March 6 may not quite have the status of, say, the Fourth ofJuly or Labor Day. But advocates of this non-holiday, designated asEmployee Appreciation Day, believe it’s important for bosses to show workers they care on some dayother than payday.

If you want to jump on the bandwagon, you still have a day toprepare. And consulting firm Michael C. Fina is ready with anEmployee Appreciation Day kit to help you make March 6something your troops will remember.

Step One: Plan ahead

That one’s gonna be tough this year unless you already knewabout EAD and are ready to light the fuse on it. But even with aday to go, you could decide to take everyone to lunch or orderlunch in from a place most of your people can't afford to go on aregular basis. Fina offers practical advice on this one: Let peopleknow the feedbag will be on the company so they don't bring in somesorry bag lunch or make other luncheon plans. “In general, bethoughtful,” the firm advises.

Step Two: Involve everyone

Not everyone operates on the same schedule.If your workers have shifts or simply work a variety of timesegments, you may want to choose an activity that isn'ttime-sensitive (such as giving a gift like movie tickets or a storegift card) or, alternatively, have the same activity for thevarious groups in your place that work the same schedule. Sendingmultiple invites is a must in this day of messaging mayhem. Ifyou're going to set aside the day for an offsite event (raft trip, bowling, pro sportsevents), make sure everyone knows it's a day off and they'rewelcome and expected to come.

Step Three: Get personal

Don’t be afraid to praise or call out folks in front of othersfor the good work they've done, their community involvement,positive family news, etc. Use the day to give personal pats on theback. You can spread the appreciation around liberally. It's also agood opportunity to begin a tradition of citing one or more of yourworkers with a more formal recognition. You may find people vyingfor such awards next year.

Step Four: Get the top dogs involved

Fina emphasizes that any type of appreciation celebration has tobring the senior managers in to give it the stamp of approval.“Employees love to see upper management connect on their level.When they join employees for luncheons, or other celebratoryevents, it’s great for morale,” Fina says.

Step Five: Have fun!

As the organizer, make sure your participation is genuine andencourages others to let down their hair and enjoy the day. If youapproach it as a task, it'll become one — for everyone. So have agood time and afterwards make sure you check in with the troops tosee what worked and what didn't. If they know you're going to do itagain next year, they may well wind up doing the planning foryou.

“Employee Appreciation Day is one of our favorite workplaceevents, and a great opportunity to show your employees how much youcare,” said Ashley Fina, president of Michael C. Fina. “It’s alsoperfect for highlighting ongoing recognition efforts within yourorganization."

You can jump here for a complete list of suggested activities and tips formanagers on hosting Employee Appreciation Day