Feeling appreciated in your role is great. It makes you feel motivated and eager to tackle the challenges of the day. And, a happy team equals a happy brand, right?
That’s why it’s more important than ever to celebrate your team. With Quiet Quitting on the rise and The Great Resignation not that long ago, showing your team just how much you appreciate them will help your brand go from strength to strength.
Think of it as an energetic boost of positivity for your team, and your opportunity to nurture your brand image on a 1-to-1 basis.
It's your chance to spend a whole day (and beyond!) saying a big meaningful THANK YOU to your team. Whether that’s through a big group celebration or a meaningful merchandise refresh, saying thanks has never been easier.
And appreciating your team is crucial at every stage of their career journey! From the very start (with a superb onboarding pack) to the end (you need to check out our favourite ever retirement gift), to all of life’s milestones (maternity, birthdays, etc.) - there’s always a great reason to appreciate the hard work your team does.
We’re ready to chat about your amazing team, and can’t wait to help you celebrate how awesome they are!
What is Employee Appreciation Day?
Employee Appreciation Day is, simply, a day to celebrate your amazing employees.
It’s a chance to acknowledge all the hard work they do, and let them know how much you *genuinely* appreciate them. Your team is the core energy behind your brand, making it the very best it can be. It’s time to boost their spirits and make them feel proud about where they work.
When is Employee Appreciation Day?
Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day on the first Friday in March every year. This year this will fall on Friday the 3rd of March.
FYI - It’s best to get your merch orders in now so as not to miss out! 
Why celebrate Employee Appreciation Day?
Employee Appreciation Day is a great opportunity to thank your team and the wider business community for the great job they do every single day. It feels great when someone commends you on a job well done, and it’s time to make your team feel like that, too!
There are also some amazing benefits to celebrating Employee Appreciation Day that goes beyond a happy team. It can also do great things for your brand, too.
1) Positive employee engagement means more productivity and motivation
With Quiet Quitting on the rise, showing your team just how much you appreciate them will most likely encourage them to be more productive and stay motivated. 81% of employees said they’d be more motivated if they felt appreciated. That’s because they feel part of your brand and emotionally engaged to make it the very best it can be. 
2) Appreciating your staff leads to higher staff retention
Studies have found that 79% of employees will leave a role if they feel underappreciated. Finding ways to celebrate for your team beyond Employee Appreciation Day will minimise your staff turnover rate, making your brand a more rewarding place to work.
3) A happy team equals a happy brand
It might be hard to see how fast a brand’s appeal falls once it's made clear its staff aren’t happy, but it’s a great opportunity for you to learn from their mistakes.
Take BrewDog, for example. Last year, former employees accused BrewDog of having a “toxic culture” and many signed a public open letter condemning the brand. This led to BrewDog’s brand appeal falling overnight with consumers, and they still haven’t recovered.
Making sure your team feels appreciated and your brand culture is one of safety and positivity will ensure your brand keeps those happy vibes going long into the future. 
4) Build a strong *positive* brand culture
A happy team equates to a happy brand, sure, but they also help boost your positive brand culture with consumers. For a great example of this, look no further than your local supermarket shelves!
Innocent is well known for being a positive place to work, with an ongoing focus on their staff’s mental well-being, they’ve also recently announced an initiative to help their employees wishing to undergo fertility treatment. And great news, they’re also a B Corp (just like us!) so you know you can trust what they say they do on their, well, bottles.
It’s about thinking about how people would view your brand looking in, and a happy team is your very own organic positive vibes marketing channel.
See how we helped Amazon build a sense of community and a strong brand identity through merchandise.
How to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day
Get those party-poppers at the ready and that 90s party playlist on the speakers - it’s time for the best employee appreciation party your team has ever seen, right? 
Right! But there are also so many other ways you and your team can celebrate Employee Appreciation Day that’s not just limited to a single day or event. From company-wide initiatives to little pick-me-up perks, saying thanks to your team has never looked so varied!
1) Improve company learning & self-improvement opportunities
Ensuring your team has access to the very best of self-improvement opportunities is the ultimate way of showing them your appreciation. Encouraging them to improve themselves through online learning or even external programs will help them feel challenged and more fulfilled within their role.
2) Initiate an internal employee award scheme
Everyone loves to receive an award. Whether it’s a physical one they can parade around the office, to a virtual one that they can share online, receiving an award is a visible representation of all the hard work they do. Why not launch an internal monthly award scheme? That way you’ll be able to acknowledge all the amazing work your team does on a monthly basis.
3) Give your team personalised gifts
Nothing says you appreciate your team more than a bottle with their name on it. One they’ll use every day to stay hydrated and continue to do a good job. Or how about a personalised notebook or pen? Sharing personalised gifts with your team adds that little extra special touch, that little extra gifting flare, to your token of appreciation. Why not check out our full range of personalised promotional merchandise to get those ideas flowing?
Read more: Here’s how giving gifts could save your brand %20(1).png?width=400&height=211&name=Blog%20Header%20(2)%20(1).png)
4) Allow your team time off for volunteering
What better way to show thanks to your team than to let them gift their time to a charity or cause that means the world to them? It’s a great way to actively show you care about what personally matters to your team.
At Fluid, we want to encourage the members of our Fluid Family to get involved with projects they feel passionate about. That's why we've set up a Charity & Community Events Match Funding Scheme. This means that any funds raised by members of the Fluid team for charitable causes will get matched pound-for-pound by Fluid Branding. Boom! Positivity here we come.
5) Combat burnout
Burnout is one of the biggest factors of an unhappy team, with Google searches for ‘signs of burnout’ increasing by 221% since 2020.
Feelings of burnout make even the most routine of tasks difficult. That’s why focusing on your team’s mental health is so important when it comes to their overall happiness. We love the idea of having some dedicated time for meditation, or how about a lunchtime yoga session? We’ve got a great selection of branded yoga products to get you started. 
6) Team celebration
And of course, ending Employee Appreciation Day with a big team celebration wouldn’t go amiss. Schedule some time for a team meal or just grab a few drinks after work - it doesn’t have to be big to have a great impact on the morale of your team. If you’re looking for some party ideas, we’ve got just the thing.
A little thank you goes a long way
Saying thanks can be as easy as leaving a positive sticky note at their desk, or as grand as an awesome teambuilding day out. But, don’t forget, even the smallest of thank yous goes a long way when it comes to motivating your team, and keeping your brand happy.
Why not say thanks to your team with brand new promotional merchandise this Employee Appreciation Day? Chat with your merchandise consultant now to get started.
