Outdoor days are one of the best summer spirit week ideas for work. However, you could include a holiday theme in your virtual spirit week during any time of the year. Learn more: 25 Employee Recognition Statistics You Shouldn't Ignore. Virtual Fun Run Cost: $$ Difficulty: 4 Earning Potential: One idea that keeps popping up on our Principal Life Facebook group is the concept of a virtual theme week. Make the day memorable by organizing outside barbecues or small office parties. It means that they can catch up on the countless movies that they have missed. Make it more special by hosting a "Make Your Own Taco" competition where the winner gets some form of employee reward. You will see that a few words of appreciation can do wonders for the workplace. Their diaries are told in words and. Instead, health promotion ensures that your staff actually want and like to be at work. Company-branded swag can be simple everyday things like t-shirts, mugs, or even pen drives. Basically, the idea is to boost morale by giving students a collective silly goal. The tours could happen on a single day, or throughout the week. Simmonds was blown away by . 2. It's not only a nice little project to focus on, but gives us something to talk about that's not work or coronavirus. A few more things that made it special: The best part about it was everyone participating posting a small list of likes and dislikeswe all got to know each other better through reading those lists and connect over shared interest. Who doesnt love free food? From open enrollment to building a benefits package, we've got you covered. As the coronavirus continues to spread and confine people largely to their homes, many are filling pages with their experiences of living through a pandemic. Book an Airbnb virtual experience. They take place using video call software, online communication platforms, and occasionally social media. Talk about what you appreciate about that particular employee. Are your employee motivated to come to work every single day? Spirit Week ideas for busy offices should include low-maintenance events that require minimal planning from event organizers and the participants. Not to mention, Online Office Games is highly customizable, so the activities can revolve around the spirit week theme of the day at your request. The flipside to this is without the proper career advancement at the right time, employees will slowly grow disengaged and might look for new opportunities elsewhere. Between the confetti, balloons, and cake, office birthday parties are always fun to organize. Or it just might be a beautiful day to sleep in. Explore the challenges people face in working from home (and they will differ) and ideas for dealing with them or sharing personal practices that work. The effectiveness of office snacks is that major companies like Google use them as a perk to attract the top employees. We All Hate It. Student Engagement: Spirit Weeks A number of schools and school districts have done weekly challenges where students participate in a themed activity, take a picture or video of it, and then upload and tag it with a specific hashtag so that the community can find, enjoy, and celebrate it with them. Snacks are a fantastic food item that doesn't require you to get out of your desk when you want to eat something light. Or, if you hold virtual escape rooms or similar games, then include puzzles. This is a great way to begin your team meetings. of 70-75% ethyl alcohol. We also included some essential office supplies to ensure our employees have everything they need to work remotely. - Stuart Cook, Marketing Manager at My Baggage, My company recently delivered a care package to all employees with a mix of fun and useful items. The Town of Wake Forest and the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department want you to stay safe during the current COVID-19 pandemic by honoring Wake County's stay at home order. The lobby at Googles Sydney office makes visitors feel like theyre about to embark on a safari expedition rather than drown in a concrete jungle. For instance, on sports day, staff can wear jerseys, square off in competitive games, and participate in an online pep rally. Some are great artists, while some spend their time doing charity work. I am a big believer in team norms which support the team in self managing behaviors, practices and performance. Keep Little Hands Busy. Its been close to two months since the World Health Organization declared the spread of the novel coronavirus an official pandemic. E-Learning is the preferred modern way to upskill and learn while having the convenience of choosing the when and where. Food has a way of being a catalyst to bring people together. Commemorating a work anniversary is a robust employee engagement, development, and retention tool and a way to recognize and show your appreciation to a valued employee. Ive gotten a lot of reports of teams doing remote crafting sessions togetheroften around seasonal themes, like gingerbread houses: Our office is planning two optional events. Some ideas include: Characters from a favorite movie We also had a really strict limit for spending, like $20. Read about more virtual talent show ideas. Hosting this year has been no small featand the biggest party season of all is almost here. It can range from conducting regular health check-ups, yoga sessions, dentist appointments, and offering health insurance. Some good virtual spirit week