Get 5 morale boosting tips here, learn how to celebrate employee milestones virtually here, and get some more general tricks for managing your remote workforce here. Companies all over the world are making their operations remote for the first time to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Thus in this scenario, investing in an effective recognition program becomes a critical part of employee engagement. A client of mine, whose team of 15 people are now all working from home, established daily 30-minute morning team check-ins to stay connected and on top of the priorities of the team, which have shifted given COVID-19. Get the resources. Jamaica 3 Ways To Keep Employee Morale Up During The Coronavirus Outbreak - Forbes We have 30+ experiences to choose from, and thousands of five star reviews. If done in person, they provide a safer pandemic option because you share the room only with the people in your party. However, you could include a holiday theme in your virtual spirit week during any time of the year. Lifestyle contests that encourage employees to exercise or try a new activity can also help boost morale. Themed dress-up days are popular favorites, but they're really just the start. Adults need 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking for health benefits. My Boss Loves Planning an Elaborate Holiday Extravaganza. Why not put a reminder in your diary when you plan to finish working? But when you thank them for their efforts, it can be a heart-melting moment to inspire respect for you and the business. 21 Fun Quarantine Christmas Ideas 2020 - Good Housekeeping Ask each person to share one word to describe how they are feeling in. Gathering via video call and online communication platforms gives groups a chance to relax, re-energize, and reconnect with teammates. 9 Ways to Help Others During the Coronavirus Pandemic Do the bragging on behalf of your employees, and show your whole team how fantastic everyone is. Shared items such a candy jars, cereal boxes, and containers of nuts should be removed for the safety of all workers. Today's employees seek recognition and rewards based on the career advancement that they want. If you see someone going above and beyond and who commutes through their own vehicles, this will prove to be a wonderful opportunity to make their lives a little bit easier. Companies with a corporate health plan are more likely to see more engaged employees. The tours could happen on a single day, or throughout the week. It is working together that will get us through this time. Relaxing activities to do at home during COVID-19 quarantine - CNBC Unorthodox corporate perks such as trips to hike near a volcano or dive with dolphins are an increasingly powerful way to attract, retain and motivate top talent. Health & Safety Giveaways: Ideas amid COVID-19 - National Pen Or you might feel concerned about the health of others, such as those who you care for or live with. 15 Ideas To Celebrate Halloween in the Workplace | Indeed.com Remote teammates work together to crack clues and conquer brain teasers before time runs out. Some ideas for your 30-minute morning check-ins include: Establish virtual coffee chats with individual team members. For example, book-binding, instrument-building, ravioli-making, or makeup lessons with a drag queen. For instance, plan a short gentle stretch, a high-intensity cardio routine, and a themed yoga class at different time slots throughout the day. Reading a book on the sofa is a cozy way to get in the Christmas spirit. This article is written by Barasha Medhi who is a part of the marketing team at Vantage Circle. Hear clients' stories and learn how they're building a better workplace with Namely. Planning Your Holidays During the COVID-19 Pandemic I thought this was a great way for the company to show its appreciation for staff, and it provided us with plenty of new recipes to try out just in time for the weekend. - Adam Lumb, EN Site Manager at Cashcow, One of our perks is that we give employees up to an hour each day to do something positive for their physical or mental health, such as going on a walk, reading a book, taking an exercise class, or doing a meditation (no admin or work allowed!). Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight We have these events called campfires that take place twice a week. No, not the executive lunchroom. But employees with a few years of experience should be matched with a career mentor to help them grow in their position. For more ideas, check out our roundup of team building workouts. Then, encourage teammates to square off. I also personally feel that it's boosting my wellbeing and brightening my day. Virtual talent shows double as entertainment and team bonding. Simmonds was blown away by . Daily Dose of Kindness (sent daily) Weekly Kindness Idea (sent weekly) General Newsletter (for everyone) General Newsletter (for educators) School spirit week is a fun time for everyone to come together and show off their pride. Many of us now look forward to Mondays because of these hilarious crosswords! Either way, ask participants to record results by posting them to the channel in a @WIN/@LOSS format. