Employee Appreciation Day: 5 Ways To Celebrate

“Year-round, staff have a lot on their minds. We are faced with challenges every day, from ensuring deadlines are met, communicating with clients to brainstorming and developing new ideas. Over the past few years, in particular, employees have been pushing themselves above and beyond to ensure clients are happy and business numbers are positive. This is why this year, Staff Appreciation Day should be a big deal in your office, virtual or in person!
Countless studies are confirming the effect of praise and gratitude in a workplace, contributing towards a positive company culture. Where employees feel valued by their employers and colleagues, they feel more motivated to show up and do their best work day after day. Employee Appreciation Day, on the 4th of March this year is the perfect way to ensure everyone feels thanked and valued, even in the largest of businesses. Here are a few ideas for your 4th March celebrations, with in-person as well as remote ideas for you to try out!

Movie Day
To say thank you to those hard-working employees, giving them a well-deserved break is an excellent idea. Why not set up a movie in a meeting or conference room (granted that it’s not needed for meetings) and allow employees the chance to relax for an afternoon. If you can’t spare the whole team, you could even organise shifts, or even switch the film for episodes of your staff’s favourite TV show.
You could even transform this into a hybrid or fully remote Staff Appreciation Day celebration using screen sharing or watch party modes on platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Creativity Break
While a movie break can be fun, boost your employee morale by running a more creative break opportunity. Set up a station where staff are encouraged to paint, draw, do origami or do anything else they’d like. Letting imagination run free is an excellent way to recuperate after a stressful task or client interaction. This creativity break is limited to in-person offices, you can set up a communal online whiteboard or watch an origami video together on Zoom or Teams. However it suits your team best, get the creative juices flowing for a little while! For more naturally creative staff, you could even set up a little competition for the best result.

Get Out and About
It can be difficult to remain productive within the same 4 walls for weeks and months at a time. If it isn’t already part of your team’s schedule, organise a trip outside of the office for the team to enjoy. Whether a team-building exercise or just a chance for your employees to catch up, this experience can be outside and socially distanced or even allow employees to dial in to involve the whole staff of a business. This could be a trip to the zoo, a hike to a nearby landmark, or even a picnic. Get your employees involved in the planning process to ensure everyone’s opinions are heard.

Display Recognition
While a break may be appreciated, it’s also a great idea to celebrate Staff Appreciation Day by showing your employees that they are valued. This may be more appropriate for smaller companies or for team leaders or managers to carry out for their colleagues. Whether on a certificate or e-mail, detailing their efforts over the last year for the company and acknowledging the challenges they have overcome is a great way of ensuring they feel seen and valued within the team. Not only will this boost morale, but also give an incentive to continue the excellent standard of work they have already displayed.

Break Room Makeover
If your employees and colleagues are office-based, revamping the breakroom to ensure it is a comfortable and relaxing environment could be the way to go for Employee Appreciation Day. If the furniture is looking a little tired or uninspiring, consider replacing them for a better environment for staff to recuperate during working days. You could even ask your teams for input on what they would like their breakroom to look like to involve them in the design process.
Our range of lounge chairs here at Office Chairs UK is an excellent place to start, with big savings and professional brands to give your break room the makeover it needs.
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