ideas include virtual talent shows, Zoom spirit week backgrounds, online award shows, and theme days. Materialistic perks are fine. Some leaders consistently interact with those they most easily connect with but may not as readily think of others. Also, remember to turn your phone off. But some employers have devised celebrations that will keep people safe and actually sound fun (even to this curmudgeon). The charm of subscription boxes is that theres something for everyone! Whether you're looking for help communicating COVID safety guidelines to your guests, searching for face masks for couples and guests (so you can look stylish while complying with guidelines from the WHO and CDC) or are in need of a cute social distancing sign, we've got you covered (literally! Better still, if this praise comes in front of their team members, colleagues, and peers. Getting your own parking space is a highly coveted idea to really recognize your employees for doing a great job. This will make them feel like a part of your business and not just a mere employee. It is a good idea to vary the class types and levels so that more team members can participate. A great employee appreciation idea that gives day-to-day benefits is providing assigned parking spaces. Today's employees seek recognition and rewards based on the career advancement that they want. We made an example virtual spirit week agenda: Creating a visually appealing spirit week announcement can help your crew be more excited and attentive towards the event. I write about how to improve team and leadership performance. Weve found that this is key to recreating that Friday feeling during lockdown. - Nushy Rose, Managing Editor at Parlia. Themed dress-up days are popular favorites, but they're really just the start. 1. Encourage healthy work-life balance by modeling healthy boundaries around time spent working and time off. 2022 Todos os direitos reservados. Team members can challenge each other voluntarily. Dress-up days find a niche at busy offices; employees can show up in costume but still get tons of work done. And what could be better for this purpose than to offer E-Learning options? As we reflect on two months (or more) of mandated virtual work, HR and people teams around the world are looking back on their most successful morale-boosting activitiesand searching for new ideas to keep their teams happy, healthy, and engaged. Typical spirit weeks involve decorating contests. But we must also address the negative impact of isolation loneliness, fatigue or even . Some ideas for your 30-minute morning check-ins include: One-Word Check-ins. To set the mood, encourage participants to put up virtual backgrounds of Victorian parlors or lush gardens. Metal Pen and Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer. That can be too intimidating for your employees. Make sure you exchange emails with a volunteer coordinator or call before you . Many a time, showing some employee appreciation may seem hard. With these 33 employee appreciation ideas, you will see reduced turnover and retain your top talents. Employee Appreciation Day is a semi-formal holiday in the United States. Whats the Word on The Street? As we are a small team, we used to track this daily on a whiteboard in the office, but now we just check in each morning to see what each team member is planning to do that day. - Napala Pratini, Co-Founder at Habitual, We started including crosswords with internal jokes and references in our internal weekly newsletter. InDirect Report, she spotlights themes from her inbox that help explain the modern workplace and how we could be navigating it better. In turn, healthier employees produce better results for their companies. Recommended Article: Top 102 Employee Recognition Quotes To Celebrate Their Endeavours. Once the awards end, you can email digital certificates and e-gift cards to recipients, or mail trophies and paper awards to their houses. Also, busy workdays are where lunches are spent with a sad sandwich while staring at the computer. Celebrate "Employee Appreciation Day" With Pomp And Show Employee Appreciation Day is a semi-formal holiday in the United States. 7. But with 29% of Americans reporting that they never drink alcohol, it is time for businesses to think of more inclusive activities. Happily, Ive heard lots of versions of this choice as well: My company is taking the money that would be used for the holiday party (usually a sit-down dinner with open bar) and is donating it instead to a local charity. While Valentine's Day will most likely look different than years past, you can still have fun with your significant other and make it memorable and safe. As anyone whos tried to organize any office activity knows, its hard, if not impossible, to find something that everyone will like, so some offices are offering a whole buffet of choices to pick from: My company couldnt find an online activity that worked for 40 people, so theyre offering a few different options. Ask your remote team members to describe their day so far with an emoji or a string of emojis. Not my cup of tea but a lot of people seemed to like it! Namely's powerful HR Software is built for mid-sized companies designed to be used by everyone, every day. Find ways to start each day with positive energy and a sense of community. The amount of pay is capped at $511 per day, and $5,110 in total, for employees who are sick or quarantined or who have symptoms. Aside from