Staff appreciation gifts for the New Year are the perfect way to celebrate the successes of the prior year and infuse energy into what’s ahead. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are widely celebrated and non-religious, making it a good choice for a workplace celebration. It’s a great time to focus on thanking employees for a successful year and encouraging the same enthusiasm and dedication for the coming year.
The New Year is a time of reflection — we look back at the past year and make decisions about how to approach life and work in the coming year. Are you doing this with your employees? It’s a great chance to get motivated and focused together.
Simply celebrating together is a powerful way to build workplace spirit.
What makes a great employee gift for the New Year? Read on for ideas of staff appreciation gifts that communicate gratitude, share in the celebration of company achievements and — most importantly — delight employees!
5 Staff Appreciation Gifts and Ideas to Kick Off the Year
Why share a New Year’s gift in the workplace? Because this unique holiday is:
- Celebrated by all.
- An important milestone.
- A time of reflection and goalsetting.
As always, focus on gratitude, however you choose to celebrate and whatever gift you choose for employees.
We’re all excited by the potential of the New Year and a “clean slate,” but don’t be quick to brush last year into the past. Taking time to recognize the wins of the past year is key to motivation and inspiration for the next 12 months.
Choose staff appreciation gifts and ideas that share in the fun, aspirational nature of the New Year. Here are five ideas to consider (and guess what? You can do them ALL!)
1. “Happy New Year” CEO letter
Any staff appreciation gifts should include a short thank you note or “thanks” in person but take it a step further with a longer letter from the CEO or other leaders. Now is a great time to go over what worked well for your business in the previous year and inspire even better results in the upcoming year with genuine enthusiasm.
Don’t know where to start? Download our free eBook on how to write a holiday Thank You letter. You’ll find specific ideas and inspiration from real-life examples of CEO holiday letters. (The eBook is geared toward Thanksgiving, but the advice is great for writing a New Year’s letter, too!)
2. Flowers or potted plants for the office
Bring fresh oxygen into your workplace with bouquets or a few pretty, easy-to-maintain potted plants. During these short winter days, a little greenery and color goes a long way to brighten everyone’s day.
3. Publish a year-in-review book or video
Think of it as a high school yearbook, but for staff! Highlight personal and team achievements from the past year with photos and quotes. Focus on appreciation and on how employees define your company’s unique cultural identity.
4. End-of-year potluck celebration
On a budget? Decorate the break room with New Year’s streamers and balloons and host a potluck. Provide the plates, utensils, and napkins, and invite employees to bring their favorite holiday dish. Share a $5 gift certificate for sweet treats or ice cream with each employee. Have management talk about the year’s successes and challenges and what to look forward to in the year ahead.
5. Treats for staying healthy in the new year
Share staff appreciation gifts that encourage healthy habits. It will jumpstart your wellness initiatives and help employees keep their New Year’s resolutions. Be sure the tone of your staff appreciation gifts are positive, not critical. It should promote healthy eating and staying active, not specifically weight-loss, which could be a downer for someone already struggling to lose weight.
A gThankYou Fruits and Vegetables Gift Certificate is a great way to thank employees and help them keep resolutions to eat better this new year, for example. Even better: when you share staff appreciation gifts like the gift certificates, bring in a local chef to teach a class on how to incorporate more fruits and veggies into meals.
Learn More About Staff Appreciation Gifts and gThankYou Certificates:
- Check out our Home Page
- See all our Gift Certificate Choices
- Learn more About gThankYou and FAQs
- See our FREE customizable Gratitude cards
- Reach us at 888-484-1658 or via info@gthankyou.com
Top Photo by Herbert Goetsch on Unsplash
Pineapple Party Photo by Pineapple Supply Co. on Unsplash
