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Have you downloaded gThankYou’s free Employee Appreciation Calendar yet? A summer chock-full of employee appreciation activities is your buffer against seasonal disengagement!
The rising temperatures and increased distractions of summer have an inescapable impact on employee attention.
Nobody wants to be like Gary Lumbergh, the despised Office Space boss who tells his employees to “go ahead and come in” Saturday (and Sunday), but what do you do on Friday afternoons when you can practically see employee motivation wafting away in the summer breeze?
The trick is to work with summertime distractions, not against them.
“From an HR professional’s perspective, summer provides a golden opportunity to mix up the workplace routine by providing unfettered access to outdoor activities — something not always available during other seasons,” Paul Falcone, HR exec and best-selling author, writes for SHRM.
Fun summer holidays like Say Something Nice Day, 4th of July, National Ice Cream Day and Labor Day are an opportunity to enjoy the season together and build on everyday employee appreciation goals. Everyone enjoys an afternoon break for an ice cream party, outdoor games or an all-family picnic. There are loads of easy, affordable ways to engage with employees and make them feel valued.
HR initiatives like employee appreciation are not a “nice to have” bonus — they are strategic. But a recent study shows organizations still don’t view HR as a strategic contributor, despite the proven success of these contributions.
Now’s the time to put a plan into place and make sure your team’s strategy is as seamless as possible!

Turn Goals into Reality: Free Employee Appreciation Calendar

gThankYou’s 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Download yours today — it’s absolutely free.
From special celebrations to everyday tips, our employee appreciation calendar has everything you need to plan a fun, engaging summer for workers.
Plus you’ll learn:

• How to give a sincere compliment
• Why “reverse mentoring” upends assumptions about hierarchy and benefits inexperienced and experienced employees alike
• How to build a peer-to-peer recognition program
• How celebrating this unofficial holiday in July will perk up your IT department
• What a “Think Week” is and why it’s crucial to better planning
• How to meaningfully recognize remote workers

Plus, every month, gThankYou’s employee appreciation calendar has mini-case studies, tips for celebrating key holidays and fresh ideas for anytime recognition.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Download your employee appreciation calendar today, free! This is your resource. Use our guide to be inspired to create a unique and engaging employee recognition program every day of the summer — and into the fall and winter holiday season. Happy planning!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

Learn More About gThankYou – Watch Our “About Us” Video:

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

Follow the Company Blog — “Celebrating Work”
Join the Conversation @gThankYou

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

Turkey or Ham gift vouchers from gThankYou are the perfect way to reward employees during summer BBQ season.
Memorial Day is almost here — ’tis the season for family cookouts, employee picnics and other opportunities for summer barbecuing fun.
gThankYou! Turkey or Ham Gift Vouchers allow recipients the freedom to choose any brand or preparation of whole turkey or whole or half ham, at virtually any major grocery store nationwide.
A turkey or ham centerpiece to a special meal is a meaningful, appreciated gift that employees can enjoy with family and friends. It’s always appropriate and always valued.
Turkey or Ham gifts are convenient for your company, too! Ordering is easy either online or by calling 888-484-1658. Receive your Turkey or Ham vouchers as soon as the next business day — we ship same day on nearly all orders!
And, all gThankYou gift certificates come with free customizable “Thank You” Enclosure Cards to fit any season or occasion.
Need a large number of vouchers or have a distributed workforce? We can help! Not only do we offer volume pricing, we can create custom online ordering for your distributed workplace. Call us at 888-484-1658 to learn more.

11 Perfect Occasions for Sharing Turkey or Ham Gift Vouchers

Celebrate summer BBQ season with a practical gift the whole family can enjoy — a gThankYou! Turkey or Ham Gift Voucher.
It’s a great way to reward employees anytime for meeting performance goals, or for celebrating fun summertime holidays. When your employees sit down with family and friends and pull out the grill to barbecue a ham or turkey for Father’s Day or the 4th of July, your company and your gratitude will be on their minds.
Here are 11 don’t-miss holidays to celebrate with Turkey or Ham gifts this summer:

• May 29: Memorial Day
• June 2: Leave the Office Early Day
• June 14: Flag Day
• June 18: International Picnic Day
• June 18: Father’s Day
• June 20: Summer Solstice
• July 4: Independence Day
• July 9: Intern Appreciation Day
• Aug. 6: Friendship Day
• Aug. 31: National Eat Outside Day
• Sept. 4: Labor Day

Let gThankYou help you with your summer employee appreciation gifts so you’re free to focus on engaging employees, sharing your gratitude and enjoying the season together.

FREE Resource: Your Day-to-Day Employee Engagement Calendar

We all need inspiration to make employee appreciation a daily habit. gThankYou’s 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Be inspired; download yours today, absolutely free.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Here’s to a happier workplace in 2017!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

Learn More About gThankYou – Watch Our “About Us” Video:

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

Follow the Company Blog — “Celebrating Work”
Join the Conversation @gThankYou

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

The software company Epic Systems proves you don’t have to be located in Silicon Valley to attract tech talent or have a vibrant culture of “epic” employee engagement.
Epic attracts employees from far and wide to its campus situated amid farm fields outside Madison, WI. The company has mushroomed in recent years and now employs more than 9,000.
Epic has a reputation for good pay, great culture and a quirky, fun-filled campus that provides many on-site amenities to employees.
A rare interview with Epic founder and CEO Judy Faulkner last month is an insightful look at her unique approach to employee engagement, development and management.
Read on for takeaways from this interview on Epic’s strong employee engagement ethic.

Case Study in ‘Epic’ Employee Engagement

Judy Faulkner founded Epic Systems in 1979 with two assistants. Now she is one of the world’s richest women, with an estimated worth of $2.4 billion. The success of her company is built on her principles — and when it comes to employee engagement, her unique approach has fueled a distinct workplace culture.
The following excerpts from her recent newspaper profile show how Faulkner’s employee engagement ethic is based on strongly held principles.
1. Be Present and Engaged as CEO
CEOs define company culture by example. It’s crucial that leadership is hands-on in engagement efforts, with employees or in the community. When Epic gifted a fire truck to the local town’s fire department, Faulkner was there and fully present (and even having a little fun with it).
John Volker, the former mayor of Verona, remembers when Faulkner personally delivered a new customized fire truck to Verona’s station — a gift that would help the department respond to emergencies in Epic’s underground parking structures. She showed up with her white Samoyed dog covered in black cut-out spots to make it look like a dalmatian.
2. Push for Creative Solutions, Motivate Excellence
Faulkner motivates through high expectations and by always pressing for creativity, according to one employee.
“She cares very deeply. She has very high, high standards and really no tolerance for ‘We’re not going to do it because it’s hard. … She is perfectly comfortable saying, ‘This is the right thing to do. Figure out how you’re going to do it,’ which pushes the company to do things it wouldn’t otherwise.”
3. Have a Clear Mission
The same employee reflects on the importance of a clear mission.
“It comes down to the mission, right? I think that’s what keeps and sustains Epic. People buy into the mission, that they’re really making a difference by making the software that’s produced there. Judy paints a really strong picture of it … then you’re more likely to make some sacrifices.”
4. Be Transparent and Honest with Employees
Cultivating an honest culture and prioritizing transparency frees employees to do their jobs better.
“Everybody knows that you shouldn’t lie,” said Faulkner. “But I think that to not omit something (is) important. To never mislead. To not allow someone to make a conclusion that is false without correcting it. Those are the things that we teach our people to do. And I think that really also frees them.”
5. Have a Good Company Story and Tell It Often
Behind every motivated employee is a good story.
Faulkner said she absolutely believes in “the power of the story.”
“A lot of people don’t understand that, especially in the tech field,” she said. “In the high-tech field, people think ‘Oh, who cares about the story, it’s just A-B-C-D. You’ve got to do it in this order.’
“No, you have to tell the story. The ‘why’ behind it. And it’s really a challenge sometimes with tech folks to teach them the importance of the story. But then on the flip side, the story itself isn’t enough. You’ve also got to have the A-B-C-D.”