regular appreciation, you can ensure that your employees feel valued on important occasions, such as by sending Thanksgiving messages to employees. Every company has got one of these employees. Check out more more aboutonline retreat ideas. You could either play a facilitated murder mystery where a host guides the game and gives out clues, or follow a script for a self-guided murder mystery. The disease is extremely contagious, yet many infected people are asymptomatic, and patterns of transmission are not always clear. Remote teams often work on staggered schedules, meaning that the whole crew may not be available at game time. Go for a walk. These activities also make great spring spirit week ideas for work. 6. Clear your schedule for at least an hour. To host an online award show, first create award categories. Themed gift boxes are another popular idea: Were sending winter-y stay-at-home gift boxes. Research says that the primary cause of employees leaving their jobs is the lack of appreciation. You might find that employee appreciation becomes a tad bit easier and a whole lot more fun. In the largest ever genetic analysis of grapevine varieties, including samples from previously undocumented specimens in private collections, researchers provide new insights into how, when, and . These activities broaden employees global and cultural horizons while also delighting the teams travel lovers. From theme days to care packages to costume contests, here is a list of fun ways to celebrate spirit weeks in remote offices. Online fundraising allows you to make a big impact even if your team is limited in members or budget. Finally going on a picnic with their loved ones. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. $10 at Amazon. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. -Bob Nelson, In the United States, 20,000 workers were surveyed by the Boston Consulting Group. These morning check-ins, no matter how short are invaluable for maintaining a sense of community, checking in on how team members are doing, and to stay focused on key priorities so that momentum and performance is maintained. How to manage COVID-19 risks when organizing meetings and events 3. No, not the executive lunchroom. Taking care of your employees' health is the most prominent form of appreciation that you can show. Having direct access to a mentor gives junior professionals valuable one-on-one training. Some teams are secretly supervillains who try to sabotage other teams, and players must also identify these sinister alter-egos to ensure evil does not prevail. A crisis like this can either break ateamdown and widen any cracks in its foundation, or it canresult in the emergence of true greatness. Letting employees decorate their workspaces plays an active role in building relationships within the company. However, Slack games offer more flexibility, as teammates can play on their own schedules. We also have a list of the best remote team outing ideas. This will allow team members to truly appreciate each other, leading to better team building. The other half consisted of beer (or non-alcoholic drinks), snacks, tea, and homemade salsa. First, choose a date and send a video meeting link to your colleagues. If you see someone going above and beyond and who commutes through their own vehicles, this will prove to be a wonderful opportunity to make their lives a little bit easier. An escape room Escape room activities are available virtually and in person. Its a way for us to provide food and a gathering without being on-site and in groups. Simply schedule a Zoom meeting and ask attendees to join from an outdoor spot such as backyards, parks, or beaches. The Very Worst Kind of Bad Boss Just Wont Go Away. Company retreats are fun, help team members bond while also providing the option of getting away from the stress of day-to-day work life. When you actually take the time out to get involved with them personally, employees feel that you genuinely care about them. It is capped at $200 per day, and $2,000 in total, for employees who have a family member affected by COVID-19 or a child staying at home because their school is closed. Here are a few examples. ). Usually at this time of year, my inbox fills up with questions about company holiday parties: How many drinks are OK to have there? Be thoughtful with your messages of appreciation. From theme days to care packages to costume contests, here is a list of fun ways to celebrate spirit weeks in remote offices. Heightened communication is necessary, not only to keep your remote team productively focused, but because the sudden move from the workplace to a home space can take an emotional toll on people when they no longer have the social contact with work friends and colleagues. You can also use GeoGessr to play a destination-guessing game, or take virtual tours of museums, zoos, and parks together. Hosting online costume contests is one of the best spirit week dress up ideas for work. For inspiration, check out our lists of online cooking classes and online art classes. Here are some ideas that seem newly relevant given the constraints of 2020 and beyond. Keeping a workplace safe during the COVID-19 pandemic can be challenging. The week before your work at home spirit week, mail boxes full of goodies to team members. Many of us now look forward to Mondays because of these hilarious crosswords! First, give teammates a few options for online courses and ask them to vote for