This Earth Day, Plant a Culture of Gratitude!

Happy Earth Day!
It may not be a traditional employee appreciation holiday, but Earth Day offers a fresh and unexpected opportunity to connect with and celebrate employees for the benefit of our planet. And, it’s an easy way to invest in building a culture of gratitude.
Your Earth Day employee appreciation means the most when it’s specific, personal, memorable and builds an overall culture of gratitude.
Ultimately, today is about gratitude for our planet and working together to care for it.
Sharing this sentiment and goal as part of a workplace Earth Day celebration sends an important message to employees that “we’re in this together.” When your team celebrates by volunteering or raising money for an eco-friendly charity, you making a difference in your workplace and the community-at-large!
Read on for practical ideas for your Earth Day workplace celebration and how to incorporate gratitude along the way to build a sustainable culture of gratitude!

Say “Thank You” With Earth Day Volunteerism

The cornerstone of any Earth Day celebration is action.
Earth Day started in 1970 “as a day of education about environmental issues,” according to the History Channel. It’s grown over the years to address a wider scope of environmental concerns and become a day for learning as well as taking action. These days, over 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities each year, “making it the largest civic observance in the world,” according to Earth Day Network.
Options for Earth Day activities with employees include:

• Sign up for a run/walk fundraiser that benefits a local conservation group.
• Hold a community e-waste recycling collection.
• Volunteer in a roadside or park cleanup.
• Plant trees together. (National Arbor Day is next week Friday, April 29)
• Help teach an after-school workshop for kids on environmental stewardship.
• Host a Bike-to-Work promotion with free breakfast, or hand out goodies (water bottles, energy bars, gift certificates) to employees who bike, walk, carpool or take public transportation to work.
• Sponsor an Eat Local Challenge, or host a potluck with in-season ingredients.

Don’t worry if you didn’t plan ahead for Earth Day. Have fun with the day and plan some future events that build community, get your workplace excited and help out our planet. Be inspired!

Planting A Culture Of Gratitude

Why spend valuable work hours volunteering? Because giving time to a good cause — together — builds a culture of generosity! This foundation of gratitude has longterm engagement benefits. And that’s not all: studies show that giving your time actually expands your sense of time and productivity. It virtually eliminates stress.
By welcoming volunteerism into employees’ work day, you plant the seed for a culture of gratitude.
Increasingly, employees are expecting a workplace culture of giving back. According to a Case Foundation study, some younger workers take a companies’ charitable efforts into account when applying for jobs.
“Nearly half of millennials (47 percent) have volunteered through their workplace during the past month,” writes HuffPost blogger Stefanie Greenberg. “More than 50 percent reported that the charitable causes companies support are an influence when deciding where to work.”

Why Earth Day Is Perfect For An Employee Thank You

Reinforce the message of gratitude by telling every employee Thank You. If you choose a team challenge as part of your Earth Day celebration — like the National Bike Challenge — it may be appropriate to share small gifts as prizes for various accomplishments (most miles biked, most frequent carpooling group, smallest carbon footprint, etc).
Whether competing in teams or volunteering as one, your workforce deserves a huge employee Thank You.
Hands-on, participatory celebrations like Earth Day engage employees, strengthen team relationships and put your appreciation for employees into action!
Want to learn more about building an everyday culture of happiness and appreciation?
Download our free eBook “Transform Your Workplace With Gratitude” for practical advice on recruiting and retaining a great workforce, increasing profits and showing appreciation to employees.

Download the FREE Workplace Gratitude Guide Now!

About gThankYou, LLC
Turkey Gift Certificates and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou! are two of America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey 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.
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
Watch our gThankYou! YouTube Video — “Learn More About gThankYou”.
“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.
SaveSave