It all started with a group chat. And amid stay-at-home orders. 2. A dynamic host facilitates this 90 minute virtual team building event with a trusty virtual sidekick. Add some seriously "tricked out" kitchens on each floor of their facilities. Contains 5 ml. Sometimes, the utmost appreciation that an employee seeks is a promotion in his job role. Book an Airbnb virtual experience. Beyond bestowing traditional awards like extraordinary performance, team player, or rookie of the year, you can also create fun award categories. The essence of spirit week is enthusiasm, not physical proximity. You can also make sure you take at least a 30-minute lunch break. Part of the fun of spirit week is pretending, and murder mysteries cast participants in the roles of cunning detectives. 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. Check out our list ofonline escape rooms. Vantage Circle. Content Expert at teambuilding.com. Simply post a different game or prompt on the company social channels every day, and instruct employees to respond using a special hashtag. Coffee and Chocolate Tastings It doesn't have to be cocktail focused. Challengers can play the games directly in the channel, or via direct message. Get Chinese food somewhere. Encourage healthy work-life balance by modeling healthy boundaries around time spent working and time off. I hope this article has in some small way helped your and your teams trek through this extraordinary time. Employees thrive at work when they know their contributions have meaning. Priorities. Clear your schedule for at least an hour. Celebrated on the first Friday in March, it pays homage to each employee's contribution to their company. It can range from conducting regular health check-ups, yoga sessions, dentist appointments, and offering health insurance. One employee's commute could be inexpensive, while for another, it could be prohibitive. Everyone had a week to practice and record their talents before we all watched them together during a special All Hands meeting. This activity won't cause too much distraction or mess. 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. After the bartender presentation (which was short) everybody got to chat and enjoy their drinks for some time before saying goodbye. of 70-75% ethyl alcohol. From digital marketing to online delivery services, there are several needs that the pandemic has sparked among consumers. This is one of the most underrated employee appreciation ideas out there. These events can help virtual offices grow closer. Video game consoles. That can be too intimidating for your employees. Halloween is the time of year when employees can showcase their creativity and interact with coworkers they may not normally work closely with. We are doing a virtual chocolate tasting with my team. But heres the thing. This will make them feel like a part of your business and not just a mere employee. Instead of the usual tables and activities, they had booths set up where treats were handed through the window. One-Word Check-ins. It is working together that will get us through this time. Just beware of overdosing on sugar. Here are three ways employers can reduce panic and keep employee morale up during the coronavirus outbreak. With these 33 employee appreciation ideas, you will see reduced turnover and retain your top talents. Getting your own parking space is a highly coveted idea to really recognize your employees for doing a great job. Also, busy workdays are where lunches are spent with a sad sandwich while staring at the computer. Teammates can vote using the poll feature in your video meeting platform, and you can send the winner a prize. Not to fear: There are plenty of Halloween-inspired crafts to go around. Some ideas for your 30-minute morning check-ins include: Establish virtual coffee chats with individual team members. 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. 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. The care packages were tailored for each individual, and they included self-care items such as cozy socks, chocolate, herbal tea, craft kits, puzzles, books, and board games. They are the first to arrive. 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. The chocolate tasting person is mailing out the tasting kits to all of us and will lead us through the tasting via Zoom. 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. Credit: HMH Books for Young Readers. Get Competitive. Offering free meals and caffeine is actually a highly effective and cost-effective means of motivating and controlling young employees. Thus becoming one of the best employee engagement activities that you can invest in. Some "lush" couches. The employee experience is better, and the company's outcome stronger. Online escape rooms are online versions of thematic puzzle-solving games. There's a lot you can do to be helpful from home. Team Norms. InDirect Report, she spotlights themes from her inbox that help explain the modern workplace and how we could be navigating it better. As much as we'd like for things to be "business as usual" this holiday, planning for Christmas 2021 requires a little more work to keep guests happy and healthy. Also, remember to turn your phone off. The cost of commuting is heavily influenced by the location of the workplace relative to where the employee lives. Celebrated on the first Friday in March, it pays homage to each employee's contribution to their company. Vantage Circle. This time has been invaluable to the team as they had been feeling scattered, stressed, and disconnected. Even a simple gesture like an appreciation message or thoughtful gifts on valentines Day or anniversaries can make a huge difference. Wishing you and your team health and tranquility. Theme Days. Feel free to customize it with your companys logos. An extra day off can mean a whole lot of possibilities to overworked and overstressed employees. The key is making exercise a daily priority, and the holidays are no different. Spirit weeks often involve games. Team costumes Whether you're a team of two or twenty, you can dress up in team costumes for Halloween. We've had a few teams compete in virtual relays, races, or step challenges using free apps to log steps, distance ran/cycled, etc. Are they excited to be working for you? I am going to go out on a limb here to say to you something vital. Whats Really So Wrong About Secretly Working Two Full-Time Jobs at Once? Today's employees seek recognition and rewards based on the career advancement that they want. Plus, you can capture a screenshot of the whole crew dressed up. Open windows, increase circulation, and keep room density as low as possible with fewer people in one space. 