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A great workplace starts with healthy employees. Plus, there is a strong connection between happiness and nutrition. Why not make work a healthier, happier place to be, one step at a time? We’re here to help.

Many organizations have committed to a healthy workplace, and wellness programs continue to flourish in businesses of all sizes. However, even with strides in tech-based wellness initiatives and other fancy programs, nutrition is a fundamental piece of wellness. Don’t leave nutrition-based education to personal trainers, dieticians and nutritionists. A healthy lifestyle can start at home AND at work. (more…)

Don’t forget St. Patrick’s Day on March 17! It’s always a fun occasion to wear green and have a little office fun. But the MOST important day of the month is …… March 20!
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January is full of forecasting, goal-setting, and looking forward to a successful new year. It’s also National Thank You month, which is why it’s the perfect time to plan ahead for acts of gratitude and appreciation.

Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered! Check out these gratitude resources that will inspire and help you build and maintain a culture of appreciation and employee celebration ALL YEAR LONG!
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Did You Know that January is National Thank You Month?

The holidays are an excellent time to give and receive, but January is the time to slow down and say THANK YOU! January is National Thank You Month and is the perfect time to invest in new activities to nurture gratitude and kindness in the coming year.

We’d like to revisit 5 ways to embrace gratitude in life and the workplace, setting the stage for a year full of thankful habits.

5 Ways to Embrace Workplace Gratitude Now

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We thought it would be a jolly ol’ time to round up some lists of top favorite Christmas foods, music and movies surrounding the holiday from a variety of creative sources. Enjoy and share!

We are so grateful for our family, friends, employees, customers and partners. Thank you for your support all year round! Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Top 5 Christmas Carols (New York Public Library)

While the list has 18, here are the top 5, according to the author.

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It’s not too late to finish the year strong with gratitude!

Year-end can mean different things to people, depending on industry, role, personality type … and a million other factors! We hope you are thoroughly enjoying the holiday season with your friends, family and employees. Here are a few suggestions to finish the year strong as a leader who understands that appreciation is the greatest gift.

5 Ways to Finish the Year Strong:

Say THANK YOU to everyone you can. From your trusted advisors to the delivery folks to the administrative teams who make your world work. Who can you thank today? (more…)

At gThankYou, we like to think of ourselves as “gratitude experts.” We are strong believers in year-round employee appreciation but encourage an extra dose of thankfulness during the holidays. Here are some resources as you focus on holiday appreciation ideas.

Holiday Appreciation Ideas & Resources

Thank You Notes

Although we often publish our guide to thank you notes around Thanksgiving, it’s not too late to write a letter of gratitude in December. We encourage leaders to take the time to write something personal to those who make an impact on the business. It’s well-received and appreciated — and is a smart business move in a world where retention is key. Read more here: Put the “Thanks” into Your Thanksgiving Letter or Write a Holiday Thank You Note to Remember. (more…)

As we prepare for the season of giving, many people struggle with what to give, what to spend, or where to even begin. We have been in the gift-giving business for a long time, and let us tell you, groceries are the ultimate gift.

Here are 5 Reasons Groceries are the Ultimate Gift

Everyone eats.

There is truly no other gift as universal as food. Whether it’s a celebratory meal or simply milk and veggies, everyone needs food to survive and thrive! You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t want a little extra food in the fridge or pantry. With a gThankYou grocery gift certificate, it’s completely possible to bring a smile to every single recipient.

Simplicity rules.

Sometimes the process of selecting gifts can overwhelm even the most seasoned shoppers. It’s even more complicated when purchasing gifts for entire organizations! Simple, straightforward gifts like a voucher for groceries embody the beauty of simplicity. Practicality never goes out of style. (more…)

Thanksgiving is coming quickly, and it is the perfect time to write a thank you letter to employees and share your heartfelt appreciation for all they do for you and your business.

If you are new to writing business thank you notes or need a little inspiration, gThankYou’s eBook “Put the ‘Thanks’ in Thanksgiving: How to Write a Thanksgiving Letter to Employees” is here to guide and inspire you.

Thanking employees any time of the year is one of the best ways to engage employees and motivate them to do excellent work. But at Thanksgiving, your thanks takes on added meaning. Gratitude at Thanksgiving is more personal; it lets your employees know you value them as people. You’re honoring the all-American holiday when we celebrate and share our gratitude with family and friends.
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Let the fun commence! Here are 10 ideas for throwing year-end office festivities. This time of year can be stressful, but also full of gratitude, wonder and joy! Set the tone with simple, impactful workplace activities that spread the spirit!

Not only do year-end office festivities offer a way to have some fun, but they are a strategic way to show employee appreciation and enhance employee engagement. Be true to your culture — what would be authentic and enjoyable? Tap some creative minds and enjoy the process!

Top 10 Year-End Office Festivities

Volunteer together at a food pantry or host a holiday meal at a shelter. Bring employees together to give back to the community, offering unity, perspective and goodwill to all who participate.
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Turkeys in bulk for employees are a meaningful, appreciated Thanksgiving gift that honors a popular workplace tradition going back generations.

But what if you need to buy turkeys in bulk for employees of a large workforce?

It used to be the only way to share the gift of Thanksgiving turkeys in bulk for employees was to order and deliver them frozen.