their favorite. Find out how to attract and retain your employees through their entire lifecycle. Jamaica Half of the box contained things like hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, and other health-related products to help us stay safe. Spirit weeks are a time-honored tradition, in elementary, middle, and high schools alike. From year-end reporting to employee paystubs, check out these payroll tips and tricks. Regardless of your age, some physical activity is better than none. At the end of the week, count up the wins, and have the victors face off against each other for the championship. One of the simplest and most popular solutions has been virtual happy hours. Just beware of overdosing on sugar. Check out our list ofonline escape rooms. Plus, we decided there will be a prize for the tallest sunflower, so it's turning into quite the competition. - Rose Jinks, Digital PR Specialist at Online Mortgage Advisor, As a way to boost morale and encourage teamwork while were apart, my company has been hosting virtual trivia nights every week. When you think about having a great company culture, you think about building trust, honesty, and a great team of workers. For any related queries, contact
[email protected]. And encourage team members to let you know whenever they need any kind of support whether related directly to their work tasks or to any challenges they might be personally facing in the new situation. Offering them a handsome salary is one aspect. Simply designate a theme for each day or meeting, then choose the best dressed for each category. The packages were delivered to our doors in the afternoon of our event. For example, share with team members how you will be leading, how you will check in with them, what you will be asking about. For instance, if you host a murder mystery, then include character cards in the boxes. Theme Days. We are doing a virtual chocolate tasting with my team. The sudden need to adapt to these changes during COVID has given rise to new challenges that range from work-life stress, disparities in employees' ability to work from home effectively, and the increased need for employers to support worker safety, health, and well-being both at work and outside the traditional work environment. Give your entire team a chance to express their creativity with baby pumpkins, acrylic paints, and free pumpkin stencils. So, it's essential to consider this less of an idea and more of a thing that you have to do eventually. Whether they worked late to get the job done, blew past their sales goal, or volunteering at a local shelter, give employees the credit they deserve. First, either mail employees tea and fancy snacks, or ask attendees to bring their own refreshments and reimburse them for the expense. Subjects should be fun and non-work related. 1. Gathering via video call and online communication platforms gives groups a chance to relax, re-energize, and reconnect with teammates. But follow the 33 employee appreciation ideas articulated in this article. You can even use it as a way to support local businesses: We were able to do family meals for our employees. Offering a corporate wellness program within a vibrant culture of thriving well-being can significantly enhance that connection. Call in a local food truck specializing in the cuisine and make it mandatory for people to take a break and eat a taco. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the federal government (OSHA) has provided detailed guidelinesfor workplace safety policies. They had a selection that included non-alcoholic mixes too (like a ginger lemonade). Dress-up days are one of the main events during spirit days at schools and offices. All This Talk About Quiet Quitting Is Absurd. We had a Zoom meeting were a bartender showed how to mix each drink using the provided measuring cup, and answered questions about how to make a good martini, what to substitute for white eggs in pisco sour, etc. Were all pretty pumped about it. The knowledge that there is a whole day dedicated to employee appreciation should let you know its significance. Some ideas for your 30-minute morning check-ins include: Establish virtual coffee chats with individual team members. Whats Really So Wrong About Secretly Working Two Full-Time Jobs at Once? Slack game tournaments are great ideas for virtual spirit weeks. You can even snap a photo and create your own hashtag for when employees achieve something especially commendable. Beyond bestowing traditional awards like extraordinary performance, team player, or rookie of the year, you can also create fun award categories. One employee's commute could be inexpensive, while for another, it could be prohibitive. In uncertain times, one thing is certain with fundraisingthe more you plan, the better off you will be. Once the votes are in, book the top ranking classes. Things to consider when you and your employees travel 4. WeAreTeachers Staff on September 20, 2022. Should I bring a date? Share funny videos, do some riddles and brainsteasers, put music on in the background. Find out how to shape a culture that attracts, engages, Kicking their feet up on the couch and zoning out in front of the TV could be just what the essential workers in your life need after dealing with the public . Appreciation from one's peers has more significance than from one's manager. Not to mention there's the option of booking an entertainer - choices include singer Jimmy Barnes and comedy duo Hamish and Andy - to spice up a webcam-based party. Simply ask, how are we doing living up to our agreements?. Now more than ever, we need to lean on each other for support. It doesnt have to be cocktail focused. Walking not only counts as physical activity, but also provides some mental health benefits. Talking about making employees feel valued, a great way to do so is by involving them in the decision-making process, wherever possible. Here are some suggestions: A team reset meeting will ensure team members take time to identify how to best work together in this new reality so that the team can maintain a sense of community, transition through this change effectively, and maintain (and even improve) team performance during this time while supporting the well-being of team members. 