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best ones. Just be sure to offer nonalcoholic options too: We had a celebration that even I (a person averse to holiday parties and Zoom calls) liked. According to Harvard Business Review writer Anthony K. TJan: Company leadership should embrace, promote and value mentoring programs to realize a return on investment. Recommended Article: 25 Employee Engagement Activities To Reinvent Your Workforce. How to Engage And Retain Your Employees During Covid - LinkedIn The knowledge that there is a whole day dedicated to employee appreciation should let you know its significance. This year, theyre sending a food related gift to our homes and giving us the afternoon off. Staff members find creative ways to celebrate during COVID-19 - Miami We also have a list of the best remote team outing ideas. There are numerous free crossword creating apps, and all you need to do is share the linkso easy and so fun! - Mira Rakicevic, Co-founder at Comfy Living. Interesting work matter only if you have good food while youre doing it. 5 Radical Ideas For Schooling During Coronavirus : NPR While employee appreciation may seem a bit heavy on the pockets, the bottom line is that it will lead to several long-term benefits. Classroom Routines Must Change. Here's What Teaching - Education Week Video game consoles. Plan out your meals and snacks ahead of time, such as at the beginning of the week or workday. Hand Sanitizers. At checkout the price was zero and you couldnt even enter a tip. The key is making exercise a daily priority, and the holidays are no different. This will allow team members to truly appreciate each other, leading to better team building. Plentiful sunshine. SHRM estimates that it costs $20,000 to $30,000 in recruiting and training expenses to replace a manager making $40,000 a year. Also, its really great to take your mind off the news that we are surrounded with every day. Why not recognize these incredible non-work achievements in front of their peers? Working from home can be lonely and mundane. These light-hearted contests can also easily be tied to raising money for charity. - Joe Wilson, Senior Career Advisor at MintResume, Our company gave us all sunflower seeds to care for and grow as we work from home. From theme days to care packages to costume contests, here is a list of fun ways to celebrate spirit weeks in remote offices. Next, install game apps like rock paper scissors, tic tac toe, and trivia. Offering a corporate wellness program within a vibrant culture of thriving well-being can significantly enhance that connection. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about virtual spirit weeks. Get the latest news from Namely about HR, Payroll, and Benefits. Priorities. The Town of Wake Forest and the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department want you to stay safe during the current COVID-19 pandemic by honoring Wake County's stay at home order. Have regular check ins with individual team members. By planning an online retreat for spirit week, you block out employees time and free staff to enjoy the festivities. Here is our take on enhancing employee motivation with the below 33 exceptional employee appreciation ideas. Simply gear each days activities around a particular topic. During this time, one team member has 60 minutes to talk about their favorite subject while others listen and ask questions. If time is not available to do this well in one meeting book another one but within the next 24 hours so as not to lose momentum. The top reason why the people enjoyed coming to work was because of "feeling appreciated.". You can take the first step in promoting the importance of health. Toilet paper and Netflix memes are very popular right now. Thoughtful ways to build community and pride. Getting your workplace ready in case COVID-19 arrives in your community. Make Sure You're COVID Safe. Take off your coat. Barasha can be found either searching for interesting HR buzzwords to write about or looking at pictures of cozy Bel Air mansions. Show your employees some love by making sure that the snacks provided are healthy and nutritious. Offering free meals and caffeine is actually a highly effective and cost-effective means of motivating and controlling young employees. With more than 30 million people filing for unemployment in the past six weeks, the U.S. is predicted to experience a coronavirus-induced recession through 2021. You can also make sure you take at least a 30-minute lunch break. There are many fun online activities that suit an international or travel-themed spirit week or spirit day. Elaine has in-depth knowledge of digital, social, and websites both from a strategic and user . There is no discussion in this exercise, it is simply a way for team members to connect with how others are feeling in the moment. And of course folks could also just log off if they wanted to, with no pressure to spend the rest of the day working. Coronavirus - how to cope with going into work - Mind "We're encouraging employees to stay active by challenging their coworkers. You can also use GeoGessr to play a destination-guessing game, or take virtual tours of museums, zoos, and parks together. This activity involves solving puzzles and finding clues to "escape" a themed room. 2022 Alle rechten voorbehouden. Vantage Circle. Throughout the evening or afternoon, read awards off one by one, and give each winner 30 seconds to give a victory speech. How to Volunteer Remotely During the COVID-19 Crisis - AFAR All This Talk About Quiet Quitting Is Absurd. During the call, participants can chat and play fun games, or co-work while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Get Chinese food somewhere. Now more than ever it is essential to dialogue and agree on what team members need and expect from one another and from their leader. Some of these challenges involve participants play-acting and using props during Zoom calls, while simpler versions consist of a series of riddles on Google Forms. 1. Every year there are days we look forward to. Pandemic office holiday party ideas. - Slate Magazine Plus, the posts are a great way to advertise your companys culture to a wider audience. Engage in active family play time. Explore them here: On Fridays, our team puts on ridiculous outfits to make each other laugh during virtual meetings. In advance we were all given a link to a store that sells cocktail making kits. Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus, This is a BETA experience. Remote team games like holiday Bingo, trivia, and scavenger hunts get guests moving and invoke the holiday spirit. Weve had a few teams compete in virtual relays, races, or step challenges using free apps to log steps, distance ran/cycled, etc. Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here's How - POLITICO With most schools and districts shut down for the foreseeable future, many faculty and teachers are struggling to find ways to connect with their students. First, create a Slack channel for the games. These events are the online equivalent of spirit week, and are examples of virtual employee engagement activities and virtual team celebrations, and often take place on virtual event platforms. From year-end reporting to employee paystubs, check out these payroll tips and tricks. Outdoor days are one of the best summer spirit week ideas for work. Ask your remote team members to describe their day so far with an emoji or a string of emojis. As anyone whos tried to organize any office activity knows, its hard, if not impossible, to find something that everyone will like, so some offices are offering a whole buffet of choices to pick from: My company couldnt find an online activity that worked for 40 people, so theyre offering a few different options. People are encouraged to bring family (which is not something we typically can do with these events) and I would have loved this even before the new normal. Im kind of bummed Im going to be missing out on this one actually. Better still, if this praise comes in front of their team members, colleagues, and peers. Are they excited to be working for you? They take place using video call software, online communication platforms, and occasionally social media. Working from home can be challenging. And encouraging a cake culture can never be a bad thing. Before the . In order to position your company as one where people really want to work, your company SWAG items had better reflect that. Celebrating employee birthdays never gets old. Student creates quarantine spirit week, brings people together It could be a magazine subscription (on a topic they would be interested in), treats for pets, snack samples, or anything they would enjoy. To set the mood, encourage participants to put up virtual backgrounds of Victorian parlors or lush gardens. Once the awards end, you can email digital certificates and e-gift cards to recipients, or mail trophies and paper awards to their houses. It is easier than ever to show your appreciation from the monthly Netflix fix to news and magazines. First, choose a date and send a video meeting link to your colleagues. COVID Halloween Ideas | Martha Stewart These events help boost company pride. Cycling is beneficial for your. We do a Champagne toast at our holiday party every year, and theres some rumors about mini bottles being shipped out for a Zoom toast, but Im not sure! Finally going on a picnic with their loved ones. I wont be able to attend as COVID-19 gave me the chance to move out of state and go full-time remote, but I actually think its a great idea. Online board games or trivia challenges are a great way to bring a team together for something besides work. Also, they grow more motivated to maintain or improve their good work. It might sound cliche, but small courtesies like a boss saying thank you to the team members can make a huge difference. This activity won't cause too much distraction or mess. It offers employees a brief respite from their daily work. Virtual spirit weeks bolster team resolve and brightens telecommuters moods. Because honestly, everyone expects the managers and leaders to be bossy and unreachable. Chances are, your company has one too. To make your company memorable in a sea of forgettable mugs. E-Learning is the preferred modern way to upskill and learn while having the convenience of choosing the when and where. This peer-to-peer employee recognition idea is about encouraging everyone from the organization to recognize good work. You could even give teammates a prompt per day, like show us your fridge, or share your favorite spot in the house. This activity helps remote teammates learn more about each other, and may reveal shared interests and common ground. From relaxing countryside walks to exciting challenges, your staff will have the time of their lives. Look at yourself in the mirror. The cost of commuting is heavily influenced by the location of the workplace relative to where the employee lives. Go for a walk. Remote teammates can enjoy a show while learning more about coworkers special skills and abilities. 2. The second event is a winter wreath demo where again supplies are sent to peoples houses and you can follow along with the demo and put a non-denominational winter wreath together. Employees thrive at work when they know their contributions have meaning. One of the simplest and most popular solutions has been virtual happy hours. It can be scheduled ahead of time or impromptu, just like you might invite a team member to grab a coffee with you while walking by their desk. Simply schedule a Zoom meeting and ask attendees to join from an outdoor spot such as backyards, parks, or beaches. Believe it or not, such small stuff really sees a positively impacted company culture. Talk about what you appreciate about that particular employee. Invite team members to share concerns or issues that need to be addressed, and be sure time is also spent acknowledging what is working well and what team members are proud of. Breakout Rooms! Earth Day activities that