6. Never Forget to Have Fun at Work
“Even during the hardscrabble early years … Faulkner valued fun. Back then, that meant themed picnics. Today, it’s the Epic campus’ Harry Potter-themed castle, Indiana Jones-styled hallway and a treehouse.”
Workplace fun is not a frivolous pursuit. It sparks employee creativity and builds a cohesive culture.
Faulkner is also a major patron of the arts and has filled the Epic campus with sculptures, paintings and imaginative furniture. The art and whimsy of the campus are intended to “contribute to an atmosphere of comfort that hopefully makes work more fun.”
7. Yes, Even Work Should Be Fun!
“It is not fun in that it’s a party. It is that you have to like the work you’re doing. Because if you don’t…it’s a big part of your life. It’s important to enjoy it,” Faulkner said.
Faulkner expects the work itself to be fun, too. She doesn’t stress over meetings with potential clients, for example. Instead. she approaches these meetings as friendly get-to-know-you sessions.
“I think of it as, ‘Whether they choose us or whether they don’t choose us, I want to have fun meeting them. I want to learn who they are. I want to learn what they do,’” she said.

FREE Resource: Your Day-to-Day Employee Engagement Calendar

Want to inspire your own vibrant culture of ‘epic’ employee engagement? We all need a little inspiration. Download gThankYou’s 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar for tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Be inspired; download yours today, absolutely free.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Here’s to a happier workplace in 2017!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

Learn More About gThankYou – Watch Our “About Us” Video:

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

Follow the Company Blog — “Celebrating Work”
Join the Conversation @gThankYou

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

Wellness incentives help reward and encourage healthy employee choices like regular exercise, annual checkups, smoking cessation and nutritious cooking.
If your company isn’t already using wellness incentives, now’s a great time to start!
May is Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, with Employee Health and Fitness Day celebrated the third Wednesday of the month.
All month, organizations across the country are raising awareness about the benefits of a healthy workplace.
Healthy employees are better employees.
A study of more than 20,000 employees at three large, geographically dispersed U.S. companies found that employees who exercised more and ate more fruits and vegetables had better performance and much lower absenteeism than their less health-conscious coworkers.
This month, help equip your employees with the knowledge and tools they need to improve their wellbeing — and help them develop habits that will last year-round! Incentivizing healthy choices is a great way to reinforce the benefits and encourage longterm lifestyle changes.

Employee Health & Fitness Month: How to Get Involved

According to Health.gov, this month is the perfect opportunity to start or promote a workplace wellness program.
What sets apart excellent wellness programs? CEOs who are committed to them.
A blog post by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion explains that employers, as providers of workplace wellness programs, “have a tremendous opportunity to help their employees see the value of adopting healthier behaviors so they can live healthier lives.”
But it isn’t enough for a wellness program to be an HR side project. It must have the full support of leadership: “Studies of employee wellness programs consistently find that executive leadership is critical to employee engagement. If employees believe creating a culture of physical activity is an executive priority, employees are more likely to be physically active.”
The government office encourages company leadership everywhere to sign the “CEO Pledge” as an “evidence-based strategy” for improving employee wellbeing. The pledge states:

For the betterment of my company, our employees, their families and the community, I pledge to improve employee health and wellness by providing opportunities and resources for physical activity before, during or after the workday, and to enhance my own health and wellness by engaging in regular physical activity.

Molly Yatso Butz, USA Today columnist and Oshkosh Community YMCA health and wellness director, identifies big benefits for companies and CEOs willing to make the commitment.
For companies, these benefits include:

• Enhanced employee productivity
• Lower overall healthcare costs
• Fewer hospitalizations for employees with chronic illness
• Reduced injuries and illness
• Less absenteeism and “presenteeism”

Employees also experience benefits:

• Lower levels of stress
• Increased wellbeing
• Improved physical fitness and mental health
• Healthier body weight

“Now is the time to bring new life to an existing wellness program or start a new program at your workplace,” she writes. “During the month of May, employers should consider bringing an activity to their workforce that encourages movement, offers a health message, is fun, and that anyone, regardless of their current fitness level, can participate in.”

The Best Wellness Incentives to Reward Employees

Activity possibilities for Employee Health & Fitness Month abound! Summer is around the corner, and employees will be excited to participate in workplace activities that promote fitness, health and the outdoors, like Bike to Work Day.
Wellness incentives ensure that the initial excitement of starting a new health activity will last and develop into a sustainable habit.
Share wellness incentives that further enhance employees’ healthy choices — a gift certificate for groceries, or fruits and vegetables, redeemable at virtually any grocery store nationwide!
The healthy and practical gift of gThankYou! Fruits & Vegetables Gift Certificates or gThankYou! Grocery Gift Certificates encourages employees to cook fresh meals at home or grab nutritious snacks to bring to work.
Best of all, gThankYou food gift certificates are a gift of choice — employees get to decide what, when and where to shop. They’re wellness incentives that help build a culture of workplace wellbeing.
Global Employee Health & Fitness Month is just the beginning. Here’s to year-round employee health!

Free Resource: Your Day-to-Day Employee Engagement Calendar

We all need inspiration to make employee appreciation a daily habit. gThankYou’s 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Be inspired; download yours today, absolutely free.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Here’s to a happier workplace in 2017!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

Learn More About gThankYou – Watch Our “About Us” Video:

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

Follow the Company Blog — “Celebrating Work”
Join the Conversation @gThankYou

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

Your organization doesn’t have to be a school to celebrate teacher appreciation in the workplace this week!
This is the week to thank all teachers, from classroom teachers to your employee development leaders — anyone who spreads the joy of learning and sharing knowledge in your organization and community.
Teacher Appreciation Week is underway and continues through Friday, and National Teacher Day is Tuesday, May 9.
Engage all employees in showing gratitude to teachers this week and celebrating the gift of learning!
In today’s demanding and fast-paced business culture, “leaders would be wise to develop a strong learning environment at the workplace,” Naphtali Hoff writes in a HuffPo article, “Build a Team of Workplace Teachers.”
He quotes the celebrated CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch: “An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.”
“But learning alone is not enough,” Hoff continues. “Leaders that want to stay ahead must make sure that their companies also place a premium on teaching.”

Prioritize Teaching & Show Teacher Appreciation in the Workplace

Leaders and HR are moving away from a mindset of “managing people” to a mindset of coaching and developing employees. There’s a premium now on workplace leaders who are able to coach employees and help them learn, instead of just managing their work duties.
“Learning and development is one of the most important strategies a company can have, but it often gets forgotten or put on the back burner,” according to Business.com article “How to Master Employee Coaching.”
It may be the employee’s job to put their best foot forward, “but as a leader, it’s your job to give them all the tools they need to do so.”
Peer-to-peer coaching is another valuable route for prioritizing workplace learning and teaching. According to Harvard Business Review, “effective peer-to-peer coaching can offer the encouragement people need to overcome the fear of starting something new.”
Developing a workplace culture that values learning and teaching takes time, but there is something you can do right away to help build this culture and show that your company values teachers: celebrate National Teacher Day and Teacher Appreciation Week!
One of the best ways to inspire teacher appreciation in the workplace is to ask everyone, from the CEO to the interns, to recall their favorite childhood teacher — could be a grade school teacher who helped them overcome a fear of math, a piano teacher who introduced them to the world of music or a coach who pushed them to be a stronger, smarter high school athlete.
These are the kinds of memories that remind us why learning is worthwhile and meaningful, and get us excited to continue learning.
Sharing these memories — at the start of a meeting, for example — will help spark an important conversation among employees and foster team-bonding.
Be sure to thank a teacher in your life this week and share your gratitude on social media with the hashtag #ThankATeacher!
For more ideas and practical resources for celebrating teacher appreciation in the workplace, visit the National Education Association and National PTA. Both organizations offer free resources like downloadable posters and Thank You cards that you can share with employees.

