Gifts for Employees: Top 25 Employee Appreciation Gift Ideas

1. Snuggie: $25-$50

Deborah Sweeney, CEO, MyCorporation

Our most prized worker appreciation idea was last year’s winter gift: Snuggies, branded with our logo. It is hilarious because we’re based in sunny Los Angeles, but our workers would constantly complain about being cold. So, we purchased branded snuggies, and they wear them everyday! It was fairly priced and also a true home-run gift.

Kim Turnage, PhD, Senior Leadership Consultant and Larry Sternberg, JD, Talent Plus Fellow and Board Member, Talent Plus, Inc..

The very best employee gift we ever gave was personalized business cards for hourly workers. This gift really made them feel important, since in our society only important people have business cards. We all know this because many employees told us how meaningful it was. The ideal present is something that recognizes that you listen and know some thing about somebody’s interests and things that they like. The more you know about someone, the better you can personalize and individualize a gift that’s meaningful — regardless of the dollar amount.

3. Sleep Mask: $10-$50

Peter Yang, Co-Founder, ResumeGo

I always heard complaints in my employees that they were not sleeping well, therefore our firm bought everyone a high-end sleep mask for Christmas. I’ve always taken care of making sure that I’ve a good night’s rest, so I have tested many sleep masks in the past. This is my favorite, as it includes a luxurious memory foam which truly soothes the eyes. Nearly all of my workers had great things to say after trying it out, and there are no more complaints around the workplace about bad sleep anymore!

4. Teapot: $20-$50

Sophia Bland, Co-Founder, Mock Interview

We’ve got a good deal of tea connoisseurs in the office, and for good reason. Our employees spend all day talking with clients, and specific teas can really soothe and protect your throat so that you don’t lose your voice. This being the situation, I chose to find everyone a teapot for a holiday gift. Everybody loved it, and several of them keep theirs in the office so they could enjoy their favorite tea when working.

5. Spa Gift Certificate: $50-$100

Priyanka Prakash, Editor, Fit Small Business

A gift certificate for a spa treatment or massage makes a fantastic employee appreciation gift idea since it shows the worker that you care for their personal health and well being. At a time when work/life balance is more significant than ever, a gift certificate for a spa or massage makes a wonderful statement. It’s also memorable as it’s an experience, not an item. I received a massage for a gift from my team before I took my pregnancy leave winter. I would not have spent much money on myself if it were left to me, but thanks to my coworkers, I had been able to treat myselfand it revealed they cared.

6. Game or Concert Tickets: $50-$100

Paul Koger, Head Trader | Creator, Foxy Trades LLC

We provide these gifts whenever we have a difficult month in the workplace to lighten up the mood. The tickets need to be for something they enjoy (favourite staff / theater / group ), which is no problem to learn in the event that you’ve got a small business. It costs little, however, the reward in worker satisfaction is evident.

7. BodyworksBall: $35

Tommy O’Rourke, Domestic Coordinator, Global Forest Industry

The best employee appreciation gift was given to me by a former boss. My neck, shoulders, and back were aching from sitting at my seat 9 hours every day. My boss gave me a BodyworksBall, I use a few times each day to endure and roll away stress and muscle pains, so when I go home, I’m not aching from sitting at my computer, I’m feeling good. I also use it once I complete coaching hockey in my toes at night. My boss left the company 4 years back, but I think about her daily when I use her thoughtful gift.

8. Personalized Music Item: $10-$100

Nora Cottrill, Community Manager, Alongside

We had a worker go through a challenging few months because of family and health issues. She was well-known by everybody on our little team. All of us felt for her and admired her elegance. Two of her favorite things are composing and playing drums (she is at a female punk rock group ). I ordered a drumsticks set, engraved using a line from her favorite poem. We presented it as a team and needless to say, there weren’t many dry eyes in the house. She loved it!

