Employee Spirit Day - A Time To Celebrate Employees, A Way To Create A Positive, Kind Work Culture All Throughout The Year

This likely goes without saying, but employees are completely and wholly invaluable to any company, team, or workplace. 

No matter the service provided, products or content produced/sold, or even the skillset displayed, without employees pretty much everything we depend upon in society would crumble. 

The coffee you need for daily joy and functioning, the vehicle you drive, the groceries you buy, the care provided when you or a loved one falls ill, the education you receive from early childhood through early adulthood and beyond, the news you read/view, the assets you acquire and/or need managed, the house you live in - I mean, we would rightly be here all day to even attempt to list all of the ways our lives…let alone a company’s “life”...is profoundly impacted by employees. 

Business owners, executives, and management teams know this to be true, as they rely on any number of employees on a daily, even an hourly, basis. 

And, as we’ve already alluded, even customers, patients, students, etc. know this to be vitally true as well. 

But sometimes, in the midst of everyday tasks, duties, interactions, and simply worklife in general, employees can feel burnt out, even underappreciated.

I would say this is rarely, if ever, the intention of any establishment for their employees to feel such, but it happens. 

That’s why there are special days, even months, set aside to make sure these all-stars know how valuable, and valued, they truly are! 

And, that’s where we’d like to focus our attention today, examining those special days and months set aside to honor employees, even looking at how employers can create a positive and kind work culture all throughout the year. 

So, join me by preparing a piping hot cup of your favorite coffee or tea (I’m sipping our Empire State Sunrise Black Tea at the moment), and let’s take a look at Employee Spirit Month, Employee Appreciation Day, and more…

What Is Employee’s Spirit Month/Day?

March 1st marks the beginning of Employee Spirit Month, with the first Friday in March known as Employee Spirit Day or Employee Appreciation Day. 

There’s conflicting information surrounding who is responsible for the implementation of such a holiday, as some attribute the establishment of this month-long celebration to Harriet Meyerson, a specialist in creating material for boosting employee morale, while others insist Employee Spirit Month (including Employee Appreciation Day) was set in place 40 years ago, in 1985, by Mike Kerr, an employee recognition consultant. 

Like Meyerson, Kerr believed that businesses thrived when employees were happy and motivated, and thus the national recognition of this month, and day, were established. 
What does this month (and day) entail, you ask?

Employee Spirit Month is a month-long event aimed at celebrating employees, infusing positivity, and ensuring a sense of community within any given workplace. 

And, Employee Appreciation Day is a specific day within this month, set aside to really ‘go all out,’ if you will, providing a specific time for employers to acknowledge, honor, and celebrate the vital contributions of their teams. 

The goal of such a day, or with month-long celebrations, is for workers to feel seen, heard, valued, and appreciated. 

Of course, this is often achieved through meaningful recognitions, times of celebration, various activities, warm gestures, and other displays of kindness and appreciation for employees. 

For a better picture of this intentional time of recognition, I like the following description: “Employee Spirit Month is a vibrant celebration that recognizes employees’ hard work and dedication…The atmosphere in offices becomes lively and engaging, encouraging everyone to connect and enjoy their work environme9nt [as] workers feel seen and appreciated, not just during Employee Spirit Month, but also throughout the rest of the year.” 

Such days and/or months not only allow for a celebration of employees, but they also highlight the importance of a positive work environment. 

A few years back, the head of employee experience strategy at Amazon was interviewed regarding this very topic, and I think you’ll agree her wisdom on this matter is quite valuable. 

She relates the employee experience in the workplace to one’s experience with food (relatable and clever if you ask me): 

“I believe that food made with love tastes better. 

…And employees who are happy in their jobs, who are supported and valued and have what they need to grow in their careers - they are more creative. They’re more innovative. They’re more productive…” 

How true! 

Those teachers who’ve made such a profoundly positive impact on your early love for learning. 

Those nurses who seemed to bring about just as much healing with their demeanor as with the treatments they were administering to you?

The customer service rep who made you feel heard and valued in your experience with a company? 

These folks have shown you what it means to put their “all” into their position or role as an employee.

Of course, this only scratches the surface regarding the areas where such impacts are routinely made, but employers…you know, I know, we all know, these folks are more than deserving of the positive spirit and valued recognition these days and months afford. 

So now, let’s look at some ways you can do just that - celebrate your valued, dedicated employees throughout Employee Spirit Month and on Employee Appreciation Day!

