Thanksgiving is the one day a year that is all about gratitude. Gratitude at work is a powerful way to show your employees that you not only appreciate their hard work and recognize their accomplishments, but you also care about them as a person. And we know that when employees feel their employer cares about them, they’re more engaged and less likely to experience stress and burnout.1 Below are nine ways to celebrate Thanksgiving at work while showing care to employees.
9 Thanksgiving employee appreciation ideas:
1. Offer both Wednesday and Friday as paid holidays.
There is always so much to do the day before Thanksgiving. Why not give employees an extra day off, or even just a half day so that they can start enjoying the holiday a bit early and focus on their well-being? Although most companies now provide the Friday after Thanksgiving as a paid holiday, it’s just another way of saying “thank you.” With both Wednesday and Friday as official company holidays or “well-being days,” the hope is that employees can recharge and reconnect to what’s most important to them.
2. Encourage volunteer time.
Did you know people who volunteer live longer? Studies also show that volunteering lowers depression levels, stress levels and the risk for heart disease. At WebMD Health Services, employees can choose to volunteer for their own specific cause or work with our HR team to coordinate a corporate volunteer event. As the national month of gratitude, November is the perfect time to encourage volunteering.
3. Host a gratitude workshop.
Hire a guest speaker to lead a gratitude workshop. Not only is November National Gratitude Month, a study revealed that employees having high levels of gratitude and mindfulness strongly correlated to having high levels of well-being, engagement and productivity and low levels of stress at work.2 Head over to the Gratitude Speakers Bureau to find a guest speaker for your team.
4. Have a Thanksgiving recipe contest.
Over the next few weeks, invite your employees to share healthy renditions of their favorite Thanksgiving recipes and vote on the best. Take this up a notch by hosting a potluck featuring the winning recipes before the holiday. And as we also commemorate Native American Heritage Month, encourage employees to share recipes that are made from indigenous foods.
5. Organize a flag football game.
This one is semi-weather dependent, but, if possible, send your employees outside for some flag football! Find a park nearby and take it over for the morning or afternoon. Studies show getting outside is linked to improvements in mood, mental health and emotional well-being. Don’t forget to bring the flags and be sure to supply hot apple cider.
6. Coordinate a turkey trot.
Most cities across the U.S. have a Turkey Trot 5K that benefits a cause somewhere nearby. Incentivize your employees to get up early and break a sweat for charity before the feasting begins by offering points in your wellness program for participating. Encourage your employees to form a team by offering to match the cost of registration and enjoy some great representation and positive brand awareness out on the course.
7. Create a “thank you” wall.
Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks, right? Set up a page where everyone can share what they are grateful for. Managers and employees can even share who they are thankful for at work. Studies have shown that the act of expressing gratitude triggers a feel-good reaction in our brains that boosts happiness and strengthens our immune system. If you need even more of a reason to start giving thanks at work, consider this: employee recognition delivers a clear ROI on metrics including employee productivity and engagement. According to Gallup, well-recognized employees were 45% less likely to have changed organizations two years later.
8. Learn about Native American Heritage Month.
November is also Native American Heritage Month and learning about the historical context of this holiday with your team provides an opportunity to celebrate various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. There are 9.7 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives in the U.S. and it’s possible your team has employees with Native heritage. Encourage your employees to dig deeper into American Indian/Alaska Native history, culture, and disparities this Thanksgiving.
9. Hold an Employee Appreciation Day.
Although Employee Appreciation Day is officially in March, many companies have employee appreciation events at different times of the year. Make one day this month a workplace appreciation day where you offer chair massages, spa water, free lunch, special gifts, etc. Here are 7 ways to show employee appreciation:
- Sincere Relationships: Get to know your employees by going out to coffee. Discuss their unique goals, wants and desires so they know you’re invested in their life inside and outside the office.
- Public Recognition: Congratulate employees for a job well done by sending out a company-wide email or sharing their success stories in a team meeting.
- Simple Thank Yous: Send an authentic note of support and appreciation with a handwritten thank you card.
- Work Perks: Show appreciation for a job well done by encouraging employees to take an extra-long lunch break, a work-from-home day or send them to a conference of their choice.
- Well-Being Matters: Invest in programs and resources — like a free financial session or yoga class — to help employees improve in the areas they care about.
- Surprise and Delight: Give small gifts such as a gift card to their favorite lunch spot or tickets to a local show.
- Gifts that Keep on Giving: Offer growth opportunities such as putting them on a big project or involving them in strategic decisions.
Thanksgiving at work is all about gratitude and togetherness, two factors that help create a positive environment and show employees you care. Trying any one of these employee appreciation ideas at work encourages everyone to practice gratitude and show appreciation to team members. Plus, it’s a great time to come together before the hectic holiday season.