Free Resource: Your Day-to-Day Employee Engagement Calendar

We all need inspiration to make employee appreciation a daily habit. gThankYou’s 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Be inspired; download yours today, absolutely free.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Here’s to a happier workplace in 2017!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

Learn More About gThankYou – Watch Our “About Us” Video:

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

Follow the Company Blog — “Celebrating Work”
Join the Conversation @gThankYou

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

You don’t have to break the budget to show heartfelt receptionist appreciation!
National Receptionists Day is always the second Wednesday in May.
First launched in 1991, National Receptionists Day celebrates the role of professional receptionists. It’s a day set aside to recognize and appreciate all the work that receptionists do to help organizations run smoothly.
Why receptionists? They’re the face of your company. Receptionists are usually the first (and sometimes only) company representative your customers or clients interact with. Often, they’re the first to explain your company’s products or services, or hear feedback.
And they’re doing all that while fielding phone calls, coordinating schedules and handling deliveries!
Great receptionists are knowledgeable, friendly and fast.
Making sure your receptionists feel appreciated and included in your company culture is key to promoting a positive company image. Your gratitude makes the difference. Read on for 10 receptionist appreciation ideas that won’t break your budget!

10 Ideas for Budget-Friendly Receptionist Appreciation

Get inspired with these ideas for making your “Thank You” to receptionists count — on National Receptionists Day or any day.

1. Spread the Word
Alert the whole company about National Receptionists Day, or your receptionists’ birthdays or stand-out work. Encourage everyone to stop by reception to say “Thanks.” It’s especially important for company leaders to participate. Your receptionists need to hear gratitude from the C-suite the most!
2. Download the Official Poster

The official National Receptionists Day poster is free to download and can be posted in break rooms, in the lobby and anywhere else it will get attention.

3. Bring In a Personalized Cake
Everyone loves sharing cake! Personalize your cake with receptionists’ names, a short message of gratitude and a fun graphic.
4. Decorate the Office
Balloons, flowers, streamers … make the reception area of your company festive and celebratory. Enlist help in decorating from as many departments as you can. It feels good to show gratitude, so why not engage all employees in the process?
5. Make It ‘Casual Friday’
Invite receptionists to dress casually or wear their favorite (work-appropriate) costume.
6. Give the Gift of Flexibility
Receptionists are desk-bound all day. Give them the flexibility to come in late or take a longer lunch. Switch it up and send a strong message of gratitude from management: arrange for the company president to cover reception during lunch!
7. Share the Practical Gift of Food
Food gifts are practical and always appreciated. Share gift certificates for grocery-store staples and treats, like turkey, ham, pie, ice cream or pizza. It’s a meaningful gift your receptionists will be able to share with their family and friends.
8. Share ‘Thank You’ Cards
Nothing beats a handwritten note of gratitude! A handwritten note has even more impact now in the digital age. For tips on crafting your message, download our free guide, “How to Write a Thank-You Letter to Employees.” (The guide is geared toward Thanksgiving gratitude, but we think the tips are applicable year-round!)
9. Create a Receptionist Gratitude Board
Crowdsource messages of gratitude from the whole company. Invite employees to leave short notes of appreciation for your receptionist(s) on a bulletin board in a common area. Encourage specific instances of gratitude — “Thank you for organizing my mail while I was on vacation!” or “You made my sales clients feel so welcome when they visited last week. Thanks!”
10. Say ‘Thanks’ and Pay a Compliment
Face-to-face gratitude builds camaraderie and goodwill, plus it’s motivating to hear words of encouragement directly. Pay your receptionist(s) a compliment or two — read our blog post “Grow Workplace Positivity One Compliment at a Time” for tips on giving awesome compliments!

Free Resource: Your Day-to-Day Employee Engagement Calendar

We all need inspiration to make employee appreciation a daily habit. gThankYou’s Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Be inspired; download yours today, absolutely free.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Here’s to a happier workplace!

New research analysis by Gallup shows only two in 10 employees “strongly agree that their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work.” Are you sure your management team’s employee development skills are working effectively?
Even if your company is above average at employee development, there’s an “immediate disruption” happening in the workplace that is a game changer for everyone.
That’s according to Gallup’s new research paper Re-Engineering Performance Management. The old ways of handling employee development and recognition simply aren’t working, the paper explains, and it’s time for HR to reevaluate and overhaul.
It starts with management developing a new outlook and new skills.
In other words, if you want employee development that drives results, your team needs to be willing to develop, too!
Ultimately what we all want is the same: a happy, creative, productive and dedicated workforce in which employees feel recognized and appreciated for their work and have a sense of belonging to the company culture.

What Happened, and Why Is Change Necessary?

Time for a reality check.
Just 20 percent of employees “strongly agree” that their company’s performance management system motivates them.
Meanwhile, organizations are making overly confident assumptions about the effectiveness of their employee development and management systems — and wasting “tens of thousands of hours and tens of millions of dollars on activities that not only don’t work but also drive out top talent,” Jim Harter, Gallup’s chief scientist, writes in the latest Gallup paper.
Moreover, Harter writes, “the future of work is being shaped by extraordinary changes in technology, globalization and overwhelming information flow.”
In this climate, employee development is more effective than employee management, Carter explains:

“Workers are asking for something different. They want a coach, not a boss. They want clear expectations, accountability, a rich purpose, and especially ongoing feedback and coaching.”

The price tag for not pursuing what workers want is steep. Gallup estimates that poor management and lost productivity among disengaged employees costs between $960 billion and $1.2 trillion per year.
So what’s the solution? Gallup has some answers. Their valuable Re-Engineering Performance Management report “presents our best analytics and advice for our clients or anyone considering transforming their performance management system.”
Let’s take a look.
(more…)

Happy Administrative Professionals Week! Administrative Professionals Day is April 26, but many businesses celebrate all week. Be sure to thank administrative professionals in your organization; even if it’s just a personal “Thank You,” you’ll make admins feel valued and appreciated.
According to the International Association for Administrative Professionals (IAAP), there are more than 22 million administrative and office support professionals in the United States.
“Administrative Professionals Week celebrates and sheds light on administrative professionals’ devoted, valued work,” the IAAP states.
Chances are, your organization depends on the organizational help of admins to run smoothly — or run at all!
Your Administrative Professionals Week celebration doesn’t need to be fancy. Your gratitude for employees is what counts.
At Ridge Crest Elementary in Idaho this week, for example, the school’s administrative staff was honored with cake and Thank You gifts. But the school principal’s public announcement of appreciation was the most important part of the celebration.
“The school secretaries have the most important job in a school … [their] welcoming smiles communicate to parents and students that Ridge Crest is a place of love and respect. I could not ask for better help in the front office. They are the heart and soul of my school,” he said.
(more…)

Earth Day is April 22 — did it sneak up on you? No worries, we’ve got last-minute ideas for fun, easy employee activities for Earth Day!
Everyday employee engagement is built through rewarding, everyday activities. Even the simplest team-building activities can energize and bring people together.
And celebrating Earth Day in the workplace isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for people, too — and your business, according to USA Today columnist Steve Strauss, a lawyer specializing in small business and entrepreneurship.
Some benefits are obvious, as Strauss writes in a recent USA Today column.
Reusing and recycling are money-savers, there are tax benefits for going green, and green practices are good branding and popular with consumers.
But there are other benefits that are more behind-the-scenes.

“Healthier work environments work better,” Strauss writes. “According to the Green Business Bureau, there is a 20 percent decrease in number of sick days for companies that actively promote a healthier workplace.”
Last but not least, “going green will boost employee morale,” he writes. “Having a green workplace is increasingly an important consideration for employees. In-demand millennials especially will appreciate your efforts.”

Read on for employee activities for Earth Day that are fun for your staff and easy for you to coordinate. You may even be inspired to make Earth Day every day!
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Just like I’ll fight (nicely, of course) the other cooks at the Thanksgiving table for possession of that flavorful turkey carcass — such a great way to make stock — I do the same at Easter for the leftover ham bone.
These rainy April days are the perfect time to take that ham bone out of the freezer and put it to good use for some great tasting and heart warming comfort food.
Bean soups especially benefit from a long simmer with a leftover ham bone, whether or not there’s much meat left on it. If there is, that’s just a bonus; slice it off at the end and add it to the soup.
Allow at least two hours for each of these home cooked soups, and know that they’re just as good reheated for lunch.

Ham Bone Soup Recipes

SPLIT PEA SOUP

One of my favorite spring soups is split pea, that hearty staple, even better when it’s studded with bits of ham. Ina Garten’s recipe for split pea soup, taken from the original Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, is a simple and delicious way to start.

To use your ham bone in this recipe, submerge it in the soup during the last 40 minutes of cooking. Depending how much meat comes off the bone, you may be able to reuse it if you refrigerate it between uses. Salt and pepper the recipe to taste.