9. Something Personal: $1-$100

Laura Jennings, CEO, Knack

I find something, with no symbol, that speaks to our shared values and pursuits. It can be glasses made from recycled products, or shirts created by a women’s cooperative in Haiti — it must mean something. It has to have a story. The best gift is one that states”I know something about you”. This is the highest type of flattery for a worker to see that the boss actually finds and cares about them. So I’d be sure to incorporate a”why” with the easiest gift. .” I thought you’d appreciate this insulated tumbler since you always seem to be nuking your coffee.”

10. Sephora Gift Card: $25

Cindy Hayes, Sales Director, Allied PRA New Orleans

With the exception of myself and our owner, our staff is made up of all females 30 and under. So every year I buy them each a $25 Sephora gift card. I know they love it as they’ve told me it’s one of the best gifts they get. As a matter of fact, they usually begin asking if that is what I’m planning for the upcoming year when the holidays start moving.

11. The Fisher Space Pen: $15-$35

Gabriel Reyes, President, Reyes Entertainment

I gave employees the popular Fisher Space Pen, and they adored it. It is not just amazing but easy to transport and always works. Writes upside down, at any angle, under water, over grease, and in harsh circumstances. It is a gift they always have the ability to use and may be engraved or hot stamped with a message or logo.

12. As Seen on TV: $25-$75

Laura Handrick, HR Writer, Fit Small Business

I’m a sucker for As Seen On TV gifts, if Copper Chef pans (nothing sticks), Flex Seal Liquid (can seal a ship!) or a Handy Can Opener. I want to buy them, but do not need to give in to the advertising, or give out my credit card information to a call center. So as an HR professional here in Fit Small Business, ” I think a great employee present could be something present, clever, and even a small bit quirky like this Shower Wow, dependent on an As Seen On TV commercial. I’d attach a note that said,”Wow! You’re the Best!”

13. Hats: $38

Brian Linton, Founder and CEO, United by Blue

Hats, both men’s and women’s, are usually gifted to employees. The pom beanies in particular are great gift items, particularly with the colder northeast winters.

It’s clear that our workers enjoy these hats since they’re often seen wearing them round the workplace, at our waterway cleanups, and at our company camping retreats.

14. Grocery Gift Cards: $25-$100

Christoph Seitz, CEO, CFR Rinkens

Our office held an employee appreciation event where we had a catered lunch. Additionally, I purchased $100 gift cards for Whole Foods and distributed them throughout the workplace to each of my workers. I’m sure of one thing — most of my workers love food, and all of them need to consume. I guessed this was a great way to show my appreciation for their hard work and dedication, while lightening the load of the daily grocery bill.

15. Mobile Desktop: $50-80

Dan Roberge, President, Maintenance Care

We’ve got a lot of employees who work remotely, which means they’re often on their notebooks. To show my appreciation for their hard work, I bought them a mobile desktop that may be set on their armchair, lap, bed, or couch. It was just $80 per desk, but completely worth every buck. All my employees has voiced their gratitude, since they’re ready to work from anywhere with ease and relaxation.

16. Photo Tiles: $9-49

David Siracusa, Owner, Siracusa Staffing and Leasing

This gift relies upon Mixtiles, little pictures that are created from your own photographs. The nice thing about this gift is that it is relatively cheap and may be personalized to every employee. If someone got $250,000 in sales in a month, then we decided that to be well worth a trip to Orlando. So we got a picture of Orlando and then put congratulations with their title and the total dollar amount that they offered for the month on that picture. The tiles created the award vibrant, and they’re able to put them up everywhere they need in their offices or houses.

17. Recognition Certificate with Gift Card: $10-$100

Kimmie Marek, MS, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Owner, 7 Charming Sisters

Individual recognition goes a long way! Rather than spending a lot of cash on a single employee, consider creating a recognition certification that recognizes particular employee qualities and their contributions. Present the certification publicly. You can add a small gift card as a token of admiration, but the public awareness and certificate is really going to show your small company employee that you’re thankful for all their efforts.

18. Healthful Lifestyle Gifts: $30-$50

Scott Caldwell, President, Washington Business Dynamics

I give passes to gym classes ($50) and $30 gift certificates to a produce delivery service, Hungry Harvest. Workers had previously mentioned their zest for these activities and quickly used them. Regardless of the present, we need it to be special and unique about the person. Meaningful gifts are a excellent way to illustrate our company’s investment in the person.

