Employee appreciation events provide an opportunity to recognize your staff’s contributions in the workplace. It’s a chance to focus on your employees, not your customers, products or services. Decorating the workplace for this week involves displaying memorabilia that pay tribute to your employees. The best way to do this is to survey or ask your employees a few weeks ahead. Using a whimsical approach, you can lighten the mood of a tense, hard-working workplace and provide a welcome respite from the daily stress that your diligent workers may feel.

Photos

Throughout the year, take photos of your employees at work creating products, dealing with customers, volunteering in the community and discussing work issues. Then, during employee appreciation week, display these photos in public places, such as bulletin boards, windows, conference rooms and hallways. If you have multiple locations, you can create a website or blog to showcase these pictures. Play it straight, or add funny captions.

Awards

Everyone appreciates being noticed for doing hard work. Create certificates that express your appreciation and display these outside people’s offices. You can download a template or create your own certificate format and print it on colored paper, foil paper or parchment. You can also create humorous awards. These certificates reward deserving employees and provide mementos and decorations for the office. You also can give out medals, trophies and ribbons.

Contests

During employee appreciation week, you want to thank your staff for their hard work. You also want to motivate employees to continue their diligence. Run raffles and other contests. For example, set up a table with balloons and banners announcing the contest. Play music to draw attention to the area. You can set up a suggestion box or hand out feedback surveys at this location. For prizes, give gift cards, movie tickets or restaurant gift certificates. You also can give out coupons for company services, award free parking or even extra vacations days.

Gifts

If you have gifts with the company logo on them, employee appreciation week is the time to hand them out to employees. This might include pens, cups and notebooks. You can also design employee gifts such as t-shirts with the current year displayed. Decorate a gift table with posters and streamers and serve slices of cake, beverages or other snacks to provide a festive atmosphere.