I thought this was a great way for the company to show its appreciation for staff, and it provided us with plenty of new recipes to try out just in time for the weekend. - Adam Lumb, EN Site Manager at Cashcow, One of our perks is that we give employees up to an hour each day to do something positive for their physical or mental health, such as going on a walk, reading a book, taking an exercise class, or doing a meditation (no admin or work allowed!). Remote teammates work together to crack clues and conquer brain teasers before time runs out. Slack game tournaments are great ideas for virtual spirit weeks. Whether they worked late to get the job done, blew past their sales goal, or volunteering at a local shelter, give employees the credit they deserve. Wishing you and your team health and tranquility. The BIG List of School Spirit Week Ideas (80+ Activities!) It is a small token of appreciation, but our employees have expressed that they really appreciate the recognition. - Darryl Smith, Founding Partner at Florida Car Accident Lawyer Team, Because of the coronavirus, Kickstand recently implemented more flexible work schedules, including a few mental health hours per week to encourage employees to step away from their computers and recharge during the workday. 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). Every year there are days we look forward to. If your office normally does Secret Santa or Yankee Swap gift exchanges, you can keep it going this year too. At the end of the week, count up the wins, and have the victors face off against each other for the championship. This calculation is based on it costing about six to nine months . According to Harvard Business Review writer Anthony K. TJan: Company leadership should embrace, promote and value mentoring programs to realize a return on investment. As a leader, having the right mindset, structure and strategies to enhance communication and build team cohesion will help you ensure the latter is true for you and your team. When showtime arrives, gather on a Zoom call. Give a prize to the two team members who wear the most well-thought . During this time, one team member has 60 minutes to talk about their favorite subject while others listen and ask questions. In times of isolation it can be very difficult to stay on top of where everyone is at. Vantage Circle. For more ideas, check out our roundup of team building workouts. 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. The care packages were tailored for each individual, and they included self-care items such as cozy socks, chocolate, herbal tea, craft kits, puzzles, books, and board games. Some ideas for your 30-minute morning check-ins include: Establish virtual coffee chats with individual team members. You will see that a few words of appreciation can do wonders for the workplace. It's marketed as "COVID-19 style" since all schools across the state are currently shut down. Everything you need to build a better workplace. Names were swapped, wish lists were made, and gifts from small businesses were delivered to friends and families! In uncertain times, one thing is certain with fundraisingthe more you plan, the better off you will be. Let the kids pick out a book and read it to them while . Heres a way to see people in-person from the safety of your cars: Our company has had a couple of drive-through events set up in the parking lot of the main company campus. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com. When you incorporate social media into your online spirit week scheduling, you make it easier for colleagues to find and friend each other. Remote team games like holiday Bingo, trivia, and scavenger hunts get guests moving and invoke the holiday spirit. Instead, health promotion ensures that your staff actually want and like to be at work. That's why it's vital to spread your actions around multiple methods of transports to appeal to the broadest proportion of your workforce. Who doesnt love free food? We All Hate It. Reward employees with a token or gift of appreciation from your side. Employee Appreciation Day is a semi-formal holiday in the United States. Develop team norms. In stock now. 2020 Namely, Inc. All rights reserved. 5k+ Downloads Here is our take on enhancing employee motivation with the below 33 exceptional employee appreciation ideas. Some are great artists, while some spend their time doing charity work. Here are 15 office ideas for Halloween: 1. Employees thrive at work when they know their contributions have meaning. This will allow team members to truly appreciate each other, leading to better team building. Ask each person to share one word to describe how they are feeling in. Hosting online costume contests is one of the best spirit week dress up ideas for work. 1. You might feel anxious about: Your own safety and the safety of others. A crisis like this can either break ateamdown and widen any cracks in its foundation, or it canresult in the emergence of true greatness. It was a lot of fun! - Stephen J. Kontos, Founder & CEO at PatentXP PLLC, We keep employee morale high by sending out thank you notes to our