are good for you and the planet during the So far, people have hosted presentations on their favorite hobby, sports team, family, the country they come from, favorite food, favorite lockdown activity, etc. Then, after that, we had the opportunity to go into breakout roomslast year, one room did Schitts Creek trivia (it was a favorite among many staffers), another did Pictionary using the annotate functions of Zoom. Then, have one attendee lead the class, or screen share a video routine. For more tournament ideas, check out our list of Slack games. Let the kids pick out a book and read it to them while . Challengers can play the games directly in the channel, or via direct message. Were hearing from some people that while its not for everyone, having three hours on a Friday afternoon to do something fun together is really appreciated so were providing it for those who like/need it. I hope this article has in some small way helped your and your teams trek through this extraordinary time. Remote teams can dress up for remote meetings, even if their outfits wont be on display all day. With trick-or-treating officially considered a high-risk activity, you may be scrambling to find something for your little goblins to do on the 31st. Show Your Appreciation. Were all pretty pumped about it. Since healthier employees are more productive, happy, and energetic, the company will benefit from this form of appreciation. Employee Appreciation Day is a semi-formal holiday in the United States. A team lunch is a great way through which everyone can bond with each other and with you. Working remotely creates a new set of challenges that arebeing amplified by the added stress of school closures andby the anxiety many are facing during this pandemic. But some employers have devised celebrations that will keep people safe and actually sound fun (even to this curmudgeon). The Five Keys to a Successful Team Retreat in the Age of COVID Read about more virtual talent show ideas. It was a lot of fun! - Stephen J. Kontos, Founder & CEO at PatentXP PLLC, We keep employee morale high by sending out thank you notes to our employees currently working from home. 15 gifts to give essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic Meetings and frequent check-ins both with the whole team and individual team members need to sit at the top of your to-do list. You can supplement your on-the-clock remote spirit week activities with fun social media challenges. The chocolate tasting person is mailing out the tasting kits to all of us and will lead us through the tasting via Zoom. The care packages were tailored for each individual, and they included self-care items such as cozy socks, chocolate, herbal tea, craft kits, puzzles, books, and board games. 80+ School Spirit Week Ideas and Activities To Build Community It means that they can catch up on the countless movies that they have missed. From open enrollment to building a benefits package, we've got you covered. Consider downloading a fitness app with curated workout playlists. The sudden need to adapt to these changes during COVID has given rise to new challenges that range from work-life stress, disparities in employees' ability to work from home effectively, and the increased need for employers to support worker safety, health, and well-being both at work and outside the traditional work environment. 6 Virtual Team Building Activities | LBMC EP Team Norms. 33 Amazing Employee Appreciation Ideas [2023 Update], The Ultimate Guide To Employee Rewards and Recognition, 50 Best Words of Appreciation for Employees, Gift Cards Make For The Perfect Employee Rewards, Indias Largest Telecom Company Boosts their Global Employee Engagement with Vantage Rewards, 25 Employee Engagement Activities To Reinvent Your Workforce, 25 Employee Recognition Statistics You Shouldn't Ignore, Top 102 Employee Recognition Quotes To Celebrate Their Endeavours, 23 Awesome Ways To Make Every Employee Work Anniversary Memorable, All You Need To Know About Sales Incentive Programs In 2023, 10 Intrinsic Rewards That Your Employees Look Forward To, Empower the Workforce With A Culture of Peer-to-Peer Recognition. 20 Valentine's Day Ideas During Coronavirus | ApartmentGuide.com List of virtual spirit week ideas. Wed have the holiday party on Zoom, where folks would open what they had received from their gift giver. Call in a local food truck specializing in the cuisine and make it mandatory for people to take a break and eat a taco. of 70-75% ethyl alcohol. Make it a fun and memorable experience. Not to mention there's the option of booking an entertainer - choices include singer Jimmy Barnes and comedy duo Hamish and Andy - to spice up a webcam-based party. Spirit week attendees can either make their own backgrounds using Canva or Photoshop, or can download one from online. Its a way for us to provide food and a gathering without being on-site and in groups. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. How to create effective, engaged workplace teams after the Explore the challenges people face in working from home (and they will differ) and ideas for dealing with them or sharing personal practices that work. Humans have an inherent need to get appreciated for their work. Hands-on Experiences: 1. PDF COVID-19 Developing Resilience in the Workplace One idea that keeps popping up on our Principal Life Facebook group is the concept of a virtual theme week. We All Hate It. #StayStrongWF Spirit Week April 6-10. Part of the fun of spirit week is pretending, and murder mysteries cast participants in the roles of cunning detectives. 33 Safe Vacations During CoronavirusTypes of Vacations and Places that Keep Little Hands Busy. The essence of spirit week is enthusiasm, not physical proximity.