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. (Source: Team Vantage Circle's Day Excursion). 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. Recommended Article: Gift Cards Make For The Perfect Employee Rewards. Do the bragging on behalf of your employees, and show your whole team how fantastic everyone is. Dress-up days find a niche at busy offices; employees can show up in costume but still get tons of work done. Petit fours, miniature cupcakes, and macarons are the best tea party desserts, and finger sandwiches are another staple. Before the . For example, hold a Zoom ugly sweater contest, host a virtual Secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange, and sing Christmas carols. With these 33 employee appreciation ideas, you will see reduced turnover and retain your top talents. How to advocate for yourself at work during COVID-19. These activities also make great spring spirit week ideas for work. Trivia can be a good way to help teams relax, inspire conversation and build relationships. For example, new employees should receive a buddy to learn the ropes. 2. Their office is infused with fun, including random Razor scooters available to any staff who think better while in motion. Instead of taking the stage, performers share their acts during a video call. Want to enhance employee morale while improving productivity and boosting creativity? Also, they give continuous optimal performance. The benefit of virtual dress up days is that employees can don elaborate costumes without worrying about travel, comfort, or attracting strange stares in Starbucks. 1. It might sound cliche, but small courtesies like a boss saying thank you to the team members can make a huge difference. Mask up. 2022 Todos os direitos reservados. These events help boost company pride. Give your entire team a chance to express their creativity with baby pumpkins, acrylic paints, and free pumpkin stencils. Next, install game apps like rock paper scissors, tic tac toe, and trivia. A client of mine, whose team of 15 people are now all working from home, established daily 30-minute morning team check-ins to stay connected and on top of the priorities of the team, which have shifted given COVID-19. To make your company memorable in a sea of forgettable mugs. Were all pretty pumped about it. If theyd just put an extra $100 in my paycheck and said we cant have a party this year so get yourself a nice treat, Id have appreciated that too. Simply gear each days activities around a particular topic. Companies with a corporate health plan are more likely to see more engaged employees. Companies all over the world are making their operations remote for the first time to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Thoughtful ways to build community and pride. Consider sending your top ten performers off for a day or two at a spa to provide an incentive for continued outstanding performance. Keep employees engaged and excited with some friendly competition. 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. Develop team norms. You could even give teammates a prompt per day, like show us your fridge, or share your favorite spot in the house. This activity helps remote teammates learn more about each other, and may reveal shared interests and common ground. These events typically occur through a series of video meetings, group chats, and collaborative online activities. Here's what you might be missing- employee appreciation ideas. Why not see which team has the most steps or ran the furthest distance this week? Vantage Circle. Spirit weeks build ties with community Over the course of this week, schools will ask students and staff to do activities such as share TikTok videos, do workouts and share pictures wearing. and retains your top employees. I sort of roll my eyes at these, but they did a pumpkin carving contest earlier in the fall and people got very very VERY into it, and someone offered to lead a how to make the perfect apple pie for Thanksgiving and the voluntary sign-up had over 500 people. Wellness Resources "Everyone meet promptly at 5:30 p.m., and line up your cars by the parking lot next to my house," instructed the texts sent out by Amanda Perez, staff member and University of Miami School of Communication graduate student, and her mother, Wendy Perez. This is a stressful time to say the least. The Coronavirus Crisis 9 Ways Schools Will Look Different When (And If) They Reopen 1. I'm really hoping we won't have to consider this in future years, but a lot of planning time went into making sure that we minimized our COVID risk during the trip. Interesting work matter only if you have good food while youre doing it. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best ones. In stock now. Find out how to attract and retain your employees through their entire lifecycle. 2. First, give teammates a few options for online courses and ask them to vote for their favorite. The other half consisted of beer (or non-alcoholic drinks), snacks, tea, and homemade salsa. 