employees currently working from home. Have regular check ins with individual team members. One employee's commute could be inexpensive, while for another, it could be prohibitive. For inspiration, check out our lists of online cooking classes and online art classes. We also have a list of the best remote team outing ideas. Halloween is the time of year when employees can showcase their creativity and interact with coworkers they may not normally work closely with. I'm really hoping we won't have to consider this in future years, but a lot of planning time went into making sure that we minimized our COVID risk during the trip. Thus in this scenario, investing in an effective recognition program becomes a critical part of employee engagement. The key is making exercise a daily priority, and the holidays are no different. Plus, you could throw virtual parties for any holiday. Adults need 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking for health benefits. From digital marketing to online delivery services, there are several needs that the pandemic has sparked among consumers. You could either give employees the option of attending short 10-15 minute workouts throughout the day, or hold one or two longer sessions. Virtual talent shows double as entertainment and team bonding. 6. This is a stressful time to say the least. Plus, you can capture a screenshot of the whole crew dressed up. Themed dress-up days are popular favorites, but they're really just the start. Snacks are a fantastic food item that doesn't require you to get out of your desk when you want to eat something light. 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. Working from home can be challenging. We have these events called campfires that take place twice a week. Some teachers may have to adapt courses from daily 45-minute periods to 90-minute blocks every other day; others will need to figure out how to plan small-group work so that it lines up with. It can range from conducting regular health check-ups, yoga sessions, dentist appointments, and offering health insurance. For the main event, meet up on a video call to sip tea, chat, and play games. Communication in remote teams, whether casual chats or work related discussions, cant easily happen as spontaneously as it does when people are sitting next to each other at work. Sally can whip up a variety of cold meals, including salads, grain bowls and yogurt. 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. They are great team members. As the coronavirus continues to spread and confine people largely to their homes, many are filling pages with their experiences of living through a pandemic. Distance does not have to put a damper on the fun. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your team is to enable them to let off some steam without the pressure to perform. From relaxing countryside walks to exciting challenges, your staff will have the time of their lives. Add some seriously "tricked out" kitchens on each floor of their facilities. 31. Talking about making employees feel valued, a great way to do so is by involving them in the decision-making process, wherever possible. You could even give teammates a prompt per day, like show us your fridge, or share your favorite spot in the house. This activity helps remote teammates learn more about each other, and may reveal shared interests and common ground. With these 33 employee appreciation ideas, you will see reduced turnover and retain your top talents. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about virtual spirit weeks. These activities broaden employees global and cultural horizons while also delighting the teams travel lovers. Finally going on a picnic with their loved ones. These morning check-ins, no matter how short are invaluable for maintaining a sense of community, checking in on how team members are doing, and to stay focused on key priorities so that momentum and performance is maintained. People are encouraged to bring family (which is not something we typically can do with these events) and I would have loved this even before the new normal. Im kind of bummed Im going to be missing out on this one actually. But we must also address the negative impact of isolation loneliness, fatigue or even . Offering them a handsome salary is one aspect. Online Office Games is a friendly competition for remote teammates. Ask each person to share one word to describe how they are feeling in that moment. For example, book-binding, instrument-building, ravioli-making, or makeup lessons with a drag queen. Sometimes, the utmost appreciation that an employee seeks is a promotion in his job role. The games last 90 minutes, giving remote colleagues plenty of time to bond and have fun together. 1. Half of the box contained things like hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, and other health-related products to help us stay safe. 2022 Todos los derechos reservados. 