5 Ways To Celebrate Employees

There are countless ways to show employees how valuable their dedication and efforts are within a company, business, or team. 

Here, we’ll list a few common means of employee spirit celebration as well as a few “outside the box” ideas.

1- Party Like It’s 1999

Many companies seek to dedicate one day for an all out celebration geared towards rewarding, recognizing, and honoring their employees. 

Often this includes a meal, many snacks, or sweet offerings throughout the day as well as the potential for games, prizes, gifts, decorations, and more. 

And, while some companies certainly “go all out” for such celebrations, might we give a nudging suggestion towards truly…really… “going all out.” (Thus the party like it's 1999 heading.) 

While any effort to recognize employees is an appreciated gesture, true “Employee Spirit Month (or Day)” celebrations are meant to leave a lasting impact on dedicated staff members, essentially allowing them to feel how much their employers do, indeed, care about them and appreciate their efforts. 

In my efforts to find all the info I could dig up regarding this day, one site I stumbled upon detailed how they honored their nursing staff (at a pediatric hospital) during what they termed ‘Employee Spirit Week.’ 

And, I’m mentioning this example, in particular, because not only did the article showcase pictures of elaborate decorations, descriptions of themed events and days, catered meals, and more, they also displayed many pictures of their staff throughout the week, and those photos embodied what this month, week, and day is all about - within those pictures, nurses were laughing, smiling, and some were even in tears upon being recognized for their efforts and rewarded for their dedication. 

Their faces said it all. These nurses felt valued, appreciated…and frankly, they were all having a lot of fun in the process. 

So, whether you cater a meal, decorate the office, prepare gifts, rewards, and/or awards for your staff, plan a few games, etc. …be sure to really party like it’s 1999…or in other words, really seek to create a fun, positive celebration that appropriately communicates to your staff or team members how valuable their dedication is to your company/business, etc.

2- Games, Competitions, And Teamwork, Oh My!

Your staff members are likely composed of lions, and tigers, and bears (oh my), you know, real go-getters, those who attack their tasks with knowledge, expertise, care, attention to detail, and a great amount of heart. 

So, as you seek to celebrate your team, plan to allow them to have a fun time working together in a totally different way: through exciting games, competitions (with prizes, of course), and other items which incorporate teamwork. 

Team building exercises, in particular, can not only be fun, but they can also foster a sense of community amongst staff members. 

And other team-based competitions can allow employees to work together while also cheering one another on in a lighter way - you know, something less intense than their typical day-to-day tasks. 

My daughter is a full-time college student right now, but she also works part time in food service a few evenings a week. 

Last year, during Employee Spirit Week, they not only brought in special treats each day for the staff, but they also had a cookie decorating competition.

Team members were able to decorate cookies, vote on their favorite designs, and then receive prizes for the designs with the most votes. 

In typical teenage commentary, she thought the idea was a tad cheesy - that is, until I pointed out that she’d chosen to document the fun they all had with countless photos on her phone, including many that made it into an Instagram post happily highlighting their “shenanigans” throughout the week (as she termed it). 

In each photo, the employees and management teams alike were all laughing, smiling, and clearly having a great time. 

After a little motherly insight, she smilingly replied with, “you’re right, we really did have a lot of fun throughout the week.” 

No matter the business, job, or career, staff members often experience a great amount of stress as they, well, do their job. 

Spirit Week/Day/Month celebrations that include games or competitions can allow team members to continue to work together (or in competition against one another) to complete entirely different types of tasks, essentially allowing them to “kick back and relax” while also engaging with one another to foster community, have a truly enjoyable time together, and feel special, or valued, in the midst of such celebrations.

3- Surprise!!

Think for a moment about your life outside of work. Have you ever received an unexpected gift, meal, or treat? Aren’t those just the best? 

Just an example…

There are seemingly 50 or more viruses and other illnesses running rampant in my area right now, and I’ve been plagued by what seems like 49 of those apparent 50 throughout the last several weeks. 

Obviously, I’m functional now, but still not 100%. 

Well, my neighbor just found out that I’d not been feeling the best, so as I went to retrieve an Amazon delivery I’d just received an email about, I also found a container of soup and a freshly baked loaf of sourdough bread on my porch…from her! 

I get it, that’s not employee-related. But, this completely unexpected, thoughtful gesture warmed my heart more than words can describe!

And frankly, that’s what surprises often do. 

So, never underestimate what you’ll be communicating to your staff members when surprising them with unexpected rewards for their dedication, gifts to show them how valued they are, and extra thoughtful touches to show them they are truly a vital part of your company/team/staff. 