NEW ORLEANS RED BEANS AND RICE

John Besh’s beautiful, coffee table-worthy cookbook, “My New Orleans,” is 384 engaging pages of stories, recipes and Southern inspiration.
I first made this fragrant pot of red beans and rice on Super Bowl Sunday, with the justification that the game was being played in New Orleans, and so red beans and rice were perfectly appropriate.
This simple recipe starts with the trinity (green pepper, celery, onion) and gets flavor not only from smoked ham hocks, but also from bacon fat, cayenne pepper and, of course, Louisiana-made Tabasco sauce. The red beans freeze well, too.

HAM BONE SOUP

Everything is better with bacon, and that includes Melissa Clark’s simple ham bone soup, adapted from an old Junior League cookbook. According to Clark’s piece in The New York Times, “The soup was simple: boil a bone with beans and a bay leaf, and dinner was done.” This one’s a good choice for using a slow cooker if you prefer. Add a green salad and some crusty bread and you have a wonderful meal to share and savor!

FREE Ham Cookbook

For everything to know about buying, cooking, serving and storing ham, be sure to download our FREE “Ultimate Holiday Ham Guide”. Inside you’ll also find recipes, resources and expert cooking tips for serving a juicy, delicious ham centerpiece for a special meal.

Click the image below to download your free cookbook from gThankYou now!

Joy isn’t an emotion we typically associate with the workplace — but it should be! Cultivating a joyful employee experience is the kind of investment that results in long-term engagement.
Focusing on employee experience is gaining traction as the new, more sustainable way to tackle low engagement.
“Inside of most organizations around the world, employee engagement has simply become a way to force employees to work in outdated workplace practices while giving them perks to make them happy,” author Jacob Morgan writes for Inc.
A perks-focused strategy is “a short-term adrenaline shot designed to boost the annual employee engagement scores,” but it won’t have lasting impact without a more holistic approach.
“Instead,” Morgan writes, “organizations are shifting to employee experience, which is the long-term organizational design that creates new workplace practices around people.”
Base your employee experience on building, creating and choosing joy. A joyful employee experience is key to a productive and happy workplace culture.
In a commencement speech to 4,700 students at the University of California at Berkeley last year, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg brought up the practice of joy. It’s vital to resilience and overcoming failure, she said.
“In the face of any challenge — you can choose joy and meaning,” she said. “You are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. Like a muscle, you can build it up, draw on it when you need it … In that process you will figure out who you really are — and you just might become the very best version of yourself.”
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Want to build a better workplace culture? Join the club. The way we work is changing, and companies are scrambling to catch up.
“The necessity of workplace culture is a recent phenomenon,” according to a column in The Commentator. “It’s clear that in order to attract, retain and engage the modern workforce, companies must intensify their focus on improving company culture.”
That’s because employees in all industries now are expecting work that is meaningful and engaging — and to be appreciated for it, beyond a paycheck.
Employees are also “pushing employers to forego traditional structures,” according to Gallup research.
But change isn’t happening fast enough for most workers. Two-thirds of U.S. workers still aren’t engaged at work, a figure that hasn’t budged much in years.
Don’t be discouraged! Watch these TED Talks for fresh ideas and new perspectives on building a better workplace culture through better leadership, motivation, appreciation, mindfulness, creativity and more. You’ll feel re-engaged and inspired to share and cultivate improvements to your workplace. Rediscover how easy it is to make a difference.

12 TED Talks to Inspire a Better Workplace Culture

1. Dame Stephanie Shirley: Why Do Ambitious Women Have Flat Heads?
Called “the most successful tech entrepreneur you never heard of,” 83-year-old Stephanie Shirley is a pioneer of flexible work and allowing employees to work from home. She started an all-woman software company in the U.K. in the 1960s that went on to be valued at $3 billion and made millionaires of 70 of her team members.
2. Carl Honoré: In Praise of Slowness
If your team is feeling burned out and overwhelmed, watch this talk about the value of a slowed-down mindset. “We’re so marinated in the culture of speed that we almost fail to notice the toll it takes,” journalist Carl Honoré says. Fast-forward to 9:20 for his take on applying slowness in the workplace specifically.
3. Apollo Robbins: The Art of Misdirection
In this nine-minute TED Talk, sleight-of-hand artist Apollo Robbins demonstrates his pickpocket techniques. But really, he’s demonstrating the power of attention. He asks, “If you could control somebody’s attention, what would you do with it?” In the workplace, leaders have the power to direct employees’ attention. What are your employees’ paying attention to?
4. Dan Ariely: What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work?
Behavioral economist Dan Ariely explores what really motivates people to work (spoiler: it isn’t money!). His talk is #1 on management expert Dan Pink’s list of favorite TED Talks about work.
5. David Steindl-Rast: Want to Be Happy? Be Grateful
Monk and interfaith scholar David Steindl-Rast says we all have one longing in common: to be happy. He challenges us to think of each moment as an opportunity to “stop, look, go” — and be grateful. The assumption that gratitude leads from happiness is misguided, he says. In fact, gratitude is the seed for happiness on an individual, organizational and communal level.
6. David Blaine: How I Held My Breath for 17 Minutes
What makes employees want to do their best, and what do they need to do it? Magician and endurance artist David Blaine is an extreme case. In this video, he explains how he managed to beat the world record and hold his breath for 17 minutes on live television. But even if most work isn’t this extreme, there’s a lesson here for managers in how creativity and high performance flourish — Blaine has a clear goal, the freedom to be curious and experiment, and the resources to train himself to be better. And that, he says, is magic.
7. Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Why are some leaders and companies so much more innovative, inspirational and successful? The secret is in what leadership expert Simon Sinek calls “the golden circle.” And it’s the key to better employee experience and better workplace culture.
8. Martin Seligman: The New Era of Positive Psychology
Positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. As a field of study, positive psychology began in the 1990s. Research includes the effects of positive psychology in the workplace. In this TED Talk, positive psychology founder Martin Seligman explains its history and the science behind it.
9. Roselinde Torres: What It Takes to Be a Great Leader
Roselinde Torres has spent decades observing what makes great leaders, by working inside Fortune 500 companies and coaching more than 200 CEOs. One interesting takeaway from this talk: traditional assessments like annual performance reviews may give you false-positives and stunt your company’s growth. The better investment of your time is in people and building a strong, diverse network.
10. Barry Schwartz: The Way We Think About Work Is Broken
Psychologist Barry Schwartz describes “idea technology” and how it relates to attitudes about work and leadership. False ideas about employee motivation are holding companies back, he says. At the end, he challenges viewers: “Just what kind of human nature do you want to help design?”
11. Shonda Rhimes: My Year of Saying Yes to Everything
“Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy” writer and producer Shonda Rhimes loves the “hum” of working, but one day she lost it. In this engaging talk, she describes her journey getting it back.

Free Resource: Your Day-to-Day Employee Engagement Calendar

We all need inspiration to make employee appreciation a daily habit. gThankYou’s Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Be inspired; download yours today, absolutely free.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Here’s to a happier workplace!

Walk to Work Day and other regular health-focused celebrations help promote employee wellbeing year-round in the workplace.
Held every year on April 7, Walk to Work Day is an easy opportunity to educate employees on the benefits of regular exercise. (It’s also World Health Day!)
Walking to work has environmental benefits, too.
“The heart of Walk to Work Day isn’t just based in our physical and emotional health, but actually concerns itself with the health of the planet as a whole. Prevention magazine promoted this holiday in 2004 and it was quickly picked up by the US Department of Health and Human Services,” according to DaysOfTheYear.com.
Walking to work — even part-way, for employees who commute long distances — has benefits that can directly boost employee wellbeing and build workplace productivity, performance and culture.
Benefits of a walking habit include better mood and increased creativity, metabolism, mindfulness and motivation, according to the Prevention article “7 Incredible Results You’ll Get From Walking 30 Minutes a Day.”
Walk to Work Day is just one of many unofficial holidays throughout the year that are perfect for promoting employee wellbeing. HR experts are calling 2017 “the year for wellness” — read on for more health-focused holidays and to find out what makes a high-value employee wellbeing program.