9. All online escape rooms inspire teamwork and critical thinking in a fun and exciting way. Company retreats are great for celebrating employees after successful project completion or after an outstanding financial year. To host these virtual workouts, have participants join a Zoom call. Wed have the holiday party on Zoom, where folks would open what they had received from their gift giver. Shared items such a candy jars, cereal boxes, and containers of nuts should be removed for the safety of all workers. Employee appreciation is the cornerstone of developing a robust and meaningful workplace culture. Here come's the most impactful one in our list of employee appreciation ideas. 2. 3. Better still, if this praise comes in front of their team members, colleagues, and peers. High 53F. Regardless of your age, some physical activity is better than none. You can also use GeoGessr to play a destination-guessing game, or take virtual tours of museums, zoos, and parks together. Many a time, they'll bring that positivity and enthusiasm back to the workplace. to Launch During a Pandemic. This helps your employees feel appreciated on an ongoing basis. 29. Company retreats are fun, help team members bond while also providing the option of getting away from the stress of day-to-day work life. Wed all ooooh and ahhh, and laugh. Video game consoles. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years need at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity daily. We safeguard your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Quarantine spirit week consisted of a unique theme for each day: skater Sunday, monochromatic Monday, tie-dye Tuesday, wig Wednesday, 13 going on Thursday and casual Friday. Or it just might be a beautiful day to sleep in. The amount of pay is capped at $511 per day, and $5,110 in total, for employees who are sick or quarantined or who have symptoms. Many teams are waking up to a new reality of working remotely. Hands-on Experiences: 1. The purpose of online spirit weeks is to boost employee engagement and morale. Online board games or trivia challenges are a great way to bring a team together for something besides work. But there is one occasion that should be praised with the same level of spirit and vigor as the restthe work anniversary. E-Learning is the preferred modern way to upskill and learn while having the convenience of choosing the when and where. Open windows, increase circulation, and keep room density as low as possible with fewer people in one space. $10 at Amazon. We have 30+ experiences to choose from, and thousands of five star reviews. Considering the health boosts, climbing aboard a two wheeler for exercise is easy on your joints, for one, as your weight rests on your pelvis and not your legs. 2. The charm of subscription boxes is that theres something for everyone! Plus, we decided there will be a prize for the tallest sunflower, so it's turning into quite the competition. - Rose Jinks, Digital PR Specialist at Online Mortgage Advisor, As a way to boost morale and encourage teamwork while were apart, my company has been hosting virtual trivia nights every week. Dessert buffets are fun and positively addicting. Learn more about virtual costume contests. There are few things that employees feel more love for than an extra day of freedom aside from the weekend. When you actually take the time out to get involved with them personally, employees feel that you genuinely care about them. 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 . Ensure that everyone gets that attention. Simply gear each days activities around a particular topic. Some leaders consistently interact with those they most easily connect with but may not as readily think of others. I write about how to improve team and leadership performance. Our division is doing a holiday drive-in movie and renting out a drive-in theater for the evening. Elaine is a true partner in every sense of the word and would be a huge asset to any company. So, whether you're paired up or have something in the works, here are 20 ideas to safely celebrate Valentine's Day during coronavirus. Keep employees engaged and excited with some friendly competition. Beyond bestowing traditional awards like extraordinary performance, team player, or rookie of the year, you can also create fun award categories. Participants can either perform alone, or collaborate with colleagues on a group act. This is a great way to begin your team meetings. Their office is infused with fun, including random Razor scooters available to any staff who think better while in motion. The essence of spirit week is enthusiasm, not physical proximity. Virtual spirit weeks are weeklong events that consist of a series of fun and interactive online activities. 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. What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche. Just be sure to offer nonalcoholic options too: We had a celebration that even I (a person averse to holiday parties and Zoom calls) liked. Successful fundraising during a recession is two-pronged: Focus hard on donor engagement and retention, and Here's what you might be missing- employee appreciation ideas. Get the latest news from Namely about HR, Payroll, and Benefits. Get the latest news from Namely about HR, payroll, and benefits. Recommended Article: Gift Cards Make For The Perfect Employee Rewards. Encourage team members to do the same. Company-branded swag can be simple everyday things like t-shirts, mugs, or even pen drives. One such example that predates COVID-19 (if you follow our newsletter, you already know that it's a personal favorite of mine) is the Be My Eyes app. Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace 2. Taking care of your employees' health is the most prominent form of appreciation that you can show. One of the best ideas for spirit care packages is to pack supplementary materials for the weeks activities. 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 cups were all the same so no one could tell what you were drinking unless you commented on it. Sending care packages to your remote teams builds buzz for the event and lets your employees know you care about them. Get Chinese food somewhere. If time is not available to do this well in one meeting book another one but within the next 24 hours so as not to lose momentum. Weve had a few teams compete in virtual relays, races, or step challenges using free apps to log steps, distance ran/cycled, etc. While Valentine's Day will most likely look different than years past, you can still have fun with your significant other and make it memorable and safe. In advance we were all given a link to a store that sells cocktail making kits. 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. Maintain a positive work/life balance and encourage your team to do the same It's easy to work longer hours and take fewer breaks when working from home. For instance, if you host a murder mystery, then include character cards in the boxes. Spirit week shakes up the normal routine and gives dispersed teammates a chance to get together and have fun. We had a Zoom meeting were a bartender showed how to mix each drink using the provided measuring cup, and answered questions about how to make a good martini, what to substitute for white eggs in pisco sour, etc. The Kaiser Family Foundation found . Ventilation and air circulation are your friends. Here are three ways employers can reduce panic and keep employee morale up during the coronavirus outbreak. I think that well continue doing this even after the pandemic is goneits such a cool way to learn more about the people you work with every day. - Dennis Vu, CEO and Co-founder of Ringblaze, We hired a magician to put on a virtual magic show for our staff, clients, and vendors to watch with their families. In order to position your company as one where people really want to work, your company SWAG items had better reflect that. For instance, on sports day, staff can wear jerseys, square off in competitive games, and participate in an online pep rally. For example, share with team members how you will be leading, how you will check in with them, what you will be asking about. There are many fun online activities that suit an international or travel-themed spirit week or spirit day. Coffee or tea tastings work as well: We had a virtual coffee tasting where they sent those who RSVP'd a free AeroPress and. The packages were delivered to our doors in the afternoon of our event. Websites like Elfster or DrawNames will organize the whole process for you, letting you set a gift budget and providing space for participants to share their wish lists: I worked in a fully remote environment last holiday season, and this had been a tradition for several years, though it was entirely opt-in. Today's employees seek recognition and rewards based on the career advancement that they want. 2023 teambuilding.com, all rights reserved | Terms | Privacy, virtual tours of museums, zoos, and parks, list of free virtual team building activities for work, list of the best remote team outing ideas, Post a picture from your first year at the company vs now, Take a screenshot in the unlikeliest Zoom meeting spot, Film a 30-second work from home snack cooking lesson, Dress-up accessories, like sunglasses, boas, and novelty headbands, Create a collaborative world map showing which countries team members have lived in or traveled to, Ask participants to compile top 5 travel bucket lists of the destinations they would most like to visit, and pair up teammates with similar interests for a video chat, Video chat with screen pals in different countries, Compile a photo slideshow of the teams collective travels, Most likely to forget to mute/unmute the mic, Lightning fingers, aka fastest Slack replies, Most likely to binge cat videos during the workday. Chances are, your company has one too. The Ultimate Guide to Employee Rewards and Recognition. Getty Images/PeopleImages. 