Employee Appreciation Day is coming up — and whether it’s this week, this month, or even today, it’s a reminder that as a leader, you should do something. But many leaders aren’t quite sure what to do, or what will make the biggest difference.
In this blog post, we’ll share:
- Simple things you can do, whether you have little or no budget, and little or no time
- When Employee Appreciation Day is
- Why it’s important to celebrate it
And if you’d like more practical, usable ideas like this, scroll down and subscribe to The Nudge. Each week, I share simple tools leaders can use right away.
When Is Employee Appreciation Day?
Employee Appreciation Day is always the first Friday in March.
And although every day should be Employee Appreciation Day, it’s good to have a reminder to step back from the business and take time to let people know you value them.
Why Is Taking Time to Appreciate People Important?
Because even if we pay people well, and people feel compensated, feeling valued is an emotional experience.
And if you think about it, each small gesture and action strengthens that invisible connection between people that helps us navigate challenging times together — and reminds people that who they are and what they do makes a difference.
The Biggest Mistake Leaders Make on Employee Appreciation Day
Many times, when it comes to Employee Appreciation Day, one of the first things companies focus on is:
“What are we going to give our people?” (gift cards, lunch, swag, etc.)
But many times, they spend all their time focusing on the gift, and not enough time focusing on the most important part: the message that goes with it.
Because the message is what helps people feel valued.
A Simple Reminder on What to Say
Below are some simple tips on how to make sure that you’re expressing your appreciation.
And if you’re not quite sure what to say, here’s a link out to my article on how to express your appreciation (originally published in the Harvard Business Review.
In general, when we’re expressing appreciation, we want to include:
- The person’s name, so they know we’re talking about them
- What it is they specifically did that you appreciate
* their hard work
* their sense of humor
* that they always show up on time
* that they are the glue that holds the team together - Why you appreciate it, and the impact it has had on you or the team
Because it’s Employee Appreciation Day, sometimes it’s great to add a simple intro line like:
“Today is Employee Appreciation Day — and although I may not say it enough, I just want to let you know how much I appreciate and value you.”
It can be as simple as that, or you can extend the message further.
What Can You Do (Even With Little or No Budget)?
1) Write Individual Notes
If you have no budget at all, simply take out a pack of Post-it notes or some thank-you cards.
Write down the names of all your key employees and take time to write an individual note to each one of them. Then go drop it off on their desk.
2) Turn a Senior Leadership Meeting Into a Note-Writing Moment
Are you a senior leader?
Bring a group of thank-you notes to your next senior leader meeting. Print out a copy of my article on how to write an employee appreciation note, and then have people sit down and start writing notes of appreciation to each one of their people.
Sometimes we just need to remind people and create the space to help make doing it easy.
And remind folks: at first, it may be hard to come up with something — but after you write one, two, and three, it starts getting easier.
3) Get to the Office Early and Greet People
If you want to do something meaningful and you have no budget, simply get to the office early and greet people as they come in.
Walk around to different departments and say, “Happy Employee Appreciation Day.”
Then ask people:
“What does it take to do your job that nobody sees?”
Give them an opportunity to tell you what they do each day, and afterwards, simply say:
“Thank you for doing it.”
4) Simple Signs Leaders Can Fill Out (Hospital Example)
One simple thing I once did with a hospital system is we created a set of simple prompts leaders could fill out.
For example:
- “What I appreciate most about our employees is…”
- “How would you describe our employees in one word?”
- “What would it be like to do our work without our employees?”
Leaders filled them out with one word or one line.
Then you can either:
- post them up around your organization, or
- record a short video with each leader holding up the sign and sharing their message
Then share those messages across the organization.
5) Invite Customers to Appreciate Employees
Do you serve customers or patients?
Have customers or patients write a letter or a note about what they appreciate most about the people who serve them.
Then post those notes up around the office during Employee Appreciation Day to help employees see the impact they’re having.