2017: ‘The Year for Wellness’

Companies are doubling down on prioritization of employee wellbeing in 2017, according to Amy McDonough, vice president and general manager of Fitbit Group Health. In a guest post for HR Dive, she says 2017 will be “the year for wellness.”
From 1996 to 2016, the percentage of companies offering wellness resources and information increased from 54 percent to 72 percent, and companies offering weight-loss programs increased from 29 percent to 31 percent.
Looking ahead to the coming year, McDonough quotes a survey of company leaders. More than two-thirds of those surveyed said they plan to expand emotional, mental and financial health programming for employees.
Workplace wellness doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Employee wellbeing and employee engagement “go hand-in-hand for producing great performance and strong workplaces,” McDonough writes, citing observable correlation between employee benefits satisfaction and job satisfaction.
The most effective employee wellbeing programs are tailored to meet employees where they are, according to McDonough:

“Thinking about how to effectively connect with your people is critical, whether it’s the office ultramarathoner or the person just starting their fitness journey. There is huge potential in getting someone to take that first step.“

Why it’s Worth the Investment

The financial incentive for companies to develop employee wellbeing programming isn’t just speculation, according to a recent research study by Welltok.
The study found that a company with 10,000 employees can drive $3 million in new value by raising engagement through a wellness program for workers and dependents.
“High value activities” identified by the study include improving mental health, optimizing medication use and managing chronic health conditions. Walking is one affordable, effective way to manage chronic health conditions, for example.
In another study of business leaders, this one by Virgin Pulse, 78 percent reported employee wellbeing is a critical part of their business plans. The survey of 600 global organizations also found that among respondents with holistic wellness programs, 74 percent saw an increase employee satisfaction.
“Wellness programs that raise employee satisfaction can also increase productivity, which, in turn, has bottom-line benefits for organizations. And mental health awareness is just as important for ensuring employee wellbeing as physical health,” according to an HR Dive analysis of the study.

Upcoming Holidays to Promote Employee Wellbeing

Missed your chance with Walk to Work Day? There’s always next year. And keep these upcoming wellness-focused celebrations on your radar:

• Microvolunteering Day (April 15): Helping others doesn’t just benefit recipients. It’s good for volunteers’ mental health and fosters a culture of gratitude.
• Kickball Day (April 20): Play this classic game as a team to get exercise and bring back childhood memories.
• Earth Day (April 22): Be kind to the planet and get physically active. Volunteer with employees on a park cleanup or other environmentally friendly project.
• World Laughter Day (May 7): Laughing is good for the mind and body, plus it builds teamwork and improves collaboration.
• Bike to Work Week (May 15-19): Like Walk to Work Day, Bike to Work Week is a practical way to promote fitness with employees and partner with the community.
• National Employee Health & Fitness Day (May 17): Get moving! Be sure to award employees for their involvement in fitness activities. May is National Employee Health & Fitness Month, so make it a celebration that lasts.
• Take Your Dog to Work Day (June 23): Pet-friendly workplaces are on the rise, and for good reason: it’s good for morale!

Don’t forget to thank employees for their participation in wellness activities. For the greatest impact, have company leaders participate alongside employees.

Free Resource: Your Day-to-Day Employee Engagement Calendar

We all need inspiration to make employee appreciation a daily habit. gThankYou’s 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Be inspired; download yours today, absolutely free.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Here’s to a happier workplace in 2017!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

Learn More About gThankYou – Watch Our “About Us” Video:

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

Follow the Company Blog — “Celebrating Work”
Join the Conversation @gThankYou

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

Start a conversation with employees to mark World Health Day in the workplace this week.
Held every year on April 7, World Health Day is an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to mobilize action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.
The 2017 theme is combating depression, with the slogan “Let’s Talk.”
Depression affects people of all ages, from all walks of life and in all countries, according to WHO’s free campaign essentials for World Health Day. Depression creates fallout in all aspects of a person’s life, even on the job.
“It causes mental anguish and impacts people’s ability to carry out even the simplest everyday tasks, with sometimes devastating consequences for relationships with family and friends and the ability to earn a living,” according to WHO.
The goal of World Health Day 2017 is to promote a better understanding of what depression is and how it can be prevented and treated, as well as reduce stigma associated with the condition.
Celebrating World Health Day is an opportunity to help your workforce be more mindful of depression in the workplace. It’s a chance to connect with your team, start a conversation on employee wellbeing, and do activities together for better mental and emotional health. World Health Day also fits well with another awareness-raising initiative happening in April, Stress Awareness Month.

Why Depression is a Workplace Concern

Depression is a costly drain on American companies. It’s also surprisingly common, particularly among part-time workers.
According to Gallup research, 11 percent of full-time workers say they have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their life. Among part-time employees, it’s 16.5 percent. At any given time, 6.1 percent of all U.S. workers are currently being treated for depression.
Depressed workers report missing weeks of work annually due to poor mental health. Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability among adults 15 to 44 years old, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
All together, one in eight U.S. workers has been diagnosed with depression, missing an estimated 68 million additional days of work each year than their counterparts who have not been depressed.
Depression is devastating for employees and employers alike. Gallup estimates a cost of more than $23 billion in lost productivity annually to U.S. employers.
Are employees on your team grappling with emotional health issues? According to Forbes, telltale signs of a depressed employee include:

• increasing frequency of sick days or absences for other reasons
• loss in motivation
• abrupt changes in social behavior
• forgetfulness and trouble concentrating
• increased errors
• excessive yawning and other signs of lethargy

Keep in mind that depressed employees may be hesitant to disclose a diagnosis or admit to a health problem.
“The stigma surrounding depression is not what it was a generation ago (thanks to greater public awareness and the mainstreaming of antidepressants), but it remains strong enough that most depressed employees would probably hesitate to reveal their condition to bosses and coworkers for fear of being marginalized professionally or being seen as weak,” according to the Health article “Depression in the Workplace: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?”
Whether employees feel comfortable discussing mental health with a boss or HR depends on your company culture. More companies are realizing the benefits of opening these lines of communication, with the ultimate goal of helping employees get the help they need so health issues are no longer a distraction.
“Employers are increasingly aware that promoting employee mental health is good for business,” according to Health. “A happy employee is more productive, so it makes sense for employers to help people in need of services to find those services.”

Start a Conversation with Employees: “Let’s Talk”

Your job as an employer is not to diagnose or control treatment.
“Rather than be controlling, employers should provide a supportive environment,” Alberto Colombi, corporate medical director at Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries, tells Health. PPG Industries employs 34,000 and has been recognized for its commitment to employee mental health.
Help build that supportive environment this week by encouraging managers, supervisors and other workplace leaders to start a conversation with employees about mental health.
Be inspired by Psychology Today’s Joni Johnston to start this conversation one-on-one:
1. Make the first move
“Most depressed employees would rather eat dirt than admit to their managers that they’re depressed,” Johnston writes. Some of this fear is justified: “For every story I’ve heard about a supportive manager or caring HR professional, I’ve heard ten from employees who felt their disclosure led to being teased, overly scrutinized, or discriminated against.”
So make the first move. Let the employee know you’re there to listen and assist them in finding help, if they need it.
2. Show concern and empathy
Share your concerns openly but base them on observable or documented behaviors like tardiness, customer complaints or increased absences or work errors.
Be sure to acknowledge these problems as changes in behavior, not the norm: “This isn’t like you. You’re normally the first in to work and the last person in the department to make mistakes.”
3. Share information
Provide information to the employee about health benefits, including resources like your company’s employee assistance program, or point them to outside professional counseling or a community clinic. Give them time to consider and ask questions.
4. Reinforce need for improvement
Keep the conversation focused on how much you’re invested in helping the employee get back on track. Offer your ear but do not push the employee to discuss or disclose anything that may make them uncomfortable. Ultimately, this is about their work performance and not their personal life.
5. Express gratitude
End your talk by thanking the employee for having what was probably a difficult conversation for them. Remember you are there to support, so reiterate how much you value them as an employee. Share your appreciation for their past accomplishments.

World Health Day in the Workplace for Everyone

Beyond one-on-one conversations with individual employees, seek to start a workplace-wide conversation on depression this week for World Health Day.
The World Health Organization has free educational materials to help organizations observe World Health Day, including posters, logos and quick facts on depression in multiple languages.
Activity suggestions include discussion forums, sporting events, art competitions, coffee mornings, concerts, sponsored activities — “anything that contributes to a better understanding of depression and how it can be prevented and treated.”
“Think about involving your organization’s champions, especially if they are influential among those you are trying to reach.”
Your company can also join in the greater World Health Day conversation happening on social media. Get involved by using the hashtags #letstalk, #depression and #mentalhealth.