Today, you no longer need to deal with the hassle of buying, storing and distributing bulky frozen turkeys, plus you can provide a holiday gift that recipients prefer more — the ability to choose the right size turkey for their family, when they want it.

gThankYou Turkey, Turkey Or Ham or Grocery Gift Certificates make it easy for you to share the gift of a Thanksgiving turkey. Plus, recipients love the flexibility to choose the size, brand and preparation they want for their holiday family celebration.

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Believe it or not, the holiday gift planning season is here! Here are some details you should know as you prepare to celebrate employees for a year of hard work. The good news? We can handle the heavy lifting for your holiday gift planning.

Many gThankYou customers are faced with the daunting task of distributing gifts to a large number of locations, employees working from home, or to clients across the country. With dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of offices and associates nationwide, it can be challenging and very time-consuming. Let us help. (more…)

Photo by Brian Penny on Unsplash

Millions of Americans will work on Thanksgiving.

Will employees at your company be spending Thanksgiving at work? If so, bring the gratitude (and treats) and make it a workplace celebration they’ll appreciate!

Spending the holiday at work isn’t where most of us want to be for this traditional at-home celebration. But with the right attitude and activities, sharing Thanksgiving with colleagues is an opportunity to highlight workplace gratitude and celebrate your work family.

If your company has employees spending Thanksgiving in the office, (more…)

Photo by sheri silver on Unsplash

Halloween is one of America’s favorite holidays.

According to the National Retail Federation, 69% of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween this year. People love getting into costume, putting up scary decorations, and sharing their favorite treats. With interest like this, Halloween is the perfect opportunity to bring your workplace together for a holiday celebration.

Download gThankYou’s “Halloween Team Building Guide” — a one-page PDF that highlights 20 time-tested exercises, games and activities for Halloween team building to help you engage your staff in a meaningful celebration. (more…)

Photo by Pro Church Media on Unsplash

It’s almost October and time to start planning your annual turkey and corporate food gifts for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Early planning provides peace of mind that your holiday gift-giving is planned and ready to go! By crossing this important item off your list, there is more time to focus on what really matters this time of year: sharing gratitude.

Let gThankYou take care of the logistics this year.

gThankYou! Turkey and Ham, Grocery and Other Gift Certificates make it easy and convenient to give much-desired food gifts. Even if your organization is large and working in a variety of offices or remotely, we’ve got you covered.

A turkey is the centerpiece to the most gratitude-focused holiday of the year. We all crave feeling valued and recognized. The gift of a Thanksgiving turkey or groceries shows your recipients that you care about them and their family. When they sit down to their annual Thanksgiving feast surrounded by loved ones, they’ll be grateful for you and your organization, too.

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Today is World Gratitude Day!

Celebrated every Sept. 21, World Gratitude Day was started by the United Nations more than 50 years ago. It’s also known as the International Day of Peace.

In the workplace, World Gratitude Day is for celebrating the power of “Thank You” — from company leaders to employees, between coworkers, from employees to customers and, ultimately, as a building block for a culture of gratitude.

The scientific argument for gratitude in the workplace is strong and backed by rigorous research.

Numerous studies and business cases have shown the benefits of gratitude and the ill effects of a lack of gratitude — job dissatisfaction, turnover, absenteeism, burnout, gossip, negativity and exploitation.
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Photo by Spikeball on Unsplash

When leaders understand the importance of celebrating teams and organizational values, important messages resonate beyond an “event.” There are many opportunities to bring people together to underscore that your business is about people and values, not just work and the bottom line.

We’re in a time of heightened pressure to recruit and retain happy, committed employees and this big-picture thinking is critical. Here are a wide variety of ways you can incorporate “celebrating teams and organizational values” into your workplace. We hope this sparks inspiration for gifts of connection, belonging and shared joy.

Give the Gift of Connection

• Welcome new employees with a memorable first impression. Schedule coffee or lunch with the head of the company on their first day at work.

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Here’s how to choose the right employee gifts for the holidays.

Even for the most capable givers, it can be a challenge to find employee gifts for the holidays. Or rather, it’s challenging to find gifts your employees will actually enjoy and use. Too often, employers give gifts as if they’re checking a box: Here’s a golf shirt emblazoned with the company logo, hope it fits! (And sorry if you don’t play golf or it’s not at all your style.)
The end result is that workers can feel more annoyed by a gift than if they hadn’t received anything — like, Yeesh, now I have to lug this home because I don’t want the boss to see it in my office trash. Obviously, that’s not an optimal outcome, especially not when at least one recent report says employers spend an average of almost $80 per employee on holiday gifts.
What type of gifts do employees like?
Well, while we can’t guarantee you’ll find the perfect present for everyone on your team, we can offer a few critical tips and suggestions for employee gifts for the holidays.

Tip 1: Money Isn’t Everything

Don’t let that $80 figure upset you. Not only are you not obligated to spend so much, the value of a gift to the recipient also doesn’t necessarily correlate with its cost. As an expert quoted in an HR Dive discussion of good employee gifts for the holidays says, “The best holiday gifts aren’t necessarily the most expensive, but show an understanding of the recipient.” (more…)

Ice Cream Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Hopefully you are already aware that July is National Ice Cream Month! This is the month to celebrate our love of all things ice cream, including sorbet, Popsicles, sundaes, floats, shakes — we could go on and on. It’s a lot like a good employee engagement program: it brings people together, makes everyone feel happy, and is endlessly creative.

That doesn’t mean you can drop off a tub of vanilla in the break room with a scoop and expect (more…)