Great Ways To Say “Thanks” To Your Employees This Thanksgiving

If you want to increase employee engagement and productivity and reduce turnover, how about giving your employees something more to be grateful for than a day off this Thanksgiving? Here are four easy ways to show your employees that you appreciate the job that they’re doing:

• Say thank you. That sounds basic, but too many companies don’t share employee accomplishments and successes publicly. Whether through an announcement at a meeting, an employee newsletter or e-blast, or on your social media channel, spread the word that your employees have done good work. Or, you can also give each employee on your team a handwritten note, complimenting them on a specific job that they did well.
• Let your staff leave early on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving—or maybe certain members on Tuesday if, say, their child has a school event. If you give them extra time with their families or the chance to get a jumpstart on cooking, they’ll feel as much appreciation as you’re showing.
• Celebrate your work family. Host a lunch (or brunch, or breakfast) where everyone gets a chance to leave their desks and spend some down time together. But not a potluck! You can get a great meal from your local grocery store at a reasonable cost, or you can even use a caterer if you want to do something a little more upscale. Just having an hour or so to relax and enjoy some company-bought food will help everyone feel their contributions have been noticed.
• Send them off with a treat. Whether it’s a bottle of wine or a homemade pie from a local vendor, something they can take home with be a visual, concrete reminder to your employees that their contributions are valued. And if they tell their friends and family about it, that will enforce a positive association with the workplace.
• If your company is not closed on the Friday following the holiday, you could host breakfast or lunch on that day instead. That way, nobody has to worry about food the day after the big day – and you could display a sense of humor about it and host a “recovery day” lunch, with plenty of water, salad, and other healthy foods.

Have we missed any good ideas? How do you thank your employees? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.