They are the first to arrive. This will allow team members to truly appreciate each other, leading to better team building. Recognizing hard work and achievement in the workplace increase employee morale, encourage healthy competition, and creates a positive atmosphere. Starting a business during COVID-19 may seem impossible, but these 15 types of businesses can help you launch a business and even help others during the pandemic. Superhero Academy is equal parts fun, intellectual, and competitive. How to be a good coworker and leader during this crisis. Offering a corporate wellness program within a vibrant culture of thriving well-being can significantly enhance that connection. Therefore it's a win-win situation. Dessert buffets are fun and positively addicting. No, not the executive lunchroom. Consider sending your top ten performers off for a day or two at a spa to provide an incentive for continued outstanding performance. Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus, This is a BETA experience. Elaine has in-depth knowledge of digital, social, and websites both from a strategic and user . Breakout rooms enable guests to have more intimate conversations, so that no attendee feels like an observer. Subjects should be fun and non-work related. This amazing app pairs the blind and visually impaired with volunteers via a video call in order to assist with everyday tasks (think reading a recipe on the back of a box or selecting a . Give your entire team a chance to express their creativity with baby pumpkins, acrylic paints, and free pumpkin stencils. However, you could include a holiday theme in your virtual spirit week during any time of the year. 2022 Tous droits rservs. Gathering via video call and online communication platforms gives groups a chance to relax, re-energize, and reconnect with teammates. It can range from conducting regular health check-ups, yoga sessions, dentist appointments, and offering health insurance. Get the latest news from Namely about HR, payroll, and benefits. The week before your work at home spirit week, mail boxes full of goodies to team members. Feel free to customize it with your companys logos. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. And encourage team members to let you know whenever they need any kind of support whether related directly to their work tasks or to any challenges they might be personally facing in the new situation. Mention about their desirable quirks like always being on time or such. 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. Not to mention, care packages add a tactile element to your all-online spirit week. By hosting your fundraisers online, you can reach new supporters both near and far from your school without needing to leave your desk. From digital marketing to online delivery services, there are several needs that the pandemic has sparked among consumers. For our workers who have never worked from home, social isolation is deeply felt. You may experience anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic if you have to go into work. Its common knowledge that people love gift cards. Themed gift boxes are another popular idea: Were sending winter-y stay-at-home gift boxes. 1. You can supplement your on-the-clock remote spirit week activities with fun social media challenges. Team members can challenge each other voluntarily. The best way to decorate virtual offices is by using virtual meeting backgrounds. It definitely is the easiest and quickest Zoom icebreaker out there. Student Engagement: Spirit Weeks A number of schools and school districts have done weekly challenges where students participate in a themed activity, take a picture or video of it, and then upload and tag it with a specific hashtag so that the community can find, enjoy, and celebrate it with them. Recommended Article: Gift Cards Make For The Perfect Employee Rewards. Considering the health boosts, climbing aboard a two wheeler for exercise is easy on your joints, for one, as your weight rests on your pelvis and not your legs. Here come's the most impactful one in our list of employee appreciation ideas. Even a simple gesture like an appreciation message or thoughtful gifts on valentines Day or anniversaries can make a huge difference. You can even snap a photo and create your own hashtag for when employees achieve something especially commendable. Not my cup of tea but a lot of people seemed to like it! Avoid the cafeteria as it can be very distracting. Next, install game apps like rock paper scissors, tic tac toe, and trivia. They had a selection that included non-alcoholic mixes too (like a ginger lemonade). Some ideas for your 30-minute morning check-ins include: Establish virtual coffee chats with individual team members. Make it more special by hosting a "Make Your Own Taco" competition where the winner gets some form of employee reward. Trivia can be a good way to help teams relax, inspire conversation and build relationships. Perhaps to no ones surprise, drinking seems to be quite popular this year, and some companies have figured out how to incorporate it into remote events. For example, theme days, virtual talent shows, and costume contests. These events can help virtual offices grow closer. Reading a book on the sofa is a cozy way to get in the Christmas spirit. Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace Between the confetti, balloons, and cake, office birthday parties are always fun to organize. Credit: HMH Books for Young Readers. Put up fun office anecdotes on the bulletin board. This article is written by Barasha Medhi who is a part of the marketing team at Vantage Circle. Bring in a songwriter, band, or comedian to perform at your workplace. Donut is an app in our Slack channel that randomly pairs up coworkers together, encouraging them to set up a coffee meeting (of course, in this case, a virtual coffee meeting) in order to get to know each other better. 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! Here are some suggestions: A team reset meeting will ensure team members take time to identify how to best work together in this new reality so that the team can maintain a sense of community, transition through this change effectively, and maintain (and even improve) team performance during this time while supporting the well-being of team members. Another good team-building activity is a virtual workshop or workout class. From relaxing countryside walks to exciting challenges, your staff will have the time of their lives. Check out BoostEducatorsChallenge.com for details. These small everyday gestures can come off as a pleasant surprise and make employees feel valued. Photos by Getty Images Plus. From year-end reporting to employee paystubs, check out these payroll tips and tricks. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the federal government (OSHA) has provided detailed guidelinesfor workplace safety policies. What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche. Every company has its own perks: fully stocked kitchens, corporate team events, and the latest MacBook Pro. You can also offer a myriad of health benefits. and retains your top employees. There are few things that employees feel more love for than an extra day of freedom aside from the weekend. Get advice from seasoned professionals about all your compliance questions and concerns. Dress-up days find a niche at busy offices; employees can show up in costume but still get tons of work done. Cycling is beneficial for your. Recommended Article: Top 102 Employee Recognition Quotes To Celebrate Their Endeavours. For more ways to excite remote teams, check out our list of free virtual team building activities for work, this list of virtual offsite ideas, and this one with Zoom meeting ideas. December is the most obvious time to throw a virtual holiday party. But some employers have devised celebrations that will keep people safe and actually sound fun (even to this curmudgeon). Everyone had a week to practice and record their talents before we all watched them together during a special All Hands meeting. 4. Engage in active family play time. For any employee who loves to be fit or is inclined towards adopting a healthier lifestyle, gym passes make for the ultimate way to help them get started. In times of isolation it can be very difficult to stay on top of where everyone is at. We also had a gift wrapping contest as part of itwe were a creative bunch with lots of backgrounds in the arts, so some gifts were a person making a donation to a charity in the recipients honor, but making a video that fit their interest to share that with them, or a homemade puzzle, or other similar fun announcements. Employees respond to appreciation expressed by recognizing their good work because it confirms that their work is valued by others. Namely's powerful HR Software is built for mid-sized companies designed to be used by everyone, every day. When you think about having a great company culture, you think about building trust, honesty, and a great team of workers. 31. Find out how to shape a culture that attracts, engages, Keep employees engaged and excited with some friendly competition. Or, you could start a gallery on social media or a cloud-based photo album, and invite teammates to vote on their favorite uploads throughout the week. Lifestyle contests that encourage employees to exercise or try a new activity can also help boost morale. Why not expend the effort necessary to retain the staff that you have already painfully recruited and hired? There is also the threat of a recession. First, either mail employees tea and fancy snacks, or ask attendees to bring their own refreshments and reimburse them for the expense. This is a time to focus only on the people sitting before you. One of the simplest and most popular solutions has been virtual happy hours. Virtual spirit week ideas are ways to celebrate the occasion with remote teams. So, whether you're paired up or have something in the works, here are 20 ideas to safely celebrate Valentine's Day during coronavirus. Online retreats are company gatherings that take place online. Throughout the evening or afternoon, read awards off one by one, and give each winner 30 seconds to give a victory speech. In advance we were all given a link to a store that sells cocktail making kits. Talking about making employees feel valued, a great way to do so is by involving them in the decision-making process, wherever possible. After all, who doesn't like a couple of free snacks? Not just practical job skills, but behavioral and cultural skills as well. Its a really cool way to connect with your coworkers and find out more about their life outside of work. 3 Ways Tech Company Sysomos Transformed Employee Experience, 5 Tips to Implement Summer Work Schedules, 6 Design Ideas to Create an Inspiring Work Environment. To make your company memorable in a sea of forgettable mugs. Ive gotten a lot of reports of teams doing remote crafting sessions togetheroften around seasonal themes, like gingerbread houses: Our office is planning two optional events. This year, the questions are quite different, and nearly all are some variation of What do we even do for the holidays in a pandemic? Many employers are simply canceling holiday celebrations, since theres no way to safely gather. This is a great way to begin your team meetings. The team that plays together bonds better. Here is our take on enhancing employee motivation with the below 33 exceptional employee appreciation ideas. 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. Take off your coat. Due to the physical demands and psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been difficult for many of us to stay physically active. Some teams are secretly supervillains who try to sabotage other teams, and players must also identify these sinister alter-egos to ensure evil does not prevail. Your team can decorate their jack-o'-lanterns during break, lunch, or while you hold a team meeting. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com. Its hard to replicate daily interactions with co-workers, casual encounters by the water cooler, or after-work drinks, but we are encouraging our employees to find time for virtual coffees, lunches, or even happy hours with their colleagues. - William Taylor, Career Development Manager at Velvetjobs, Something that has really helped us keep spirits up is our Slack 'meme' channel where we encourage everyone to post the best memes they find throughout the day. We started this challenge at Booster. Promoting health is no longer seen as an initiative that yields 'soft' results. Interesting work matter only if you have good food while youre doing it. $10 at Amazon. Anxiety. Online board games or trivia challenges are a great way to bring a team together for something besides work. This helps us all get out of our heads to have a little fun during the workday. - Sam Williamson, co-owner of CBDiablo, Were encouraging employees to stay active by challenging their coworkers.