10 Surprisingly Affordable Ways to Show Employee Appreciation

Did you see that Kraft-Heinz decided not to pay for a Super Bowl commercial this year? Instead, they chose to spend the money that usually is earmarked for the commercial on employee appreciation. They decided to give their employees an extra vacation day on Super Bowl Monday. Over the past several years, Kraft-Heinz realized that many employees were using one of their vacation days for Super Bowl Monday anyways, and those that came to work weren’t very productive. So it seemed like a natural fit to pick that day as the extra day off.

What a great way to show employee appreciation! And a great PR move too, since Kraft-Heinz received more media coverage and news attention than if they had ran a commercial during the big game.

While we don’t all have the budget/ability to do the same, here are 10 surprisingly affordable ways to show employee appreciation in your organization.

  1. Take new employees out to lunch on their first day.
  2. Offer flexible hours, especially the super popular Summer Fridays.
  3. Cater in lunch for the team once a quarter.
  4. Send employees to a training seminar beyond what is required for their job.
  5. Stock the kitchen with snacks and drinks in addition to the typical coffee/tea.
  6. Plan a company potluck around different holidays and give employees an extended lunch to enjoy it.
  7. Give an extra floating holiday or personal day.
  8. Use that primo parking spot right by the door for the Employee of the Month.
  9. Offer gift cards or movie passes to employees for a job well done.
  10. Provide your employees with extra PTO for volunteering, so they can give back to causes close to their hearts.

And here’s one more way to show employee appreciation that doesn’t cost a thing:

Simply tell your employees thank you. You can’t say it enough. On a regular basis, after the completion of a special project, and at the end of your busy season, tell your employees that you appreciation them and all of their hard work.


How does your company show employee appreciation in the workplace? Let us know!

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