Free Resource: Your Day-to-Day Employee Engagement Calendar

We all need inspiration to make employee appreciation a daily habit. gThankYou’s 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Be inspired; download yours today, absolutely free.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Here’s to a happier workplace in 2017!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

Learn More About gThankYou – Watch Our “About Us” Video:

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

Follow the Company Blog — “Celebrating Work”
Join the Conversation @gThankYou

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

A mindful workplace is your buffer against the kind of employee stress that disrupts productivity, drains happiness and drives high turnover.
With Stress Awareness Month coming up in April, now’s the time to plan workplace activities focused on stress awareness — and to give employees the tools they need to handle stress before it takes over.
The first step toward busting stress is mindfulness.
“This is why April is Stress Awareness Month. The key to minimizing unhelpful stress is to first become aware of it. We cannot change what we cannot see,” author Melissa Heisler writes in her HuffPo article, “Make the Most of Stress Awareness Month.”
Ultimately, stress itself is not the issue. Stress is an inevitable part of life! It’s how we handle stressors that makes the difference between healthy and dysfunctional.
Workplace leaders set the tone for how to handle workplace stress.
In an un-mindful workplace where leaders feed stress, employees are more likely to react to stress with anger, ingratitude, burnout, overwork or disengagement. Actuarial research shows that self-medicating with unhealthy habits like smoking and binge drinking are also common outcomes of unmanaged workplace stress. The results can be disastrous for your company culture and business, as disengaged employees “check out” from doing their best work.
In today’s workplace, “it’s unlikely the pace or intensity of work will change much anytime soon,” according to the Harvard Business Review.
But “there’s a growing body of research that suggests certain types of development activities can effectively build the capacity for resilience,” Wisdom Labs co-founder Rich Fernandez writes for HBR. Investing in employee personal growth and development “is the first step in unleashing creativity, enabling potential and supporting sustainable productivity.”
Start the process in April with a week (or more!) devoted to building a more mindful workplace. Read on for Stress Awareness Month activity ideas.

7 Days of Workplace Mindfulness

According to the American Institute of Stress, up to 90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related disorders, ranging from stomach trouble to heart disease, and job-related stress costs American businesses about $150 billion annually.
These are daunting statistics, but they can be turned around. At Aetna Insurance, for example, company mindfulness programs for 12,000 employees showed an average of 62 minutes per week of enhanced productivity, saving the company $3,000 per employee annually. Other studies show a substantial reduction in turnover, fewer sick days taken, boosted profits and overall better performance and sustainable engagement from workplace mindfulness and stress-reduction campaigns.
Take these simple, cost-effective steps to develop daily habits in your workplace that will feed a culture of mindfulness and gratitude — not stress!
Day 1: Educate and Organize
Download AmeriHealth’s free Stress Awareness Employer Toolkit to learn more about workplace stress and get practical tools for organizing Stress Awareness Month activities for employees. The AmeriHealth toolkit provides activity ideas, educational payroll stuffers, assessment quizzes, promotional materials and more.
Day 2: Take the “24-Hour Mini Mindful Moment Challenge”
Stress can be triggered and flare in a matter of seconds. Line Goguen-Hughes at Mindful.org recommends countering these stress flare-ups with mindfulness “mini-moments”:

“What if during multiple moments of the day you had a mini-moment practice where you brought your mind to the present moment and checked in with yourself. What would change? … In the middle of an important business meeting, a mini-moment is prompted and you notice your shoulder’s tightening and your mind worrying that you’re going to have to speak soon, and you choose to take a few breaths and roll your shoulders.”

Goguen-Hughes suggests we challenge ourselves: take a “mini-moment” of mindfulness once an hour during the day, to stay mindful and ward off stress with calming techniques.

Day 3: Embrace All Forms of Mindfulness
You don’t have to train your employees to be yogis on a mountaintop to build a mindful workplace! How each of us de-stresses or practices mindfulness doesn’t need to fit into pre-conceived notions about the “right” way to do it.
Explore options that interest and excite the people in your workplace. It may be meditation, but it could also be something else.
Melissa Heisler at HuffPo suggests exploring “the things you lose track of time doing” — petting a dog, coloring a picture, walking, playing basketball. One study even showed that knitting was more effective than meditating or yoga at making participants happier. It all depends on what works best for your unique company culture and employees.
Day 4: Practice “Monotasking”
“Multitasking is a myth,” according to HBR. Leave the multitasking to computers — humans are simply not effective at it. In fact, one neuroscientist that HBR quotes says multitasking typically “doubles the amount of time it takes to do a task, and it usually at least doubles the number of mistakes.”
Encourage employees to “monotask.” According to HBR, managers can do this by “helping team members with clear, one-at-a-time task prioritization for deliverables, defining milestones that don’t overlap, and generally avoiding the trap of mistaking the urgent for the important.”
Day 5: Do Wellbeing Activities as a Team
We already know stress can be contagious, but it turns out wellbeing is contagious, too. According to Gallup, “there is plenty of evidence that wellbeing is shared within existing formal and informal networks and that it spreads based on social ties.”
So today, organize a wellbeing activity — whether it’s health checkups, a healthy-cooking demonstration or an exercise class — that your team can do together.
Day 6: Spread Gratitude
Gratitude comes naturally in a mindful workplace. It’s easier to notice our appreciation for others when we’re not continuously caught up in our own stress response. So spread some stress-busting gratitude today! Say “Thank You” more, spread random acts of kindness, write Thank You notes together or pause work for a fun celebration of your team’s successes.
Day 7: Reward Wellbeing and Mindfulness

Your employees’ good work depends on their good health and ability to handle stress, so don’t forget to reward their wellbeing and mindfulness achievements! Whether it’s a Quit Smoking initiative or group meditation or exercise participation, they deserve (and need) your appreciation to keep them motivated.
Share small, health-minded gifts like Grocery Gift Certificates or Fruits & Vegetables Gift Certificates to thank them and encourage their efforts. Letting your staff know company leadership cares about their wellbeing is an important step toward inspiring and engaging them — and building a more mindful workplace and stress-free culture!

Make Every Day Stress-Free in Your Workplace

Download your FREE 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Recognition Calendar, your guide to building a successful workplace culture of positivity and gratitude.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

The gThankYou 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Download yours today, absolutely free.
Here’s to a happier workplace in 2017!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

Learn More About gThankYou – Watch Our “About Us” Video:

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

Follow the Company Blog — “Celebrating Work”
Join the Conversation @gThankYou

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

Surprise your staff with employee appreciation gifts from gThankYou to celebrate Easter and the joys of spring!
gThankYou Gift Certificates make it easy, affordable and meaningful to thank employees at the holidays or anytime.
Available in a range of values from $5 to $30, gThankYou Gift Certificates allow recipients to choose any Brand of merchandise from virtually any chain Grocery Store in the U.S.
Your employees will appreciate the freedom to choose the brands they like, when and where they would like to shop. gThankYou Certificates are Manufacturer Coupons that are redeemed at checkout just like other cents-off coupons.
gThankYou Gift Certificates are also convenient for you. They’re just the right size to include in a payroll or quarterly mailing, tuck into an Easter gift basket, or share in person with a big smile, firm handshake and sincere “Thanks!”
Plus, all gThankYou Gift Certificates come with free personalization and your choice of free, custom Enclosure Cards — including card designs to accompany Easter, Spring and Summer employee appreciation gifts!
Order today online or by calling 855-407-9025. Nearly all gThankYou orders ship the day they are received, with delivery as soon as the next business day. Interested in large-volume discounts or worried about making a specific deadline? Call 855-407-9025.
Read on for employee appreciation gifts of gThankYou Gift Certificates to fit every occasion this spring.

