Lack of appreciation is one of the top reasons that employees quit. Recognition and appreciation are two essential items that people need to have a healthy morale. Since employees spend most of their time at work, they feel quite a loss in their lives when their employers do not value them. While the problem of underappreciative employers can’t be solved 100 percent, the world does try to give something back to its hard workers. Employee Appreciation Day is something that occurs each year and is supposed to help employees to feel as though their jobs value them.
What Is Employee Appreciation Day?
Employee Appreciation Day is a fairly new holiday that exists in the United States and Canada. It is a secular holiday, meaning that it has nothing to do with any particular religious faith or practice. Currently, more than 30 secular holidays exist. Some of the days that people celebrate are Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Parent’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, Honesty Day, Natural Sports Day and the like.
When Do People Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day?
People who want to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day should do so on the first Friday of March. The first official Employee Appreciation Day occurred in the year 1995. The organization that started is Recognition Professionals Internationals. The group is an organization that has a deep interest in the way employers treat their employees. RPI spends a large portion of its time ensuring that businesses provide adequate incentive programs and appreciative efforts to their employees. The group works hard to educate employers about holidays such as Employee Appreciation Day.
What Happens on Employee Appreciation Day
What happens on Employee Appreciation Day is that the employee becomes the center of attention for a day. Employers reflect on the importance of their employees, and they think of creative ways to keep them throughout the course of a year. It works the same way that other secular holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day work. All people who are employees should receive special treatment from the people who sign their paychecks and receive their services. Employers may choose this day to have their annual employee barbecues.
What Do People Do on Employee Appreciation Day?
Employers can choose to celebrate the day any way they feel would showcase the appreciation that they have for their employees. Some employers may celebrate the occasion by ordering pizza or providing some other type of free item to the employees. Other employers may allow their workers to have a dress down day. Some of them may give gifts and awards, and others may simply walk up to their employees and thank them. No rule exists for the holiday other than to show appreciation.
Recent News About the Holiday
Forbes Magazine took the time to take a survey of various companies to see why the most productive employees stayed productive. The top reason that such employees had so much drive was that their employers recognized them. Some of the employees liked that their employers left them to their own devices, while others said that they were productive because their employers gave them decent pay wages and trained them properly before throwing them to the wolves. Employee Appreciation Day is a wonderful opportunity to express worker recognition.
Which Field Does the Day Help Most In
Some fields of employees simply have greater turnover rates than others do. A day like Employee Appreciation Day is crucial in such fields. Some of the fields that have the worst turnover rates are fields such as retail, fast food, childcare, and nursing, according to Market Watch. Employers in such fields should pump up the appreciation for the sake of hanging onto their workers a little bit longer.
How to Get Started Celebrating Employee Appreciation Day
Fortunately, Employee Appreciation Day is not a holiday that is going to stir up too much opposition. In fact, it is likely that no one will oppose the celebration of this holiday. An employer can start celebrating it by making an announcement at the next meeting. The announcement should include all activities that the company will partake in for the day. The employer should announce such activities at least three months before the company has its first official celebration.
Tips for Handling Modest Employees
Some employees may not wish to have their employers “fuss” over them because of religious reasons, shyness or true modesty. Employers can still do their part by finding subtle ways to thank such employees. Sending them ecards to their work terminals is a good way to say “Thank you” without making a fuss. Another way that an employer can be subtle is by offering the same thing to all employees. A free lunch for everyone is a good idea for subtly.
Employers can improve the workplace dynamics immensely by getting involved in this special day for the workers. It’s never too late to start. Tell us all about the way you celebrate this day at your workplace!
IMAGE SOURCE: 1