4. The Kaiser Family Foundation found . Then, after that, we had the opportunity to go into breakout roomslast year, one room did Schitts Creek trivia (it was a favorite among many staffers), another did Pictionary using the annotate functions of Zoom. Everybody got to sign up for whichever they liked best: Online beer tasting (they ship the beer to your house, and then you taste it on Zoom with an expert telling you what youre tasting). Celebrating employee birthdays never gets old. Revamp your break room. We also had a gift wrapping contest as part of itwe were a creative bunch with lots of backgrounds in the arts, so some gifts were a person making a donation to a charity in the recipients honor, but making a video that fit their interest to share that with them, or a homemade puzzle, or other similar fun announcements. How to advocate for yourself at work during COVID-19. 5. You could even hold contests to name and reward the best virtual backgrounds for each meeting. Recommended Article: Gift Cards Make For The Perfect Employee Rewards. To help your employees stay active and get a break from working inside, suggest that they take conference calls that don't require sitting in front of a screen outdoors. For example, Marvel versus DC Comics, the '60s versus the '70s, or Batman and the Joker. She had such a creative way for putting a holiday spin on our corporate branding, and theyre going to be a big hit! One such example that predates COVID-19 (if you follow our newsletter, you already know that it's a personal favorite of mine) is the Be My Eyes app. Wed all ooooh and ahhh, and laugh. Shared items such a candy jars, cereal boxes, and containers of nuts should be removed for the safety of all workers. Declaring theme days is one of the easiest spirit week ideas for work from home. Sometimes, the utmost appreciation that an employee seeks is a promotion in his job role. These small everyday gestures can come off as a pleasant surprise and make employees feel valued. First, create a Slack channel for the games. Have office happy hours and hire a bartender to mix them a drink or two. By planning an online retreat for spirit week, you block out employees time and free staff to enjoy the festivities. The games last 90 minutes, giving remote colleagues plenty of time to bond and have fun together. Coffee and Chocolate Tastings It doesn't have to be cocktail focused. Let the kids pick out a book and read it to them while . In stock now. The best thing about birthdays is cake. Experiences, not cash, are the new corporate bonus. Guests can dress up too. Ventilation and air circulation are your friends. Just to say hi and check how they are doing. Inject Fun and Humor. The key is making exercise a daily priority, and the holidays are no different. For example, build breaks into your work schedule, remind team members to take breaks, and don't do work tasks while off work.7,8,9,10,11,12,13 Model problem solving from a variety of viewpoints. It definitely is the easiest and quickest Zoom icebreaker out there. And amid stay-at-home orders. Were working with local restaurants (some minority-owned) to provide cold reheatable family meals that our employees will take home to enjoy with their family. Theres nothing quite like desserts and ice cream to alleviate stress. Each act should be around five minutes. Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace The thing that giants like Google and Airbnb have understood is that the physical environment of the office matters. Declaring theme days is one of the easiest spirit week ideas for work from home. With higher motivation comes better engagement, happiness, and ultimately retention. Since healthier employees are more productive, happy, and energetic, the company will benefit from this form of appreciation. Look at yourself in the mirror. Whats Working/Whats Not? All online escape rooms inspire teamwork and critical thinking in a fun and exciting way. Photo illustration by Slate. Working remotely creates a new set of challenges that arebeing amplified by the added stress of school closures andby the anxiety many are facing during this pandemic. Anxiety. The BIG List of School Spirit Week Ideas (80+ Activities!) For example, book-binding, instrument-building, ravioli-making, or makeup lessons with a drag queen. What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche. It offers employees a brief respite from their daily work. Gift cards allow people to purchase whatever they want from their favorite brands. Before the . Also, of the cocktails on offer, there were a few non-alcoholic punch ideas, for people who dont drink or who wanted to share with a kid, etc.