March 6 may not quite have the status of, say, the Fourth of July or Labor Day. But advocates of this non-holiday, designated as Employee Appreciation Day, believe it’s important for bosses to show workers they care on some day other than payday.
If you want to jump on the bandwagon, you still have a day to prepare. And consulting firm Michael C. Fina is ready with an Employee Appreciation Day kit to help you make March 6 something your troops will remember.
Step One: Plan ahead
That one’s gonna be tough this year unless you already knew about EAD and are ready to light the fuse on it. But even with a day to go, you could decide to take everyone to lunch or order lunch in from a place most of your people can't afford to go on a regular basis. Fina offers practical advice on this one: Let people know the feedbag will be on the company so they don't bring in some sorry bag lunch or make other luncheon plans. “In general, be thoughtful,” 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 time segments, you may want to choose an activity that isn't time-sensitive (such as giving a gift like movie tickets or a store gift card) or, alternatively, have the same activity for the various groups in your place that work the same schedule. Sending multiple invites is a must in this day of messaging mayhem. If you're going to set aside the day for an offsite event (raft trip, bowling, pro sports events), make sure everyone knows it's a day off and they're welcome and expected to come.
Step Three: Get personal
Don’t be afraid to praise or call out folks in front of others for the good work they've done, their community involvement, positive family news, etc. Use the day to give personal pats on the back. You can spread the appreciation around liberally. It's also a good opportunity to begin a tradition of citing one or more of your workers with a more formal recognition. You may find people vying for such awards next year.
Step Four: Get the top dogs involved
Fina emphasizes that any type of appreciation celebration has to bring 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 celebratory events, it’s great for morale,” Fina says.
Step Five: Have fun!
As the organizer, make sure your participation is genuine and encourages others to let down their hair and enjoy the day. If you approach it as a task, it'll become one — for everyone. So have a good time and afterwards make sure you check in with the troops to see what worked and what didn't. If they know you're going to do it again next year, they may well wind up doing the planning for you.
“Employee Appreciation Day is one of our favorite workplace events, and a great opportunity to show your employees how much you care,” said Ashley Fina, president of Michael C. Fina. “It’s also perfect for highlighting ongoing recognition efforts within your organization."
You can jump here for a complete list of suggested activities and tips for managers on hosting Employee Appreciation Day
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
