Employee Appreciation Day is an event, observed on the first Friday in March.
If you know your staff is tuckered out and overwhelmed, it’s wise to show up big for Employee Appreciation Day and beyond.
A recent ResumeBuilder.com report indicated that a quarter of Americans plan on exiting the workforce in 2022. While reasons someone leaves a job are personal, it’s all the more important for employers to ensure they are regularly offering gratitude to workers — not just on appreciation days.
If you’re looking for fun, healthy ways to show employees they are valued and appreciated, this blog is for you!
Read on for unique options that show your team you’re thankful for their work.
Employee Appreciation Day Fun Ideas to Try
There’s no need for a boring day at the office when it comes to Employee Appreciation Day this year. Go above and beyond with these fun and healthy options to show your team how much you adore them.
Here are 11 ideas to try on March 4:
1. Rent or Buy Smoothie Bikes
You read that right: smoothie bikes are a thing. What better way to get motivated to exercise than to have food waiting for you at the end? Have your team hop on bikes to power up the attached blender that makes a smoothie while they burn calories. Brands like Rock the Bike and Wheely Good Smoothies offer bike purchases and rentals for companies to use for special events or to simply keep in-house.
2. DIY Smoothie Bar
Smoothies are a great way to get in a high-fiber meal option for busy workers. Bring in several blenders (specify which are to be used for dairy-free ingredients and for those with other allergies) for team members to make their own smoothies.
To complete your smoothie bar:
- Have a variety of plant-based milk on hand
- Set out options like coconut water or juice
- Offer a variety of fruits and veggies for blending
- Provide protein powders and sunflower butter
Smoothies are a healthy option filled with nutrients and a fun way to say thank you to your staff. Don’t have kitchen space for a smoothie bar? Take orders from employees and order in from a local juice bar or acai bowl restaurant.
3. Give Specialized Thank You Cards
Support a local artist, stationery shop, or even an Etsy paper artist by purchasing handmade thank-you cards. Make the cards even more special by handwriting a note thanking each individual team member for their efforts. If you can, add a specific story of a way they went above and beyond. Top off the gratitude note with a gift card to a natural foods store, a local healthy restaurant, or even a meal-planning service.
4. Reveal a New Health Benefit
Get your team pumped up about their company benefits by revealing a new benefit on Employee Appreciation Day. Not only is it a great way to thank your employees, but it’s also an opportunity to keep them loyal and engaged.
Some benefits to consider rolling out:
- On-site childcare options
- An employee assistance program
- New, better healthcare insurance
- Offer holistic healthcare coverage
Come March 1, send a teaser email out to your team regarding the new rollout. Let them know all will be revealed on Employee Appreciation Day and keep their eyes peeled for an announcement.
5. Have a Farm-to-Table Meal Experience
Partner with a local farm or restaurant that offers local and organic meal options. Hire the owner or head chef to come in for a special demo that shows how to prepare healthy meals. By the end of the demo, employees will be able to enjoy a freshly prepared lunch. For an even more in-depth experience, ask a nutritionist to come in for a Q-and-A session over lunch.
6. Giveaway Goodies
Everyone loves free items. Instead of giving out candy or other unhealthy items, think of thoughtful, high-quality gifts your staff will appreciate.
Some ideas:
- Exotic fruit baskets
- Personalized water bottle
- Herb seed kit with small pots
- Spa gift certificates for a massage
- A farmer’s market tote with a market gift card inside
Thoughtful, healthy gifts can be a perfect nudge toward leading a healthier lifestyle or even making smarter daily habits (like drinking more water!). Give a thank you card along with each to remind them why you appreciate their presence in the workplace.
7. Host a Healthy Lunch & Recipe Exchange
Love food gifts? To thank your team, treat them to lunch. Ahead of time, be sure to ask about any food allergies to do your best to accommodate health concerns. A buffet-style option offers plenty of variety and allows for food restrictions to be accommodated easily. Prior to the event, ask your employees to bring in their favorite healthy recipes to share and exchange with colleagues. For your next event, have your team make their favorite recipes for a potluck!
8. Massage Day
For office workers, sitting at a computer all day can lead to eye strain, headaches, neck and back pain. Treat your team to a professional massage day by bringing in a local massage team to provide chair massages. A massage school may even do it for free to help students earn credit hours.
A massage offers health benefits including:
- Relieves stress
- Increases immunity
- Improves circulation
- Reduces muscle tension
Be sure to have plenty of water on hand for staff to drink afterward. Massage releases toxins from the lymphatic system, and the body needs water to flush those out.
9. Host a Meal Prep Class
Meal prepping is a powerful way to stay on top of healthy eating habits. While it may take a while to do, it saves time for those who do it because there’s no hemming and hawing over what’s for dinner. Consider hiring a local chef to teach an on-site meal prep course or sign up for a local course nearby. Meal prepping can also teach your team to pre-portion meals, which prevents overeating and can keep them in a healthier weight range. Offer grocery gift cards to employees who attend to help with their first meal prep adventure at home.
10. Meditate Together
There’s no denying stress takes its toll. On Employee Appreciation Day, ask your workers to take a pause and come together for a meditation class. Hire a local instructor to come in and teach the basics of breathwork and different options to try. Offer meditation as a thank-you gift of stress reduction, something all workers can benefit from.
Meditation is a powerful tool because it’s proven to:
- Decrease pain
- Reduce anxiety
- Improve immunity
- Improve resilience
- Boost emotional intelligence
Not in an office together? Consider a virtual meditation session. Or, send your remote workers a few books on meditation, deep breathing, and yoga for them to read at their leisure.
Related: 9 Science-Backed Reasons You Should Meditate on a Daily Basis
11. Unveil Newly-Installed Bike Racks
If your office is full of people who love to bike, this can be a big surprise for them. Offer your appreciation to the bikers in the office by installing a new bike rack. Unveil it on the day of Employee Appreciation Day so everyone knows where it is. Biking is an excellent cardio activity and benefits the earth as well as the human body. For those who will be using it, give away company-branded bike locks and towels. Give out company-branded water bottles to the non-bikers to ensure they don’t feel left out!
Take Time to Appreciate Your Workers
Your workers are what make the company wheels go round.
This Employee Appreciate Day, spend the day showing them how much you appreciate what they do to keep the company going. Don’t wait for end-of-year bonuses to give a big thank you. Instead, start sprinkling your employees with your gratitude starting now.
While Employee Appreciation Day is, of course, an ideal day to celebrate your workers, research shows that regularly saying thanks and offering gratitude goes a long way in the workplace. In fact, 93% of people agree that grateful bosses are more likely to succeed. Wouldn’t you rather work for a thankful boss than one who never says a peep about your work ethic?
Thank an employee today. They’ll be happy to hear it.
How will you celebrate your employees? Drop your ideas and traditions in the comments down below!
