The more recognized and applauded your team feels, the more your organization will thrive! Previously, we shared 17 ways to acknowledge employee appreciation day on March 3rd. Today, we’re sharing 27 employee appreciation gifts (plus a little something extra) to complement the festivities. After all, what better way to express gratitude for your employees than with thoughtful gifts?
Check out these ideas to help you plan a memorable staff celebration this March!
27 Gifts to Show Your Employees Some Love and Appreciation
We recommend keeping in mind two things when choosing gifts for your employees. The gifts don’t have to be elaborate or expensive to create a meaningful impact; simply make sure the gifts are (a) practical and (b) tailored to the individual’s needs.
This list will help you brainstorm some employee appreciation gift ideas, but don’t forget: you know your team better than anyone else! Take some time to think through what makes sense for each person. Remember to also consider your remote employees when choosing appreciation gifts! Our list will help you with that too.
Health and wellness boosters
These gifts will help your employees better care of their mental, physical and emotional health. If you know anyone who could use some help regaining balance, this category is the perfect place to start.
- Wellness Planner
Who is this perfect for? This gift is ideal for anyone who wants to make fitness a regular part of their routine. Wellness planners often have habit trackers, exercise builders, nutritious food tips, and other features to help users master a healthy lifestyle.
Investment: As low as $10.00/planner (depending on where you purchase it).
Where to find it: You can find this employee appreciation gift on Amazon and several other online stores.
- Wellness Box
Who is this perfect for? Wellness boxes work well for people who need to practice more life balance but don’t know where to start. Each package is expertly curated by certified nutritionists who will provide aids for better sleep, nutrition, and overall relaxation (depending on your team’s needs).
Investment: Starting from $50.00/person
Where to find it: Curated Team Wellness Boxes
- Healthy Snack Box
Who is this perfect for? Include remote workers in on the festivities with carefully selected snacks that are both nourishing and easy on the taste buds. These snack boxes have something for folks that prefer sweet, savory, or even plant-based treats.
Investment: Starting from $35.00/box
Where to find it: Work-From-Home Snack Box
- New Wellness Program
Who is this perfect for? This corporate-wide appreciation gift can work well for teams who want to bond over fitness and (literally) grow stronger together. The program includes team exercises, nutrition tips and tools, a monthly newsletter for ongoing support, and much more.
Investment: Starting from $2,000.00 for any group size
Where to find it: All-Inclusive Employee Wellness Program
Self-care packages
Similar to the previous category, these staff appreciation gifts are ideal for promoting wellness among your team.
- Spa Day Package
Who is this perfect for? This relaxation-inducing employee appreciation kit is perfect for a coworker longing for a day at the spa – but perhaps doesn’t feel comfortable going due to COVID safety issues. These sweet treats and luxury care products can transform any living space into a mini-resort.
Investment: $135.00/person
Here’s where to find it: The Retreat – Relaxing Spa Care Package
- Yoga Kit
Who is this perfect for? Remote workers can enjoy turning their living rooms into yoga studios for an afternoon stretch and a healthy, post-workout frozen snack.
Investment: $45.00/pack
Where to find it: Chill Yo 2 Go & Yoga Mat
- Coffee Break Kit
Who is this perfect for? With a single-serve mug, organic coffee, maple syrup, and cookie pack, this Canadian-made beverage kit will delight the coffee addicts in your office.
Investment: $43.30/gift box
Where to find it: Coffee Break
- Cozy Evening Kit
Who is this perfect for? Everyone prefers their own company now and again, but a cozy night at home may be an exceptionally ideal thank you gift for introverted employees! This kit comes complete with tea, cookies, and a soft, warm blanket.
Investment: $54.50/gift box
Where to find it: Cozy & Warm
Skill-building toolkits
Remember: the best employee appreciation gifts are fun and, most importantly, practical. These ideas will express gratitude to your team members while teaching them valuable skills.
- Foreign Language Learning Notebook
Who is this perfect for? Know a coworker travelling to another country anytime soon? Gift them a foreign language notebook to help them get ready to converse with the locals.
Investment: As low as $10.00/notebook (depending on where you purchase it).
Where to find it: Take your pick on Amazon
- Mug Drawing Class
Who is this perfect for? Use this unique employee appreciation gift to round up your crafty coffee and tea drinkers for a little creative bonding time. The session leader will show everyone how to create personalized mugs in no time!
Investment: $110/person
Where to find it: Personalized Mug Drawing Class
- Mixology Class
Who is this perfect for? This session will guarantee a fun time for your happy-hour-loving employees by adding a twist: cocktail lessons from an expert mixologist. With alcohol-free options, drinkers and non-drinkers are both welcome!
Investment: $100.00/person
Where to find it: One Cocktail Mixology Class
- Chess Class
Who is this perfect for? Employees wanting to improve their strategic planning skills don’t have to attend another boring seminar; they can sharpen their skills with one of the world’s oldest and most popular games!
Investment: $35/person
Where to find it: Chess 101
- Chai Making Class
Who is this perfect for? Team members who love chai (or are curious about other cultures) can bond while learning how to make this refreshing, authentic Indian brew. At the end of this 45-minute session, participants will know how to prepare this beautiful, soul-warming tea at home in five minutes.