Small Gifts, Big Gratitude

This spring, think small for employee appreciation gifts! Even the smallest of gifts matter in the workplace, according to Menlo College president Richard A. Moran.
“Small gifts have a return far in excess of dollars,” he writes. “It’s not a holiday thing. Small surprise gifts are important all year long and can build an organization and a reputation.”
Small surprises are what spring is all about! When you reward your staff with a surprise gift, however small, you’re helping build a culture of gratitude that grows through everyday actions.
Gift-giving should be part of your overall engagement and appreciation strategy, of course — and small, frequent gifts are better than a once-a-year big gift.
By sharing gifts more frequently, your team has more opportunities to express appreciation. Your gratitude is one of the most reliable, effective ways to increase motivation, engagement, retention and productivity.

Employee Appreciation Gifts for Easter and Spring Gratitude

Here are six gThankYou Gift Certificate options for spreading employee appreciation this spring:
1. gThankYou! Ham Gift Certificate

Give the traditional centerpiece to the Easter meal with a ham gift. It’s practical, meaningful and appreciated! gThankYou! Ham Gift Certificates are good for any brand and any preparation of a whole or half ham. Plus, your employees can share and enjoy their ham gift with family and friends. gThankYou even offers free downloadable cookbooks so your recipients can create the perfect holiday meal at home.

2. gThankYou! Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificate

Have a diverse workplace? Give the gift of choice. Recipients can choose to redeem their Turkey or Ham Gift Certificate for either a whole turkey or a whole or half ham, whichever is best for their family celebration.

3. gThankYou! Candy Gift Certificate

Tuck this Gift Certificate into a colorful Easter basket with a card wishing “Happy Spring!” Recipients will enjoy redeeming their gThankYou! Candy Gift Certificates for their favorite Easter candy and novelty chocolate bunnies and eggs.

4. gThankYou! Ice Cream Gift Certificate

Warmer weather is here, and everyone loves that summertime treat: ice cream! gThankYou! Ice Cream Gift Certificates are good for any brand of ice cream or frozen novelties. It’s the perfect low-cost way to welcome the new season and say “Thanks!”

5. gThankYou! Fruits & Vegetables Gift Certificates

June is Employee Wellbeing Month. Plan now to share Fruits & Vegetables Gift Certificates with your staff as part of a workplace health and wellbeing initiative. Fruits & Vegetables Gift Certificates encourage healthful choices, plus they make great rewards and raffle prizes.

6. gThankYou! Grocery Gift Certificates

The ultimate Gift Certificate of choice, Grocery Gift Certificates allow recipients to choose any food items (any brands, any preparation) to build the meal they want from scratch. Grocery Gift Certificates make great appreciation gifts in conjunction with healthy-eating or nutrition classes, too.

Want to increase the impact of your employee appreciation gifts? Include a short, heartfelt note of Thanks. For tips on how to thank employees, download the gThankYou! Guide to Writing Employee Thank You Letters.

Learn to Build a Culture of Everyday Workplace Gratitude

Download your FREE 2019 Day-to-Day Employee Recognition Calendar, your guide to building a successful workplace culture of positivity and gratitude.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

The gThankYou 2019 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Download yours today, absolutely free.
Here’s to building a happier workplace!

Do you and your team need a workplace happiness boost? Time to find new ways to strengthen and grow workplace happiness!

Today is International Day of Happiness! In celebration, make a commitment to increase the happiness levels at your company this spring.
We spend at least a third of our lives at work, according to Lifehack, and “this can be a scary fact for some to face.”
“Because so much of your life is spent at work, a huge deciding factor in your wellbeing is whether or not you’re happy at work,” Lifehack’s Matt Valentine writes.
With the right conditions and practices, we all should be able to derive a sense of joy from our work, feel connected to it and believe that we’re making a positive impact on some portion of the world, however small.
But, as Gallup research continues to reveal, this isn’t the reality for most Americans. The majority of American workers aren’t engaged in or committed to their work.
“Gallup research shows that for a few select managers, naturally engaging their teams to be their best every day comes so instinctively they don’t even realize they’re doing it,” according to a Gallup blog post on creating everyday engagement.
“But there is hope for the rest of us,” Gallup’s Jake Herway and Jeremy Pietrocini write. And it’s worth pursuing: “Top teams that address engagement needs in their everyday work outperform bottom teams by an average 20 percent in sales and 10 percent in customer engagement.”
Growing everyday workplace happiness takes some effort — it means asking the right questions, empowering employees to do their best and taking time daily to engage and appreciate employees. Read on for easy tips to inspire your own workplace happiness transformation.

The Secrets to Workplace Happiness

A survey of 20,000 tech workers last year found an astonishing level of job satisfaction. When asked whether they feel appreciated on the job, 72 percent of respondents replied yes, and 71 percent said they feel their career allows for solid work-life balance.
Why are these employees in tech so much happier than the average American worker? In short…

• jobs that allow for some creativity
• family-friendly workplaces
• a feeling of belonging with coworkers
• meaningful work that provides a sense of purpose

These results can be replicated in any industry, however. And they’re built through small, everyday actions. Here are eight things you can do this week to strengthen and grow workplace happiness in your company, regardless of industry.

8 Everyday Ways to Grow Workplace Happiness

1. Check Your Team for Burnout
Once in a while it’s good to stop and take an inventory of your burnout risk, according to former Help Scout strategist Gregory Ciotti. He suggests the Maslach Burnout Inventory test. You can also try this free online burnout self-test from MindTools. Use this time of self-reflection by yourself or with others to think about what’s going right, what’s not and how to move forward.

2. Give 5 Minutes of Your Time
Have a cup of coffee with an employee or just spend 5 minutes chatting. A few minutes devoted to an employee can make a huge difference in their engagement.
Amit Singh, then president of Google for Work, explained one of his early leadership lessons in a New York Times’ Corner Office Q&A last year:

“It doesn’t always take that much to reach out and connect with people. We have a very flat structure at Google, and it’s pretty open. Anybody can come into my office and say, ‘Hey, I want to have a cup of coffee with you.’ I remember being so motivated by a leader who always felt so accessible even though he spent all of five minutes with me.”

3. Promote Mindfulness
Are your company leaders and supervisors practicing mindfulness? Companies like Google, General Mills, Intel, Aetna and Goldman Sachs already swear by mindfulness as a practice to help employees focus, stay creative and be happy. Find specific mindfulness tips and ideas in our blog post, “Recharge Your Workplace Gratitude Culture with Mindfulness.”
4. Give Employees a Chance to Shine
What happens when a manager gives an employee the chance to control an aspect of the business, no matter how small? The employee develops a sense of ownership, and that’s critical to building motivation, according to BetterCloud chief executive David Politis:

“I’m also a big believer in giving people ownership of certain areas in the business. It’s amazing what happens when you do that. People want to make a difference, and when you give them an area of the business that they can affect, the amount of stuff that gets done, and the pride in their work is amazing.”

5. Remote Employees? Team Up for Get-to-Know-You Time
Keeping remote workers engaged and connected is “the eternal quest,” as Trello blogger Lydia M. puts it. One way she and other Trello employees stay connected is through a game called “Mr. Rogers.”
Each week, two employees are randomly paired, and for 15 minutes they are tasked with hopping on a video call and getting to know one another. It’s become a popular activity for employees — not only do they get to know each other personally, they’re better able understand the company and do their jobs.
6. Go Outside
It’s spring! If you and your team have been stuck indoors all winter, take time for an outdoor picnic or walk. See the bushes budding, breathe in that fresh air, enjoy the warm sun.
Even moving your morning meeting into a room with natural light could help: “Office workers with more light exposure at the office had longer sleep duration, better sleep quality, more physical activity and better quality of life compared to office workers with less light exposure in the workplace,” according to a study from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
7. Share a Small Gift
Gift-giving feels good and makes others feel good! What’s not to love? And even the smallest of gifts — a Thank You note, a $5 gift certificate, a platter of homemade cookies — stand out in the workplace, according to Menlo College president Richard A. Moran.
“The workplace consists of very few pleasant surprises. … A pleasant and welcome surprise goes a long way,” Moran writes in his LinkedIn post, “3 Reasons Why the Smallest of Gifts Matter.”
8. Smile and Say Thank You
The average adult manages a smile just seven times a day — and one of those smiles might be fake. Yikes!
Stop, take a deep breath and give yourself or your team a reason to (genuinely) smile. Pass it on — smile at an employee you normally never interact with, and thank that person for their work. These little interactions spread happiness contagiously and make anyone’s day better.

