PopCap, the company behind legendary Facebook games like Bejeweled, offers some fantastic break rooms for its 400 odd employees. Lifestyle contests that encourage employees to exercise or try a new activity can also help boost morale. Today's employees seek recognition and rewards based on the career advancement that they want. Innovative Holiday and Winter Gatherings in the Time of COVID-19 For inspiration, check out our lists of online cooking classes and online art classes. Learn more about virtual costume contests. Everything you need to build a better workplace. 3 Ways Tech Company Sysomos Transformed Employee Experience, 5 Tips to Implement Summer Work Schedules, 6 Design Ideas to Create an Inspiring Work Environment. It is capped at $200 per day, and $2,000 in total, for employees who have a family member affected by COVID-19 or a child staying at home because their school is closed. They are the first to arrive. If you developed team norms to stay on top of (as above), then ensure you check-in on them. Just to say hi and check how they are doing. The top reason why the people enjoyed coming to work was because of "feeling appreciated.". 32. Finally going on a picnic with their loved ones. Then, send invites to the team. Consider downloading a fitness app with curated workout playlists. The BIG List of School Spirit Week Ideas (80+ Activities!) Things to consider when you and your employees travel 4. Learn how to set new boundaries, ask for support, and re-strategize with your partner about what you need. Invite team members to share any perspectives they have about other teams and stakeholders and their needs, concerns issues that the team should be aware of. 15 Ideas To Celebrate Halloween in the Workplace | Indeed.com In times of isolation it can be very difficult to stay on top of where everyone is at. Virtual Fun Run Cost: $$ Difficulty: 4 Earning Potential: For more ideas, check out our roundup of team building workouts. For many of us, sheltering at home and staying healthy to help " flatten the curve " of the coronavirus spread may be the most important way we can help others right now. The day-to-day work life might get hectic and tedious for everyone in the office. You signed up for your preferred one beforehand and received a list of ingredients, then once the drinks were made, people came back to the big room and there were a couple of facilitated games and stuff (like trivia). Look at yourself in the mirror. Half of the box contained things like hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, and other health-related products to help us stay safe. You can celebrate the spirit of a challenge in your Spirit Week by hosting a Versus Day. When showtime arrives, gather on a Zoom call. See how Namely's flexible solution will help you streamline your HR processes by having your people, payroll, and benefits info all in on place. Content Expert at teambuilding.com. The Ultimate Guide to Employee Rewards and Recognition. Health & Safety Giveaways: Ideas amid COVID-19 - National Pen There were two main ways we did this: by requiring team members to be vaccinated, and picking a venue that would reduce people's overall exposure. To set the mood, encourage participants to put up virtual backgrounds of Victorian parlors or lush gardens. The cups were all the same so no one could tell what you were drinking unless you commented on it. He expressed that business leaders need to develop a structured and approach to mentoring. When an employee above and beyond on a project at work or accomplishes a personal goal, give them a shoutout on social media to commend their hard work. Talking about making employees feel valued, a great way to do so is by involving them in the decision-making process, wherever possible. Now more than ever it is essential to dialogue and agree on what team members need and expect from one another and from their leader. Team Norms. In stock now. Online workouts serve the dual purpose of adding exercise and peer-to-peer interaction into remote workers sedentary, solitary workdays. If theyd just put an extra $100 in my paycheck and said we cant have a party this year so get yourself a nice treat, Id have appreciated that too. A client of mine, whose team of 15 people are now all working from home, established daily 30-minute morning team check-ins to stay connected and on top of the priorities of the team, which have shifted given COVID-19. Be sure to grab plenty of screen shots throughout the afternoon or evening. The Kaiser Family Foundation found . Make sure you exchange emails with a volunteer coordinator or call before you . Declaring theme days is one of the easiest spirit week ideas for work from home. But employees with a few years of experience should be matched with a career mentor to help them grow in their position. Want to submit a guest post? In advance we were all given a link to a store that sells cocktail making kits. This will allow team members to truly appreciate each other, leading to better team building. Materialistic perks are fine. Companies with a corporate health plan are more likely to see more engaged employees. If the show is a competition, then at the end of the performance have the audience vote for a winner via poll, or send a panel of judges into a breakout room to deliberate. Or take a field trip to the local entertainment venue. 