Employee Appreciation Day is “officially” Friday, March 1, according to the bonus holiday arbiters, but celebrations can be anytime. Let’s explore some initiatives that promote employee well-being and contribute to a healthier, happier workplace at any office. Mindfulness Practices. Employees can incorporate mindfulness techniques and practices into daily routines to reduce stress and enhance well-being. Mindfulness is about being aware and awake rather than operating unconsciously. Slowing down and paying attention to routine tasks helps be mindful in the workplace. Relaxation breaks are essential throughout the day to unplug from work. Be sure employees are taking breaks, which is beneficial for improved productivity. Healthy Office Snacks. Encourage healthier diets in the workplace with nutritional and delicious snack options. Donuts are not a healthy breakfast option for employees, though it might be fun for National Donut Day. Instead, provide fresh fruit like apples and bananas and seasonal fruits like peaches or watermelon. Provide drinks that do not have chemicals in them, like high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Avoid snacks with hydrogenated oils or artificial dyes. Offer a variety of protein bars, trail mixes, and beverages like Body Armor that replenish the body with electrolytes and essential minerals. Trader Joe’s has a wide selection of natural, healthy snacks at affordable prices. These healthy options give everyone more energy, resulting in better productivity than butter, sugar and neurotransmitter disruptors. Healthy Recipe Sharing. Foster a sense of community in the office by having everyone share their favorite healthy recipes. Not everyone will be on a keto diet or vegan, but that doesn’t mean employees can’t share healthy recipes. By sharing recipes, instead of just looking at recipes online, everyone can have first-hand knowledge of what works and what does not. After accumulating enough recipes, turn it...
Employee Appreciation Day
Celebrate on March 3
Employee Appreciation Day is this Friday, March 3, but you can start the celebration anytime! If you haven’t taken advantage of celebrating Employee Appreciation Day before, now is a great chance to do so. Expressing gratitude and letting employees know that you appreciate them is one of the best ways to keep employees engaged and motivated in the workplace. Here are some creative ideas that will show your employees they are appreciated. Team building day. If the budget allows, take a group outing to a fun team-building activity. Bowling or TopGolf are great outings with teams to have some friendly competition. Have employees vote on a fun activity to do together. This will create excitement and show employees that the company cares about their input. If your team is working from home, plan a virtual escape room. There’s a virtual escape room for every team dynamic with different themes, from art heists to murder mysteries. If spending money is out of the budget, volunteering at a locally supported nonprofit is a great way to get out of the office and doesn’t cost anything. If anything, everyone will feel better when doing better. Bring in a guest speaker. Keep things exciting by bringing in a surprise guest. Find a motivational speaker, hypnotist, or comedian to bring in for a fun break during the workday. Since most of today’s world works from home, you can schedule a virtual Zoom meeting with the guest. Bringing in a guest speaker or entertainer is a great way to boost employees’ moods and improve employee morale. Plus, it will leave employees with something to talk about for years to come! Write a LinkedIn Recommendation. LinkedIn is a modern, public-facing resume. When employees consistently perform well, take some time to write thoughtful recommendations on LinkedIn about the value they bring to the company. Include details about how the employee drove business results and how much you enjoy working with them on various projects. This unique way of showing appreciation demonstrates your investment in employees’ career development now and in the future. Endorsements for skills mastery on LinkedIn can work the same way. Recognition ceremony. When he recognized his employees at the Dundie awards, Michael Scott was onto something. What a great way to show that the company cares and recognizes success. Employee recognition is essential to creating strong office culture. Host a recognition ceremony for your employees to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day. Honor each employee for a contribution that they have made to the team. You might not go as quirky as The Office but have some fun and get creative for awards to keep things lively. Gratitude notes. A little bit of gratitude can go a long way in the workplace. Create thank you notes for each employee that express why you and the company are grateful for having them on the team. Try not to make these cards sound generic—consider how each individual has contributed to the company’s success. If budget allows, include a small personal gift or gift card with the gratitude note. These recognition ideas will communicate to employees and teams that you and the company see and appreciate their hard work. Virtual employees can often feel forgotten or disconnected. By increasing recognition and gratitude, team members will likely feel more engaged and motivated to continue doing their best work daily. With all the benefits and return on investment from appreciation, it’s worth the...
Employee Appreciation
Yardi Atlanta Marks Special Day
In honor of Employee Appreciation Day, Yardi Atlanta set up Appreciation Stations throughout the office. Employees were encouraged to take a few moments to think about someone they’d like to acknowledge for doing a great job or helping their team. “The person you acknowledge could be someone on your team, someone you went through training with that made it just a little bit easier, or even someone who may have given you a few words of encouragement over a cup of coffee,” Catrina Ishman, human resources generalist at Yardi Atlanta wrote in an office-wide email explaining the event. “Whoever it might be, please stop by one of the Appreciation Stations and write a few kind words letting them know why you appreciate them.” Employees were given one week to plan, write, and drop off their letters at the Appreciation Stations. There were no limits on how many appreciation letters employees could create. Since it was the first year for such an activity, the planning committee was not sure how it would turn out. They were pleasantly surprised to distribute over 300 appreciation letters at the end of the week! After the planning committee distributed the appreciation letters, Yardi team members excitedly read their letters. Many posted the cards of gratitude and encouragement in their cubicles. Some team members were gracious enough to share their letters: “I would like to express my gratitude for those employees that take action when there is work to be done. Whether it’s emptying the dishwasher, volunteering for a Yardi event, or calling a client, it’s easy to overlook the importance of those that ‘keep the trains running on time.’ But your commitment to excellence has not gone unnoticed. Thank you, Yardi Employees!” – Adam “Chris, Thank you so much for always helping me with all of my questions and never making me feel like a burden. You were one of the first ones to make me feel like I was a part of this crazy PHA family. Thanks for being a great co-worker and awesome friend. You da best.” -Alyssa “Marilyn, Thank you for always having the answers 😊 You are a fountain of knowledge, and not just about all things Yardi. I hope you know how much you’re appreciated!” – Jill “Dear Kim, Thank you for all the help and guidance that you constantly provide me with. As a fledgling sparrow in the vast skies of Yardi, you have helped me learn to fly.”—Zeen 😊 At the end of the week, Yardi Atlanta celebrated all of its hardworking employees. As a thank you for ensuring that things run smoothly in the office, leadership purchased Tropical Café Smoothies for the group. It was a sweet way to end Employee Appreciation Day in Atlanta! Christine Kelly and Johnathan Atkins create appreciation cards A small portion of the 300 appreciation cards sent among peers Laura Perez, Chenetta Watson and Rakin Ahmed celebrate Staff Appreciation Day with smoothies Keisha Flen and Christi Duffey enjoy smoothies provided by Tropical Smoothie...