Investment: Starting from $35.00/person
Where to find it: Chai Making Class
- Kasa Chai Kit
Who is this perfect for? For employees who prefer to enjoy some delicious chai solo, this kit provides the instructions and ingredients needed to prepare this beverage in no time.
Investment: Starting from $35.00/kit
Where to find it: Kasa Chai Kit
Comfort food and drinks
Some employees want gifts and experiences – others just want good food. These sweet and savory employee appreciation day gifts are sure to be real crowd-pleasers!
- Chocolate Chip Baking Kit
Who is this perfect for? Coworkers wanting to enjoy baked goods with minimal effort will enjoy this kit. It comes complete with preportioned ingredients and simple instructions for melt-in-your-mouth cookies!
Investment: $23.89/person
Where to find it: Chocolate Chip Baking Kit
- Cookie Decorating Kit
Who is this perfect for? Alternatively, your employees may prefer to skip the baking process and go straight to the fun part: decorating! This package comes with cookies, icing and sprinkles – perfect for quality time at home with friends and family.
Investment: $50.00/kit
Where to find it: Cookie Decorating Kit
- Chocolate Soup Celebration Gift Boxes
Who is this perfect for? The team at Chocolate Soup have the magic touch when it comes to finding unique, tasty snacks and treats for your team. Their Celebration box includes a selection of sweet and savory items that every employee will love.
Investment: $55.00/person
Where to find it: Chocolate Soup Summer Celebration
- Snack Gift Box
Who is this perfect for? Show your remote employees some appreciation with gift baskets stuffed to the brim with all sorts of goodies: candies, pretzels, cookies and more.
Investment: $100.00/gift box
Where to find it: Snack Break Gift Box
Team get-togethers and experiences
These ideas will provide creative opportunities to show your employees appreciation as a group.
- Catered Lunch
Who is this perfect for? Bring everyone together over a hearty, catered meal in the office. For an outstanding experience, hire professional bartenders, baristas or servers trained to make your employees feel like VIPs.
Investment: Starting from $18.00/person
Where to find it: Catering Services Near You
- Dreaming Big Experience
Who is this perfect for? A team that dreams together wins together. This session will take everyone on a virtual adventure across the world’s most exotic places, inspiring new dreams and aspirations among your team members.
Investment: $2,045.00 for a group of any size
Where to find it: Dreaming Big in 2022
- Swipe Face Experience
Who is this perfect for? Anyone who loves selfies will enjoy a good laugh while competing to see who can take the best one! The best part? You can customize and use the photos for marketing afterwards.
Investment: $80.00/person
Where to find it: Swipe Face
Personalized odds and ends
If you’re looking for ways to make your employee appreciation gifts much more personalized, this last category of ideas will serve you some inspiration.
- Gift card
Who is this perfect for? Send a gift card to that employee who knows what they want and would rather shop for themselves! A gift card can serve fitness, productivity, learning, or pretty much any other goal.
Investment: Discretionary
Where to find it: Discretionary
- Customizable Webcam Cover Stickers
Who is this perfect for? These stickers cover phone, laptop and desktop screens – perfect for employees who want to protect their privacy.
Investment: Starting from ~$2.00/sticker
Where to find it: Boomerang Marketing
- Eco-Friendly Shopping Bag
Who is this perfect for? An ideal gift for the environmentally-friendly coworker who wants to look stylish while shopping. These bags come in different shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: sustainability.
Investment: Starting from ~$2.50/sticker
Where to find it: Boomerang Marketing
- Board Games
Who is this perfect for? We all know that one coworker who loves collecting board games. Make their day with a game they haven’t tried yet!
Investment: Starting from less than $25.00/board game
Where to find it: Amazon has an extensive collection.
- Custom Swag
Who is this perfect for? Hats, laptop bags, notebooks, mugs – there’s something for everyone (and every budget).
Investment: Starting from $25.00/pack
Where to find it: Starter Event Pack
- Puzzles
Who is this perfect for? Coworkers who love inspirational quotes will get a kick out of puzzles with meaningful notes. You can also print appreciative messages on the puzzle pieces for a lovely surprise!
Investment: Starting from less than $10.00/puzzle
Where to find it: Create Jigsaw Puzzles
… And ¾: The Biggest Missing Element
We’ve just shared 27 of the best thank you gift ideas for employees, and we’ve saved this low effort yet high-impact one for last: don’t forget just to say thank you!
It may seem like a small thing, but here’s what recent research conducted by Workhuman revealed about expressing gratitude to employees. Workers who recently felt appreciated at work were:
- 2x as likely to be highly engaged;
- 3x as likely to feel like their work had meaning and purpose;
- 4x as likely to praise their leadership’s recognition efforts;
- 4x as likely to be happier and more fulfilled at work; and
- 3x as likely to agree that their company culture improved during the pandemic.
Gifts are fantastic and uplifting, but frequently expressing gratitude to your employees aloud can make the most significant impact.