Need a few ideas? 

Gift cards, spa certificates, generous discounts for local venues, unexpected paid time off, fancy sweet treats…even better, depending on the size of your staff, consider a few clever tactics that clue you in on a few employee favorites, then seek to surprise individuals with treats pertaining to their specific interests.

4- Career Growth

One way to communicate to your employees or team that you value their work and see their desire to grow is to provide them with opportunities to achieve their goals within your company. 

And, one way to do this is to either host events or training seminars which help your employees reach these goals, or perhaps even consider paying for them to travel to other conferences or events which provide them with needed growth opportunities. 

These types of events are, obviously, different from typical employee celebrations, but depending on the nature of your business, these opportunities can communicate to employees that you desire to invest in their future, rewarding them for the work they display on a regular basis.

5- Retreat Time

While the intention is great, on site celebrations can sometimes be missed by certain employees due to the nature of their duties. 

For instance, some nurses, hospital staff, teachers, retail workers, and other fast paced positions may not get to fully enjoy celebrations during work hours as their attention to present needs keeps them from fully engaging in such festivities. 

In such cases, take-home gifts can certainly be fitting, but other outside-of-work opportunities which foster a sense of community in the workplace can be great too. 

For instance, consider planning a retreat (or even a few over multiple weekends depending on schedules) where employees can bond over non-work-related activities like canoeing, camping, hiking, etc. 

Outdoor adventures and the memories made during such activities are commonly known for boosting morale and providing a relaxing break from everyday life.

Creating A Positive, Kind Work Culture

The purpose behind Employee Spirit Month and the celebrations that occur either throughout the entire month, over the course of a week within the month, or even for a single day, ultimately boil down to a few primary themes: 

• Creating a positive work environment
  
• Ensuring employees are recognized for their efforts
  
• Communication (in word and deed) of gratitude and appreciation for employee service and dedication
  
• Fostering a kind culture at work
  
• Fostering a sense of community amongst staff members

But, these themes are truly necessary in a workplace environment all throughout the year. 

And, while you may not be able to cater meals, give gifts, and host elaborate celebrations year-round, there are some things you can routinely incorporate in the workplace as employers which serve to create a positive and kind work culture as a whole. 

Consider practicing any of the following to sincerely show your team members or employees just how valuable they are to your business/company:

1- Regularly say thank you to your employees (in person) for their dedicated work. 

2- If you can’t thank employees in person, be sure to communicate this gratitude over email or with hand written messages. 

3- Publicly honor employees for their services. 

4- Provide catered meals randomly for staff members. 

5- Unexpected treats and gifts throughout the year are a great way to continue the spirit of appreciation beyond specific celebrations. 

6- Have a company website? Showcase staff accomplishments and dedication through online recognition. 

7- Provide clean, healthy, tasty coffee on a regular basis for employees. 

8- Have ongoing, friendly, company-wide competitions throughout the year to keep employees engaged in light-hearted fun. 

9- Organize themed days or weeks throughout the year to allow employees to showcase their personality and creativity (such as dress up days, hat days, etc). 

10- Set aside one day a week for tokens of employee appreciation - such as donut days, dress-down days, coffee-fueled Mondays, hour-early Fridays (get off work an hour early), etc. 

11- Host regular award ceremonies to recognize exceptional efforts. 

12- Sponsor wellness weeks, especially throughout common sick seasons, where you provide extra support for employees such as healthy snacks, tips or devices for staying physically active, stress-management workshops, and more. 

13- Invite guest speakers to provide opportunities for employers to learn more, accelerate, and grow within the company. 

14- Host regular trivia nights, scavenger hunts, and fun activities for employees to provide light-hearted opportunities for staff members to engage with one another. 

15- Provide access for outside-of-work classes for employees to attend, just for fun, such as yoga, cooking classes, gardening, etc. These opportunities serve not only as gifts for hard work and dedication, but they also allow employees to destress during time away from the workplace through healthy hobbies.

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References:

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/employee-spirit-month/

https://www.holidaycalendar.io/holiday/employee-spirit-month#

https://www.electives.io/resources/employees-who-are-happy-perpetuate-a-positive-employee-experience

https://careers.choa.org/us/en/blogarticle/employees-celebrate-spirit-day#

https://www.achievers.com/blog/employee-appreciation-day/#

https://nationaltoday.com/employee-spirit-month/

https://slideswith.com/blog/spirit-week-ideas-for-work