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). Remote teammates work together to crack clues and conquer brain teasers before time runs out. 33 Amazing Employee Appreciation Ideas [2023 Update], The Ultimate Guide To Employee Rewards and Recognition, 50 Best Words of Appreciation for Employees, Gift Cards Make For The Perfect Employee Rewards, Indias Largest Telecom Company Boosts their Global Employee Engagement with Vantage Rewards, 25 Employee Engagement Activities To Reinvent Your Workforce, 25 Employee Recognition Statistics You Shouldn't Ignore, Top 102 Employee Recognition Quotes To Celebrate Their Endeavours, 23 Awesome Ways To Make Every Employee Work Anniversary Memorable, All You Need To Know About Sales Incentive Programs In 2023, 10 Intrinsic Rewards That Your Employees Look Forward To, Empower the Workforce With A Culture of Peer-to-Peer Recognition. Help make kindness the norm at school, home and work by using the links below! To host an online award show, first create award categories. This year, the questions are quite different, and nearly all are some variation of What do we even do for the holidays in a pandemic? Many employers are simply canceling holiday celebrations, since theres no way to safely gather. Recognizing employees is a great way to boost morale and build excitement during spirit week. 1. It offers employees a brief respite from their daily work. For example, share with team members how you will be leading, how you will check in with them, what you will be asking about. A crisis like this can either break ateamdown and widen any cracks in its foundation, or it canresult in the emergence of true greatness. Because honestly, everyone expects the managers and leaders to be bossy and unreachable. 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. Recommended Case Study: Indias Largest Telecom Company Boosts their Global Employee Engagement with Vantage Rewards. Not to mention, care packages add a tactile element to your all-online spirit week. We all know that employees are the most valuable asset for a business. You could even hold contests to name and reward the best virtual backgrounds for each meeting. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Team members can challenge each other voluntarily. 17 Ways to Boost Employee Morale During COVID-19 That Arent Happy Hours, celebrate employee milestones virtually here, general tricks for managing your remote workforce here. In turn, healthier employees produce better results for their companies. Often, in the case of. In times of isolation it can be very difficult to stay on top of where everyone is at. Employees should be free to decide where they want to work and when they want to work whenever possible. Take a bubble bath (bonus: Add a glass of. During the COVID-19 crisis, you can do a lot more from your couch than you may realize. It can be scheduled ahead of time or impromptu, just like you might invite a team member to grab a coffee with you while walking by their desk. Company retreats are great for celebrating employees after successful project completion or after an outstanding financial year. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Namely's powerful HR Software is built for mid-sized companies designed to be used by everyone, every day. Perhaps to no ones surprise, drinking seems to be quite popular this year, and some companies have figured out how to incorporate it into remote events. Company-branded swag can be simple everyday things like t-shirts, mugs, or even pen drives. WeAreTeachers Staff on September 20, 2022. Let the kids pick out a book and read it to them while . Sometimes the best thing you can do for your team is to enable them to let off some steam without the pressure to perform. I write about how to improve team and leadership performance. And what could be better for this purpose than to offer E-Learning options? Getting your workplace ready in case COVID-19 arrives in your community. People are encouraged to bring family (which is not something we typically can do with these events) and I would have loved this even before the new normal. Im kind of bummed Im going to be missing out on this one actually. #StayStrongWF Spirit Week April 6-10. But we must also address the negative impact of isolation loneliness, fatigue or even . Make it a fun and memorable experience. 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. Also, it doesnt have to be expensive. One is a gingerbread house session where theyll send you the kit, walk you through assembly, and then you can decorate with the provided candy and icing or your own. To truly show your employees that they are doing a great job, bring in some fun office traditions like "Taco Tuesday.". More than a manager, an employee's peers are more likely to know about their good qualities. You could even include dessert decorating packs, tasting assortments, or craft kits. She had such a creative way for putting a holiday spin on our corporate branding, and theyre going to be a big hit! With trick-or-treating officially considered a high-risk activity, you may be scrambling to find something for your little goblins to do on the 31st. It's not only a nice little project to focus on, but gives us something to talk about that's not work or coronavirus. Superhero Academy is equal parts fun, intellectual, and competitive. You can take the first step in promoting the importance of health. Considering the health boosts, climbing aboard a two wheeler for exercise is easy on your joints, for one, as your weight rests on your pelvis and not your legs. Talk about what you appreciate about that particular employee. Talking about making employees feel valued, a great way to do so is by involving them in the decision-making process, wherever possible. From open enrollment to building a benefits package, we've got you covered. With most schools and districts shut down for the foreseeable future, many faculty and teachers are struggling to find ways to connect with their students. Everything you need to build a better workplace. to Launch During a Pandemic. 