33 Amazing Employee Appreciation Ideas [2023 Update], The Ultimate Guide To Employee Rewards and Recognition, 50 Best Words of Appreciation for Employees, Gift Cards Make For The Perfect Employee Rewards, Indias Largest Telecom Company Boosts their Global Employee Engagement with Vantage Rewards, 25 Employee Engagement Activities To Reinvent Your Workforce, 25 Employee Recognition Statistics You Shouldn't Ignore, Top 102 Employee Recognition Quotes To Celebrate Their Endeavours, 23 Awesome Ways To Make Every Employee Work Anniversary Memorable, All You Need To Know About Sales Incentive Programs In 2023, 10 Intrinsic Rewards That Your Employees Look Forward To, Empower the Workforce With A Culture of Peer-to-Peer Recognition. Coronavirus NC: Virtual spirit weeks unite school communities | Raleigh A great employee appreciation idea that gives day-to-day benefits is providing assigned parking spaces. There are numerous free crossword creating apps, and all you need to do is share the linkso easy and so fun! - Mira Rakicevic, Co-founder at Comfy Living. Letting employees decorate their workspaces plays an active role in building relationships within the company. Ventilation and air circulation are your friends. Harvard Business Review reports that "the most impactful driver of employee engagement is recognition.". Food is a big deal at work. Here's how the pandemic will change - CNN Part of the fun of spirit week is pretending, and murder mysteries cast participants in the roles of cunning detectives. Online retreats are company gatherings that take place online. Some ideas include: Characters from a favorite movie The knowledge that there is a whole day dedicated to employee appreciation should let you know its significance. The week before your work at home spirit week, mail boxes full of goodies to team members. Online board games or trivia challenges are a great way to bring a team together for something besides work. Theme Days. Therefore it's a win-win situation. Priorities. Recognizing hard work and achievement in the workplace increase employee morale, encourage healthy competition, and creates a positive atmosphere. Gathering via video call and online communication platforms gives groups a chance to relax, re-energize, and reconnect with teammates. #StayStrongWF Spirit Week April 6-10. Kicking their feet up on the couch and zoning out in front of the TV could be just what the essential workers in your life need after dealing with the public . Its common knowledge that people love gift cards. We gathered the top employee morale tips, tricks, and ideas from businesses around the world. 1. Since healthier employees are more productive, happy, and energetic, the company will benefit from this form of appreciation. Virtual Theme Weeks Can Bring Students and Faculty Together Support families to. What every woman needs to know during COVID-19 - Lean In You can also make sure you take at least a 30-minute lunch break. We started this challenge at Booster. Humans have an inherent need to get appreciated for their work. 2. These light-hearted contests can also easily be tied to raising money for charity. - Joe Wilson, Senior Career Advisor at MintResume, Our company gave us all sunflower seeds to care for and grow as we work from home. The Internet might be intermittent in these spots, so you can also give teammates the option of joining via phone audio instead of mobile video app. I cannot wait. Happily, Ive heard lots of versions of this choice as well: My company is taking the money that would be used for the holiday party (usually a sit-down dinner with open bar) and is donating it instead to a local charity. Here are some suggestions: A team reset meeting will ensure team members take time to identify how to best work together in this new reality so that the team can maintain a sense of community, transition through this change effectively, and maintain (and even improve) team performance during this time while supporting the well-being of team members. WeAreTeachers Staff on September 20, 2022. Keeping a workplace safe during the COVID-19 pandemic can be challenging. It means that they can catch up on the countless movies that they have missed. While the other appreciation ideas might be feasible for particular projects and day-to-day work, employees will look for something more permanent in the long run. It's not only a nice little project to focus on, but gives us something to talk about that's not work or coronavirus. Click here to find out how. Offering a corporate wellness program within a vibrant culture of thriving well-being can significantly enhance that connection. How the coronavirus pandemic will impact the future of work - CNBC Get Competitive. Find out how to shape a culture that attracts, engages, Check out BoostEducatorsChallenge.com for details. Get Chinese food somewhere. Explore the challenges people face in working from home (and they will differ) and ideas for dealing with them or sharing personal practices that work. Do the bragging on behalf of your employees, and show your whole team how fantastic everyone is. For example, hold a Zoom ugly sweater contest, host a virtual Secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange, and sing Christmas carols. For instance, if you host a murder mystery, then include character cards in the boxes. Employees thrive at work when they know their contributions have meaning. Also, it doesnt have to be expensive. Here is our take on enhancing employee motivation with the below 33 exceptional employee appreciation ideas. To truly show your employees that they are doing a great job, bring in some fun office traditions like "Taco Tuesday.". Inject Fun and Humor. Give your entire team a chance to express their creativity with baby pumpkins, acrylic paints, and free pumpkin stencils. Once the awards end, you can email digital certificates and e-gift cards to recipients, or mail trophies and paper awards to their houses. Were all pretty pumped about it. You can even display this social media recognition on your offices digital displays to make sure the whole team sees it. Clarify expectations, for example, of performance, workflow or performance management. Its a really cool way to connect with your coworkers and find out more about their life outside of work. Jamaica We also had a really strict limit for spending, like $20. Heightened communication is necessary, not only to keep your remote team productively focused, but because the sudden move from the workplace to a home space can take an emotional toll on people when they no longer have the social contact with work friends and colleagues. Do it privately-ish. You. Next, install game apps like rock paper scissors, tic tac toe, and trivia. Dress-up days find a niche at busy offices; employees can show up in costume but still get tons of work done. Murder mysteries are games that require participants to play a character while solving a mystery. We do a Champagne toast at our holiday party every year, and theres some rumors about mini bottles being shipped out for a Zoom toast, but Im not sure!