Companies become stronger when their team members love their jobs. Although you can buy pizzas for your workers occasionally or verbally encourage them, those efforts aren’t enough to make them feel valued. Read about these employee appreciation ideas to revolutionize your workplace and make everyone feel like an essential part of the team.
1. Build a Robust Team
Sometimes staff members become unhappy because they feel overworked. When one or two people pickup extra responsibilities that don’t align with the job description they signed up for, they’ll likely feel burnt out.
Even the most passionate employees can suffer from stress. A recent survey found that although 87% of respondents felt passionate about their jobs, 64% felt significantly impacted by stress resulting from their work.
If you want to know how to appreciate employees, expand your professional team. When there are more people to even the workload, everyone will feel less stressed when they clock in. They’ll stick around longer and feel much more appreciated.
2. Provide Customizable Health Plans
Employers who provide health insurance plans already demonstrate essential compassion for their team members, but the insurance companies don’t always share the same feelings. They often deny claims based on fine print policy updates consumers aren’t aware of or economic downturns.
Providing a self-funded insurance plan option is another way to value employees. If their health concerns change and their insurance needs to adapt, employers can update their covered services to avoid medical debt or denied care. More control and personalization show workers that their company cares about their needs.
3. Pay for Childcare
When people can’t afford childcare, they often have to leave their jobs. They’ll either seek better pay elsewhere or quit working altogether, even when that’s not their preferred option.
Employers can provide childcare with an in-house daycare or monthly stipends to assist with the related financial costs. Affordable childcare for young kids ranks highest amongst parental concerns when weighing their daycare or nannying options. Removing the stress of paying for high-quality, full-time childcare is one of the best employee appreciation ideas because it addresses one of the biggest concerns of working parents.
4. Give Everyone Paid Time Off
You might quickly seek employment elsewhere if you worked for a business that never gave you paid time off. A recent study found 125 million Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Without working at least 40 hours each week, they can’t pay their bills, buy groceries or purchase other necessities.
However, sometimes people need time off even when they aren’t vacationing. No one goes through life without getting sick. Anyone learning how to appreciate employees should note the importance of providing paid time off (PTO). When employees can rest, recover and return to work feeling more energized, they’ll remain with their company because the PTO plan gives them financial breathing room.
5. Award Quarterly Bonuses
A true culture of appreciation in the workplace results in financial compensation. People may love what they do, but they signed up to work because everyone needs money. Awarding quarterly bonuses based on workplace efforts is an excellent way to demonstrate care how people appreciate it most.
Consider giving financial bonuses to people in all departments based on essential skills like these:
- Productivity
- Communication
- Innovation
- Courage
- Kindness
6. Create Paid Parental Leave Plans
There are numerous reasons why people appreciate paid parental leave plans. It gives people options to start a family even when they live paycheck to paycheck. Studies also show paid leave improves health outcomes for new mothers caring for infants.
Gender-neutral language in parental leave plans also makes the workplace more inclusive. People won’t feel held back because their gender identity doesn’t match maternity or paternity leave descriptions. Everyone will feel equally valued for their comprehensive dreams and not just their professional ambitions.
7. Enforce Work-Life Boundaries
Sometimes people in management positions make their team members work after hours, whether they know it or not. Employees might feel passively pressured to meet deadlines with unpaid work by answering emails or making phone calls at night.
Workers feel more appreciated when the people in leadership positions enforce work-life boundaries. Giving team members time to unwind and paying them for their work is essential. Anyone in management who oversteps those boundaries should face the consequences so everyone knows their job ends when they clock out.
8. Optimize Hybrid Schedules
Even when people prefer working in the office, offering hybrid schedules is an excellent way to demonstrate employee appreciation. If someone gets sick, expands their family, relocates or starts caring for a family member, they won’t stress about finding a new job. They’ll feel safe communicating their need for a hybrid schedule because they know their employer values their well-being and workplace contributions.
Create a Culture of Appreciation
These are a few employee appreciation ideas you can consider when you want to improve your workplace environment. Start by addressing your team’s most pressing needs, like childcare costs or paid time off. Everything after that will feel like a bonus and make your workplace a long-term home for your team members.
Writer Bio
Beth is the Managing Editor and content manager at Body+Mind. She shares knowledge on a variety of topics related to nutrition, healthy living, and anything food-related. In her spare time, Beth enjoys trying out new fitness trends and recipes.
