Small, yet impactful ways to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day

With today’s fast-paced work environment, it can be easy to rush through tasks and forget to thank team members for their efforts. But especially given record high employee stress levels and burnout, Employee Appreciation Day (3/4) is a national day that should not be overlooked. Whether you take the opportunity to do something big or small, it’s an important reminder to recognize your co-workers’ and employees’ successes.

To provide some smaller, yet impactful ways to show appreciation for the national day and even year-round, I took a poll from Action Mary employees to provide 5 tips on ways to celebrate each other and show our appreciation:

●      Highlight each other's accomplishments, big or small.

○      Whether it’s in a meeting, in a personalized email, a handwritten note, or via instant message, it’s nice to be reminded of your value to the company. Taking the time to highlight each other’s wins, even if they are small, shows that you are acknowledging the great work and will boost morale.

●      Take time to collaborate and encourage inclusivity.

○      Whether you set a meeting to check-in on employees, or have a brainstorm session (especially as meetings happen throughout the year), taking time to encourage everyone’s suggestions and giving them an opportunity to express themselves, including for how to make the company better, helps everyone feel that they are making an impact and allows their opinions to be heard. Also, when people are able to express themselves freely, the best ideas come to fruition because we can all share our unique perspectives.

●      Consider buying a co-worker/employee's lunch, coffee, or a small gift.

○      We all know grabbing lunch together is a great way to bond and discuss what is happening in each other’s lives outside of work, so why not treat employees to lunch or coffee? Even in today’s work-from-anywhere environment, providing them with a gift card to grab lunch or a coffee can show your appreciation, especially as office lunches/coffee runs haven’t been a routine in a while. Or you can consider a small gift and make it personal. Take time to truly think of things your employees and co-workers like, whether it is their favorite office snack, or a favorite kind of wine. Providing them with a gift that has meaning shows how much you care about those you work with.

●      Give words of encouragement and check-in.

○      Taking time to let employees know their worth and to highlight each other’s strengths, especially during a stressful project, is a small way to boost confidence and helps acknowledge your trust in them. Also, taking the time to check-in on your employees and how they are handling their workloads and mental health is a way to provide support and show empathy.

●      Promote positive work/life balance.

○      Acknowledging employees' lives outside of work is key. Whether you provide a couple hours off here and there, allow employees to leave early, or are flexible with things that pop up in their personal lives year round, it shows that you maintain realistic expectations of work/life balance and gives people the opportunity to recharge and be more present for the next work day.

While Employee Appreciation Day helps us celebrate those we work with, don’t forget that simple steps like these can be beneficial all year round to create a positive work environment, and won’t go unnoticed.