10 Fun and memorable employee appreciation day ideas for your remote team

No matter how much you appreciate your employees, it can be hard to show them how much they mean to you if you cannot interact with them in person. While some businesses have office spaces where employees can gather and bond, this isn't the case for many others, including remote teams who work from home or in separate locations. Despite their geographic distance from the main office, these employees are just as important to your company as those who work at the office daily. So how do you show appreciation to your remote team? 

Here are 10 great ideas that all of your team members will enjoy!

Send a personalized thank you card (digital or physical)

A personalized card may be all it takes to show your remote employees that you care. The cards are easy to find on the internet, but I suggest doing some research to find one that has unique messages.

One option is Sending a Heartfelt Thank You Card, where they have cards available in any size, color, or shape! These are good if you want something customizable to suit your company's personality.

Give an ice cream sundae bar

An Ice Cream Sundae Bar is a fun idea that can be created with easy-to-find ingredients. Put bowls of toppings, ice cream, sprinkles, whipped cream, hot fudge sauce, nuts, or anything else you like on top of your ice cream. Put together some recipes to share with your team members, so they know what to put in their sundaes. You can also set up stations where employees can create ice cream concoctions.

Thank them for their efforts

Thank them publicly for their efforts. Give a shout-out to the hard work of your remote employees on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Send an email to their clients and customers thanking them for all the work they do. Hold a virtual town hall meeting where you thank your remote employees and answer any questions they might have. 

A wine & cheese party

A Wine & Cheese Party is a perfect way to celebrate employee appreciation day with your remote team. Order a few boxes of cheese, crackers, wine bottles, cups, and glasses.

Divide your employees into teams (teams can be randomly assigned or created), then challenge them to a blind wine tasting. Give each team 10 minutes to taste the three wines and write down their guesses as to what they think the wines are. The winning team gets prizes like gift cards, best-selling books, movies, etc.

Do something new & innovative

You can do something as simple as sending a group text message or email that says we're thinking of you today or giving a remote employee a paid day off to rest. Other ideas include hosting an online social event like a webinar, video chat, or interactive presentation; providing free parking at the office; creating personalized gifts with your company logo on them; or inviting remote employees to take part in your company's celebration of the year (ex: Thanksgiving potluck).

Enjoy a movie marathon together

Another fun idea is to set up a movie marathon together. You can all choose the movies to watch by creating a poll or group chat. If you want something with a little more adventure, consider this idea: Netflix Tilt, where you randomly switch Netflix shows with each other every few minutes. Whoever picked the last show has to pick again.

Serve breakfast in bed

You can do this in several ways. One option is to find a good recipe, make the pancakes or waffles, then drop them off on your remote employee's doorstep before they wake up. Another option is to call them on the phone, sing happy birthday or thank you to them, then say goodbye and head out their door. A third option is to show up at their door with Breakfast in bed. One company sends someone to work early so they can make Breakfast and bring it to bed for the person who arrives later that morning! Whatever works best for your employees will work best for you too.

Throw a scavenger hunt

Try throwing a scavenger hunt in the office to show your appreciation. Have employees work together to find different items throughout the office. When they find each item, they do a fun activity with their team! After completing all the activities, have them give you a high five as a grand finale. They will appreciate how much time you put into it and feel more connected to the company!

Give them something from their bucket list to do with you.

Give them something from their bucket list to do with you. If they've wanted to go skydiving, take them up in a plane. If they've always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, get on a plane and spend the day exploring. There are so many amazing places you can explore together that they'll be able to cross something off their bucket list without even realizing it!

Have a selfie shoot & then make those photos into thank you cards.

This is an excellent idea if you want to take a picture with the entire team. Grab your phone, take a selfie, edit it and make it look good! Send the thank you cards with handwritten messages of appreciation. They will feel so appreciated and loved that they can't help but have a better day tomorrow!

Conclusion

In conclusion, this post highlights 10 unique ideas to celebrate your remote employees. These ideas range from special company-wide messages to fun activities that can be done from anywhere. If you are interested in what other companies are doing, there is a helpful list of some companies with remote workers at the end of this post. We always want to hear about your ideas for celebrating your team!