How to Show Appreciation to your Employees During the Pandemic

How to Show Appreciation to your Employees During the Pandemic

1. Virtual (Free) lunch gathering
Everyone loves free food. Get everyone together on a group zoom call for a “social lunch” and have a local restaurant deliver food to all your work from home and office employees. Ensuring that everyone can get together on a regular basis is extremely vital to strengthening relationships in the workplace.
 
2. Working remotely
As we all found out when the COVID-19 pandemic began, many workplace responsibilities can be completed from home. Of course, many employers would still prefer their employees to come into the office to work, but there are many benefits to working from home. Keep your employees happy and allow them to continue to work from home as long as they keep up the good work!
 
3. Long Weekend
Surprise your employees with a long weekend! You should still give them some warning, as they may want to make plans, but employees will love a unaccounted for day off from work. Keep their spirits high and morale boosted and give them an extra day off to show that you care.
 
4. Care Package
Send your employees care packages in the mail. These packages could include anything, from hand soaps and lotions to corporate swag. Show them your appreciation by sending them personalized care packages, or even signing them up to subscription boxes that you think they may enjoy.
 
5. Virtual Raffles
Hold a raffle on a video conferencing call for your employees. They items don’t need to be super expensive or fancy, but just make sure that the prizes are generally well-liked items. Coffee machines, gift cards, and company branded items are great prizes for these virtual raffles.
 
6. Home office stipend
Show your employees you care by giving them a stipend to spend on their home office. Many employees that transitioned from working in the office to working from home quickly realized that their current home office setups are inadequate for full time work. Offer your employees a stipend to spend on office chairs with better support or tables that can lower and raise.
 
7. Gift cards for local businesses
Gift your employees gift cards to local businesses that you support. Not only will you make your employees happy, but you are also supporting local businesses that may be struggling during this difficult time.
 
8. Company swag
Many companies nowadays provide their new hires with goodie bags of corporate “swag” when they are hired. Have some personalized jackets, mugs, or even backpacks made and gift them to your employees to show how much you care.
 
9. Handwritten letters
A simple yet often overlooked way of showing your employees that you care is to simply send them handwritten letters encouraging them and thanking them for their loyalty. You could even send it through snail mail if you wanted.
 
10. Celebrate birthdays and anniversaries
Although some of your staff may be working from home during their birthdays now, be sure to try to celebrate their birthdays or any special occasions. Showing that you remember and even organizing just a simple virtual party may be just the thing to show your employees that you care about them.