Make Every Day Happy in Your Workplace

Download your FREE 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Recognition Calendar, your guide to building a successful workplace culture of positivity and gratitude.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

The gThankYou 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Download yours today, absolutely free.
Here’s to a happier workplace in 2017!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

Learn More About gThankYou – Watch Our “About Us” Video:

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

Follow the Company Blog — “Celebrating Work”
Join the Conversation @gThankYou

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

Fred Rogers delighted children for decades on television, but even as adults we can learn and be inspired by his legacy for better workplace leadership and building employee happiness.
Employee happiness is on our minds these days because International Day of Happiness is this Monday, March 20.
It’s also Mister Rogers Day — or “Sweater Day,” an effort to get people everywhere to wear Rogers’ trademark cardigan in honor of the beloved children’s entertainer and his show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Rogers would have turned 89 this March 20.
Generations of children grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood from 1963 to 2001.
“He spoke to children like grown-ups, and helped them tackle topics such as anger, trust, honesty, courage and sadness,” Jonathan Merritt wrote in a posthumous profile of Rogers in The Atlantic.
“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood pushed beyond surface-level entertainment and instilled children with a sense of joy, peace and kindness. Researchers who compared viewers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood with viewers of Sesame Street even found that Fred’s fans developed a greater level of patience.”

Mister Rogers, Won’t You Be My Boss?

Rogers was also, unsurprisingly, a thoughtful boss.

Every summer, he rented out an amusement park near his hometown of Latrobe, Pa., for the children of his employees to enjoy.
Rogers’ “deep and simple lessons may have been packaged for children, but they are applicable at any age,” Maura Jutkis wrote for the Washington Post in 2012. He had a “magical effect on adults,” too. She quotes a 1998 Esquire profile of Mister Rogers:

“The moment Mister Rogers got out of the car, people wouldn’t stay away from him, they respected him so much … ‘Oh, Mister Rogers, thank you for my childhood.’ ‘Oh, Mister Rogers, you’re the father I never had.’ ‘Oh, Mister Rogers, would you please just hug me?'”

Many of the employees on his show stayed with him for decades, according to the New York Times.
At one point in the 1990s, he thought of retiring, “but he pressed on, partly because he felt responsible for the staff members who inhabited the real ‘Neighborhood,’ which had the simple warmth and loyal relationships of the make-believe version.”
He showed personal interest in his employees and fostered a meaningful workplace culture.
One employee of 33 years “recalled moments when her boss shared conversations about her ailing cat and then offered to join her when it was euthanized.”

Rogers and his team thought of themselves as sort of a church congregation with a “sense of being involved in something bigger,” William Barker, voice of the puppet Dr. William Duck Platypus, told the Times.

Building Employee Happiness, the Mister Rogers Way

Inspired by Fast Company’s “5 Marketing Lessons from Mr. Rogers” and others, here are five ways to model Rogers in workplace leadership to build employee happiness:

1. Focus on Relationships, Not Flashy Perks

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was decidedly low-tech and not flashy, yet Rogers managed to inspire a large, loyal following of young viewers. He did this by talking to his viewers personably, asking questions and building a “relationship” with each and every one.

Big, expensive employee benefits are nice, but a personal connection will always be more memorable in the long run. Ultimately, you’ll need to find a balance: recognize employee excellence thoughtfully and generously, but never forget to personally say “Thank You” or seize the opportunity to get to know an employee one-on-one. These small connections will stay with employees the longest and build lasting employee happiness.

2. Let Employees Know How Their Work Matters

Not all of us can work behind the scenes on a beloved children’s program, but that doesn’t mean the work your company does can’t be just as meaningful.

Rogers’ employees stayed with his show for decades because he put a high value on meaningful workplace culture. He did this by frequently communicating how and why the work mattered. And according to Harvard Business Review, meaningful work should be every CEO’s top priority.

3. Inspire, Don’t Rule

“There’s a world of difference between insisting on someone doing something and establishing an atmosphere in which that person can grow into wanting to do it.”

This quote from Rogers inspired Marc Galvagno, a former executive at the transportation company Air Van Lines, Inc.

In a 2005 Puget Sound Business Chronicle profile, Galvagno said he kept a Mister Rogers thought-of-the-day calendar on his desk and let Rogers’ words inspire his management style.

“This man had true perspective. He was so dang genuine,” Galvagno said.

4. Listen, and Be Responsive

There are countless stories of how responsive Rogers was to his viewers, often responding at length to fan mail and paying close attention to the concerns viewers might share. This has the same effect on six-year-olds as it does on 36-year-olds: people who feel heard and valued will put more effort into the relationship (and into the work).

5. Be Authentic

Rogers was a convincing public speaker, able to secure millions of dollars in funding for public television and children’s education. He did it, according to marketing expert Mitch Joel, through storytelling and authenticity.
Storytelling is one way to discover authenticity as a leader. By finding and telling the story of your company and the work you do, you’ll naturally become more authentic — and that’s a quality employees will immediately respond to.
“Storytelling is more than an essential set of tools to get things done: it’s a way for leaders — wherever they may sit — to embody the change they seek. … Storytelling helps us make sense of organizations,” according to Forbes’ “Why Leadership Storytelling Is Important.”

Next Week: Don’t Miss International Day of Happiness!

Monday, March 20 — in addition to Fred Rogers’ birthday — is International Day of Happiness! Renew your commitment to happier employees with a workplace celebration. We’ll be posting ideas and inspiration in the coming days.
Want to build a culture of workplace happiness every day of the year?
Download your FREE 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Recognition Calendar, your guide to building a successful workplace culture of positivity and gratitude.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

gThankYou’s 2017 Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Download yours today, absolutely free.
Here’s to a happier employees and a happier workplace in 2017!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey, Ham, or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

Learn More About gThankYou – Watch Our “About Us” Video:

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.

Follow the Company Blog — “Celebrating Work”
Join the Conversation @gThankYou

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

If you’re looking for the secret to happier employees, a reliable place to look first is Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Fortune recently published its 2017 list, with familiar names like Google, Salesforce and Quicken Loans in the Top 10.
But coming in at #2 is a company most Americans won’t recognize — unless they live in a handful of northeastern states, or they pay attention to Fortune’s annual “Best Companies” list.
Wegmans is a small grocery-store chain with locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia. This is Wegmans’ 20th year on Fortune’s list.
How does Wegmans manage to have happier employees in an industry known for low wages and high turnover? The secret may be in the company’s family-friendly employee recognition practices, according to an article in Quartz.
Wegmans employees continually praise the company’s family-like work environment on employer-review sites like Glassdoor.
It’s good for business.
“All that employee love is paying off,” Quartz’s Oliver Staley writes. “Wegmans is growing rapidly, expanding from its northeast base to add stores in Virginia (there are now 92 stores in six states), and revenues reportedly climbed to $7.9 billion in 2015 from $6.2 billion in 2011.”
Across the board, family-friendly workplaces are winning at engagement, with happier and more productive employees and a good reputation in the community. Forbes contributor Freek Vermeulen calls it “happiness for free” — family-friendly practices can be costly, but they essentially pay for themselves.
At a time when the majority of Americans are “open” to leaving their current jobs, we should all be following the lead of family-friendly workplaces for happier employees and better retention. Well done, Wegmans! (more…)

Celebrating National Pi Day in the workplace is the perfect way to engage employees, have fun together and, of course, eat tasty slices of pie. Get ready: it’s tomorrow, March 14!
National Pi Day — not to be confused with National Pie Day, our other favorite excuse to enjoy pie — is the holiday made up by math geeks to celebrate the irrational number that describes the ratio of a circle’s diameter to its circumference.
That number is 3.14, or March 14. And 3.14 backwards is … you guessed it, PIE.
“Pi Day is a holiday for math (and pie) enthusiasts to celebrate their love of numbers,” according to PBS.
There are contests to see who can recite the most digits of pi by heart, popular songs remade with pi lyrics, and lots and lots and lots of pies, from chicken pot pie to key lime pie.
NASA even put together a “Pi in the Sky” infographic to explain to the rest of us how scientists use pi in space.

Pi Day in the Workplace: A Celebration of Pie and Teamwork

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