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. Its common knowledge that people love gift cards. Or take a field trip to the local entertainment venue. You might feel anxious about: Your own safety and the safety of others. By hosting your fundraisers online, you can reach new supporters both near and far from your school without needing to leave your desk. The second event is a winter wreath demo where again supplies are sent to peoples houses and you can follow along with the demo and put a non-denominational winter wreath together. When Kirkman first had the idea, she posted about it in her social club Facebook group and on her Instagram story, in case a few close friends wanted to join. Remote teammates can enjoy a show while learning more about coworkers special skills and abilities. 1. You can arrange for office taxis or subsidized bus fares so that commute becomes a tad bit easier on their pockets. I thought this was a great way for the company to show its appreciation for staff, and it provided us with plenty of new recipes to try out just in time for the weekend. - Adam Lumb, EN Site Manager at Cashcow, One of our perks is that we give employees up to an hour each day to do something positive for their physical or mental health, such as going on a walk, reading a book, taking an exercise class, or doing a meditation (no admin or work allowed!). We regularly share the progress our sunflowers are making. Lifestyle contests that encourage employees to exercise or try a new activity can also help boost morale. Players square off in trivia challenges, lightning scavenger hunts, and a listening/drawing game called Can You Hear Me Now? A charismatic host keeps score while keeping teams energy and spirits high. Also, its really great to take your mind off the news that we are surrounded with every day. Being a boss, every positive word from you will act as a huge morale booster for your employees. Weve found that this is key to recreating that Friday feeling during lockdown. - Nushy Rose, Managing Editor at Parlia. Wed have the holiday party on Zoom, where folks would open what they had received from their gift giver. This helps us all get out of our heads to have a little fun during the workday. - Sam Williamson, co-owner of CBDiablo, Were encouraging employees to stay active by challenging their coworkers. Just to say hi and check how they are doing. Not every office can shut down for a full week, but even just an afternoon off usually goes over well: Our end-of-year celebration is usually a big lunch and then we get the rest of the afternoon off. Our division is doing a holiday drive-in movie and renting out a drive-in theater for the evening. This is a great way to begin your team meetings. Look at yourself in the mirror. Plus, you could throw virtual parties for any holiday. Communication in remote teams, whether casual chats or work related discussions, cant easily happen as spontaneously as it does when people are sitting next to each other at work. When the class arrives, learn together, and be sure to snap plenty of screenshots. Trivia leaders can create questions and teams can decide on their favorite themes or trivia topics. All This Talk About Quiet Quitting Is Absurd. You can supplement your on-the-clock remote spirit week activities with fun social media challenges. Be thoughtful with your messages of appreciation. Everyone can be a film critic and talk about how much they love or hate what we're watching. - Jess Guffey, Brand Partnerships at Design Pickle, To stay connected with our colleagues and support local economies at the same time, our company decided to launch Support Santa, a Secret Santa-inspired gift swap. Cycling is beneficial for your. You. Children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years need at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity daily. This prevents you from working to the point of hunger and then scrambling to decide what to eat. 2020 Namely, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 4 Ways A Single Word Has The Power To Positively Change Your Perspective, 8 Ways To Create Certainty Amid Current Workplace Uncertainty, Why Accountability Is At The Core Of Stewardship Delegation, 5 Ways To Grow Your Personal Brand As A Content Creator, Why We Need To Make Every Day Employee Appreciation Day, In A Competitive Job Market, Heres How To Win The Interview, 5 Tips To Recession-Proof Your Career And Bullet-Proof Your Security. Recommended Article: Top 102 Employee Recognition Quotes To Celebrate Their Endeavours. Then, have one attendee lead the class, or screen share a video routine. With higher motivation comes better engagement, happiness, and ultimately retention. Consider downloading a fitness app with curated workout playlists. Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace 2. I also hired a local small business to make some custom iced cookies for us. Promoting health is no longer seen as an initiative that yields 'soft' results. Quarantine spirit week consisted of a unique theme for each day: skater Sunday, monochromatic Monday, tie-dye Tuesday, wig Wednesday, 13 going on Thursday and casual Friday. Simply ask, how are we doing living up to our agreements?. Coming together this way will help bring your employees closer to you and boost the employee-employer relationship. Remote teams can dress up for remote meetings, even if their outfits wont be on display all day. Be sure to grab plenty of screen shots throughout the afternoon or evening. Gathering via video call and online communication platforms gives groups a chance to relax, re-energize, and reconnect with teammates. Coffee or tea tastings work as well: We had a virtual coffee tasting where they sent those who RSVPd a free AeroPress and some coffees and had a coffee expert walk them through the different kinds over Zoom.

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spirit week ideas for work during covid