If You Have a Little Bit of Budget
6) Snack Cart
If you have people working in different areas, then get a cart and put a whole bunch of snacks on it.
Then have somebody go around and say, “Happy Employee Appreciation Day,” and let people select a couple of snacks from the cart.
I once watched a big-box store in Chile, similar to Home Depot, walk around with popsicles on Employee Appreciation Day and hand them out.
When customers came up and asked for one, the staff said:
“Sorry — these are just for our employees. It’s Employee Appreciation Day.”
Then they asked customers:
“What do you appreciate about our employees? Why don’t you tell them?”
7) Organize a Lunch or Pizza Party (But Make It Meaningful)
Another thing you can do is organize a lunch or pizza party — but here’s the key:
Many times, people just come in, take the free food, and leave.
So it’s your job, as a leader, to pause people for a minute and help everyone get present to what they appreciate about the people around them.
A simple way to do this is use what I call the PAUSE Method:
P — People
Bring people together and make time for them to connect.
Even if it’s only for 5–10 minutes, that moment of togetherness matters.
A — Acknowledge
As a leader, take time to acknowledge what you appreciate most about your people.
Here are a few questions to think about ahead of time:
- What would it be like if our people left?
- What is it I appreciate most about our people?
- What is it about our people that makes our job easier?
The key is to think about this ahead of time and get clear on what you want to share — so you’re not trying to come up with it on the spot.
U — Understand
Understand what other people appreciate about one another.
After you share your message, ask people to pause and turn to the person next to them and answer:
“What do you appreciate most about the people you work with every day?”
Have them share with one another, and then invite a couple people to share back.
S — Summarize
Listen to what people share. Connect it to what you shared, and summarize what you heard.
For example:
“I heard you say you appreciate how people step in without being asked. I heard you say you appreciate how people stay calm when things get stressful. I heard you say you appreciate how people bring humor and energy to the day.”
Then simply thank everybody for what they’re doing.
E — Elevate
Elevate the impact with a simple follow-up.
Take a photo, share it back with people, and remind people:
“Thank you again. It was great to spend time together. And while Employee Appreciation Day is a great reminder, building a culture of appreciation is something we nurture every day.”
If You Have More Budget
If you have more budget, give your team leaders a small amount so they can take their teams out for lunch together.
And give them the PAUSE Method so that lunch becomes more meaningful — not just another meal.
A Couple of Additional Activities You Can Do
Recognition Ricochet
Another simple activity is what I call a Recognition Ricochet.
Write a thank-you card to each one of your employees.
Then, when you hand it to them, give them two more cards:
- One to write a thank-you note to somebody on their team
- One to write a thank-you note to somebody on another team
It’s a simple way to spread recognition across the organization and help appreciation move beyond just the leader.
Appreciation Gallery
If you have a team, take out a few sheets of paper and write the name of each one of your employees at the top of a sheet.
Lay the sheets around on a table, or put them up on the wall. Leave pens nearby, and have people walk around and write one note about something they appreciate about that person.
Afterwards, each person can collect their page and take it with them — so they have a tangible reminder of the ways they impact others, and something they can bring home with them.
If you’re working virtually, you can do this on a whiteboard or in a shared Google Doc where people can go in and add a note under each person’s name.
Final Thought
Regardless of whether Employee Appreciation Day is today, next month, or weeks ahead, do something to let your people know you value them.
It will not only make their day — it will make your day as well.r for them by giving simple tools. And keep fostering a culture of gratitude throughout the year.
Before You Go…
I want to thank you.
Thank you for being the kind of leader who cares enough to think about how your people feel at work.
People shouldn’t go one day feeling like who they are, or what they contribute, doesn’t matter.
And if you’d like help facilitating these conversations, strengthening relationships, or creating experiences where people don’t just listen to a speaker — but listen to one another — I’d love to support you.
You can learn more about my programs or reach out directly here:
👉 https://beyondthankyou.com/#contact
Let’s keep building cultures where people feel valued — not just on Employee Appreciation Day, but every day.
