Gifts to get your team into the holiday spirit

5 gifts to get your team into the holiday spirit

December 15, 2021 10:33 AM

After a challenging year, don’t your employees deserve some love?

As 2021 comes to a close, employers and employees have navigated a full year of pandemic-induced roadblocks: adjusting to hybrid work, juggling home and caregiving responsibilities, managing mental health strain and more. Employees want to know their workplace has their back, and beyond essential employee benefits, a small token of appreciation can go a long way.

Check out these gifts to give to your colleagues this holiday season:

Self-care essentials

The Malicious Mermaid/Amazon

With mental health on the forefront of everyone’s minds this year, a subscription to an app like

Headspace

Calm

Ginger

can help employees unwind, practice better sleep habits and learn important coping tools to help them manage stress and anxiety.

If you want to encourage employees to burn off their anxious energy, partnering with or sending a gift card for a

ClassPass

subscription can give your team access to hundreds of fitness classes, including yoga and meditation. Looking for a quick fix? A fun scented candle like this

“Meetings that could have been an email”

option could give your employees a chance to turn their home office into a home spa.

Sweet treats and snacks

Sugarwish.com

A perk of the in-person office was the free snacks and coffee, and new businesses have popped up to bring those benefits to your employees at home. Employers can send their teams a variety of customizable snack boxes from

Sugarwish

, with candy, savory treats and coffee and teas delivered to their door.

To celebrate employees for a job “well-done,” gift them a box from

Omaha Steaks

. The company offers corporate discounts on steak and lobster dinners and dessert. If you’re unsure of an employee’s dietary preferences, a gift card to

GrubHub

Seamless

would be much appreciated during the busy holiday season.

Home office upgrades

Pexels

Whether employees are still working remote or back in the office, making sure they can work effectively and stay organized is top of mind. Consider gifting your employees noise cancelling headphones for Zoom meetings, or a desktop privacy screen if employees are back at work.

Other tools like a laptop riser or ergonomic keyboard and mouse pad can help employees work comfortably, wherever they’re logging in from. Want to encourage your employees to stick to their to-do lists? Provide them with a fun notebook, like this

“Things I Want to Say At Work But Can't

” pick.

Fun and games

HR Passion Press/Amazon

Planning an office holiday party is still a fun way to get together and celebrate a job well done. But with safety and social distancing still a concern, an online option might be a better fit this year.

ClassBento

offers group classes for wine tasting, arts and crafts, cooking and more. Gather your team for a fun night in, or give employees the opportunity to pursue their hobbies individually.

The Human Resources Coloring Book

is another fun option to let your employees’ creative aspirations come to light.

R&R

What your employees really want is a break. Consider closing the office, instituting a company-wide mental health day, or even transitioning to a 4-day work week (like

these companies

have

experimented with

). Whatever you choose to do, remember to show your employees appreciation and empathy year-round.