overall job satisfaction, leading to increased productivity, retention, and an overall better work environment. Not appreciating employees can seriously impact a company's competitiveness in the market. If employees are happy, then the businesses they work for are far more likely to succeed and maintain that success.
What can you do to celebrate?
So, now the background and importance have been established. What can you do not only on employee appreciation day, but throughout the working year to appreciate employees?
Below are a few ways we think that you can make a start when it comes to appreciating employees!
Encourage appreciation amongst employees
By encouraging employees to celebrate each other’s work through small gestures day to day, you can help create a better work environment in which everyone feels appreciated.
Food, food, food
People love to eat, and bringing in food as a reward and motivation can improve interpersonal relationships and boost morale in the office. Free lunch!
Reward Schemes
Creating reward schemes can help employees achieve goals, and maximise productivity whilst also maintaining a level of appreciation that will boost employee satisfaction and happiness!
More time off for employees
Time off is a major deal for employees, and a lot of the time those extra days off can help boost productivity and happiness levels whilst they’re in the office. Allowing employees to have a bit more flexibility in their lives is a great way to show appreciation.
Encourage Employee Fedback
Giving employees a voice that's heard is another great way to show appreciation. If their opinions are respected, and ideas acted upon, it will be much clearer to employees that they are appreciated.
Social Events
Social events are a great way to boost that team feeling, and improve interpersonal relationships in businesses. Creating a relaxed environment gives employees the feeling that they are trusted to get work done and therefore appreciated.
Celebrate Birthdays
Everybody has a birthday, and people spend A LOT of time at work, so ignoring birthdays in the office is a great way to detach employees from the business. Making sure people’s birthdays are celebrated at work in some way is an easy way to show appreciation!
Create ‘wellness days’
Wellness days are days dedicated to making sure employees are feeling good about their life and their work. They can be a great way to show employees they are valued beyond the work they produce and create a more relaxed feel in the office, boosting social relations and overall wellbeing.
Here's some ideas on what you could add to a 'wellness day.'
https://www.sensemassage.co.uk/blog/65-20-unique-wellness-day-ideas-activities-for-staff
Offer training opportunities, and other career progression opportunities
Offering employees the opportunity to progress at work is a great way to show appreciation. Showing that you’re willing to invest in an employee is bound to increase their job satisfaction, and make them feel appreciated.
Celebrate milestones
Employee loyalty should be recognised and appreciated. If employees have work anniversaries or exceed expectations, make sure they are celebrated and thanked.
If you’re thinking of showing employees that you appreciate them this Employee Appreciation Day, why not get them some Brown Paper Packages?
Choose some of our curated corporate boxes, or create your own from scratch using our build-a-box feature to reward employees and show them you appreciate them this year!
For more details please get in touch via the corporate contact form:
https://www.brownpaperpackages.co.uk/corporate-contact-form
or send an email to Helen@Brownpaperpackages.co.uk
