How can you celebrate Employee Appreciation Day on March 4? Here are some ideas.
Employee Appreciation Day is coming up soon. It’s a great opportunity to remember to make employees feel valued and thank them for their hard work and contributions to your shared success. It’s also a fantastic moment to remind them about the power of gratitude and remind them to use your recognition platform to thank, recognize, and congratulate one another.
This message is particularly important in 2022, with the Great Resignation still fully in swing. If you want to create an impact in your company on Employee Appreciation Day, now is the time to start planning.
Here’s a quick primer of everything you need to know about Employee Appreciation Day, along with a few ideas for making a big splash in your organization.
- What is Employee Appreciation Day?
Employee Appreciation Day is an official holiday created for companies to thank their employees for their hard work and effort throughout the year. It was created to strengthen the bond between employers and employees and to remind leaders and managers about the importance of showing employees they are valued.
- When is Employee Appreciation Day? Employee Appreciation Day is observed annually, on every first Friday in March. In 2022, it will be celebrated on Friday, March 4.
- Where is Employee Appreciation Day celebrated?
Employee Appreciation Day began in the U.S. and Canada and is now a global holiday.
- How do companies celebrate Employee Appreciation Day?
Companies celebrate the holiday in a variety of ways that are usually focused on making employees feel special and rewarded. This might include: - Meaningful words of gratitude from leaders
- Signage and decorations
- Hosting a party or other activities for workers
- Games and contests
- Offering food, swag or monetary awards
- Rewards and recognition
MAKING EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY SPECIAL
- How can our company make Employee Appreciation Day special?
As a Workhuman® customer, you are fortunate that you already have a built-in delivery channel for everyday employee appreciation. This annual holiday is the perfect opportunity to remind leaders and employees alike to use that platform and to remember to thank employees for making your company successful.
In addition to the ideas above, here are five ideas we suggest for your company to try this year.
- Engage (and remind) your managers:
Make sure your managers know Employee Appreciation Day is coming so they can think and plan! Send an email out a few weeks in advance and then again closer to the day, and encourage supervisors to use this day as inspiration for expressing gratitude to team members.
- Say thanks on the day:
Words of encouragement matter. Download our Employee Appreciation Day Toolkit for some customizable copy templates for celebrating Employee Appreciation Day — including emails from the CEO or CHRO, sample award messages, intranet or newsletter articles, and sample social posts.
- Create a Team Award for all employees:
Team awards are a fantastic way to put some real weight behind your words of appreciation. Recognizing employees as a group can also increase their feelings of belonging and remind them they are part of something bigger. The award might come from the CEO, a department leader, or simply from the company - but a message of gratitude will help employees to believe that their contribution is truly valued.
- Set up a video or live event:
Hearing a thank you directly from leaders is particularly important and meaningful. Give your leaders the opportunity to speak directly to your employees and tell them how much they are valued by holding some kind of live or recorded event and sharing it with the organization. (It wouldn’t hurt to include some swag - see below - or food along with the message either!)
- Make a visual impact:
Whether you are decorating the office with signage or adding graphics to your electronic communications, you can make a splash by sending a powerful message of appreciation to employees on March 4. Download our Employee Appreciation Day Toolkit to access customizable designed art for posters, signs, social cards, web banners, and more that can be used to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day in your company.
How are you celebrating Employee Appreciation Day in your company? Does your company do something really cool or impactful? We’d love to hear about it! Please share with your account team or send us an email to [email protected]. We love learning from our customers!
Happy Employee Appreciation Day!
