Employee Appreciation Day falls on the first Friday of March each year. In 2018, that means it’s coming up in about a week, on March 2. While not every company observes it (or realizes it exists), others go the extra mile to celebrate the people who keep their company running.
Here are a few ways companies are showing their gratitude to employees this year–whether they have a special event on March 2 or an employee appreciation program implemented year-round.
1. Food, Activities, And Event Planning
At event automation company Certain, employee appreciation is an everyday thing, but they also don’t let March 2 pass unnoticed.
For Employee Appreciation Day, Certain likes to crowd-source ideas so they can plan something their employees have actually asked for. “Since we’re appreciating their work and awesome, go-getter attitudes, it’s important we know what they want!” says Senior HR Manager Kate Kastenbaum. “The day itself will likely involve some type of food (our employees love free food) and some type of activity (which in the past has varied from picnics to games).”
Their daily incentives, meanwhile, focus on providing platforms and encouragement for employees and leaders to recognize one another’s efforts. Kastenbaum says, “Employees are invited to show appreciation for their peers, managers and teams through a messaging platform called Kudos. We also have specific #Slack channels focused on notes of gratitude for our off-shore resources. We give quarterly awards to those who have been recognized the most by their peers. For Certain, employee appreciation day is not just March 2nd, it’s every day.”