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. Check out our list ofonline escape rooms. Recommended Article: 50 Best Words of Appreciation for Employees. This year, the questions are quite different, and nearly all are some variation of What do we even do for the holidays in a pandemic? Many employers are simply canceling holiday celebrations, since theres no way to safely gather. -Bob Nelson, In the United States, 20,000 workers were surveyed by the Boston Consulting Group. Every company has its own perks: fully stocked kitchens, corporate team events, and the latest MacBook Pro. Have office happy hours and hire a bartender to mix them a drink or two. Revamp your break room. by HR professionals across the globe! Record and report COVID-19 infections and deaths: Under mandatory OSHA rules in 29 CFR part 1904, employers are required to record work-related cases of COVID-19 illness on OSHA's Form 300 logs if the following requirements are met: (1) the case is a confirmed case of COVID-19; (2) the case is work-related (as defined by 29 CFR 1904.5); and . The lobby at Googles Sydney office makes visitors feel like theyre about to embark on a safari expedition rather than drown in a concrete jungle. First, choose a date and send a video meeting link to your colleagues. Get the resources. Student Engagement: Spirit Weeks A number of schools and school districts have done weekly challenges where students participate in a themed activity, take a picture or video of it, and then upload and tag it with a specific hashtag so that the community can find, enjoy, and celebrate it with them. Team costumes Whether you're a team of two or twenty, you can dress up in team costumes for Halloween. Perhaps the best gift to give your employees is recognizing your employees publicly for a great job done. 2022 Tous droits rservs. If you see someone going above and beyond and who commutes through their own vehicles, this will prove to be a wonderful opportunity to make their lives a little bit easier. And encouraging a cake culture can never be a bad thing. Without a doubt, getting a specially curated box of snacks will make employees feel happy and contented. Get advice from seasoned professionals about all your compliance questions and concerns. One idea that keeps popping up on our Principal Life Facebook group is the concept of a virtual theme week. 5. Ive gotten a lot of reports of teams doing remote crafting sessions togetheroften around seasonal themes, like gingerbread houses: Our office is planning two optional events. A team lunch is a great way through which everyone can bond with each other and with you. Barasha can be found either searching for interesting HR buzzwords to write about or looking at pictures of cozy Bel Air mansions. Then, after that, we had the opportunity to go into breakout roomslast year, one room did Schitts Creek trivia (it was a favorite among many staffers), another did Pictionary using the annotate functions of Zoom. The best online holiday parties encourage interaction. Its hard to replicate daily interactions with co-workers, casual encounters by the water cooler, or after-work drinks, but we are encouraging our employees to find time for virtual coffees, lunches, or even happy hours with their colleagues. - William Taylor, Career Development Manager at Velvetjobs, Something that has really helped us keep spirits up is our Slack 'meme' channel where we encourage everyone to post the best memes they find throughout the day. Explore them here: On Fridays, our team puts on ridiculous outfits to make each other laugh during virtual meetings. Then, plan festive activities to enjoy together during the call. Check out BoostEducatorsChallenge.com for details. Weve found that this is key to recreating that Friday feeling during lockdown. - Nushy Rose, Managing Editor at Parlia. To help your employees stay active and get a break from working inside, suggest that they take conference calls that don't require sitting in front of a screen outdoors. Perhaps to no ones surprise, drinking seems to be quite popular this year, and some companies have figured out how to incorporate it into remote events. These events typically occur through a series of video meetings, group chats, and collaborative online activities. A lot. Metal Pen and Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer. Instead of taking the stage, performers share their acts during a video call. Here are list of themes to use for online spirit weeks. Are they excited to be working for you? It's run by a different division each week to encourage everyone to get involved and has been a fun way to spend a few hoursand a welcome distraction. - Anna Barker, Founder at LogicalDollar, I arranged a remote talent show for our team. Before the . The day-to-day work life might get hectic and tedious for everyone in the office. Team members can challenge each other voluntarily. It definitely is the easiest and quickest Zoom icebreaker out there. Why not put a reminder in your diary when you plan to finish working? Honestly, Im really pleased with this decision over trying to make a Zoom party happen. List of virtual spirit week ideas. The effectiveness of office snacks is that major companies like Google use them as a perk to attract the top employees. 7. 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. We all know that employees are the most valuable asset for a business. Also, they give continuous optimal performance. Even a simple gesture like an appreciation message or thoughtful gifts on valentines Day or anniversaries can make a huge difference.