19. Splurge on a Trip: $500-$5000

Ross Sapir, President, Roadway Moving

My employees work really hard everyday to make this business successful, and I want to do as much for them in return. I gave one of my top performing workers, Chakira Powers, Director Customer Success group, a trip to Hawaii as she’s been a loyal worker at Roadway for 2 decades. Her goal everyday is to make sure our customers are happy at the close of every move, and when they are not, to remedy the problem immediately. She works well with our clients, but has assembled a responsive and caring department. She explained it was literally the best experience of her life beyond the arrival of her son, and she has been in love with Hawaii ever since.

20. Wine or Whiskey Gift Bag: $30-$50

Nate Burlando, Owner, Distinct HVAC

Last Christmas, I wanted to give something unique to my crew instead of the standard; something nobody would think to receive them. So, I decided to make a whiskey smoker gift tote. Smoking whiskey is something I heard about from an old friend, and thought my guys would like it. So I purchased some glass decanters online together with cherry and apple wood sticks to add some flavour undertones into the smoke flavor. It was a great hit and all only cost me around $40, but price may vary depending on the decanter.

21. Winter Coat: $50-$100

Sharon Root, Owner, George Henry Plumbing Heating & Cooling

We’ve always supplied uniforms with our emblem. But employees loved getting winter coats with the company logo as well because they didn’t want to destroy their great jackets doing service work. They are warmer while they are traveling to/from tasks, and it aided market our brand because they wore them all the time, not only on the job. We’ve started giving them a fresh one every winter in the holiday party.

22. MyPillow: $49-$79

Mike Lindell, Owner, MyPillow

Sleep affects what we do, and getting a fantastic night’s sleep leaves individuals refreshed and energized. I provide a MyPillow to all my workers. When our workers utilize a MyPillow at night, we all know they will come in the next morning well rested and prepared to work. Once employees begin with a MyPillow and know the difference it creates for them, they possess the exact same passion I must supply a quality product and discuss MyPillows with customers around the world.

23. Your Thoughtfulness: $ Priceless

Sometimes the best gift does not cost a cent. It is the personalization of the words, and recognition of employee efforts that counts and assists employees feel valued. Read our informative article on Employee Recognition Ideas to have a sense of how to realize top performance in your company and reward team members for their work.

24. Theater Shopping Spree: $100

Sharon Fisher, CEO, Play With a Purpose

I took my entire team to a mall and gave each individual a $100 gift card. At the end, we moved into a pub and everyone shared / mimicked what they got. It was really fun perusing the buys and flipped the entire idea of a $100 gift card to something completely different that they will remember. We’re talking about it!

There were three principles. To begin with, spend it on something for YOU! No buying anything for anyone else. Second, spend it on something that you really WANT — perhaps not something practical. So in the event that you want shoes — no sensible apartments, get those flashy heels. Third, you have one hour to store. Any money not spent will be given to charity.

25. Bus or Transit Transport: $60-$100 a month

Max Robinson, Owner, FishTankBank

I gave you one of my workers an annual bus pass, and they claimed that it changed their life. The pass was only accessible to folks who’d exclusive memberships, and I qualified. I got a huge discount on the move, but that I was only allowed one. I gifted it to my worker because they travel to work everyday on the bus, and I am conscious that the costs often increase. They were very grateful as they understood it was a very exclusive pass that would normally cost literally tens of thousands.

Commuter moves can also be part of an employee benefits package. Read Fit Small Business’ guide to worker benefits to learn more.

Over to You

Rewarding your employees with more than normal employee benefits is a fantastic way to make sure they continue behaving in ways you desire, such as providing great customer service or meeting sales goals. The recognition gift you choose doesn’t have to be pricey, but it needs to be private, and it should have value to the person receiving it.

We expect the worker appreciation ideas supplied above will inspire you to come up with your own employee recognition and reward programs. We’d like to hear what you came up with, what it cost, and how it had been obtained by your employees. As for mepersonally, I am still awaiting the Copper Chef cookware to arrive!