Ideas for a staff pick-me-up?

October 21, 2015 2:30 PM

Hi - I have a staff of about 15 people who have been working valiantly for me lately and I want to give them a little morale booster. Ideally nothing in the form of sweets, and nothing that takes up a bunch of time from the day (like a trip to the movies or something). Any ideas? I can spend up to about $750 total.
posted by malhouse to Work & Money (26 answers total)

$50 amazon gift card

People like money.
posted by phunniemee at 2:31 PM on October 21, 2015 [32 favorites]

Seconding $50 gift cards to a place they will use them.
posted by Nimmie Amee at 2:31 PM on October 21, 2015 [2 favorites]

I never appreciated anything as much as I did cash money when I've worked above and beyond the call. Did wonders for my morale.
posted by rtha at 2:32 PM on October 21, 2015 [6 favorites]

Drinks or Dinner (or both) after work, lunch out with everyone, or lunch in house but order from a nice place and have everyone take the hour break off to eat at the office in somewhere common - lunch or conference room.
posted by kmr at 2:32 PM on October 21, 2015 [2 favorites]

Or Visa gift card so they can go out to eat or buy gas or whatever they need. My husband's company used to do this, it was nice.
posted by soren_lorensen at 2:33 PM on October 21, 2015 [5 favorites]

Nthing Visa gift cards, Amazon gift cards, Target gift cards, or $50 cash. And a handwritten note thanking them for their hard work.
posted by jabes at 2:36 PM on October 21, 2015 [4 favorites]

Cash or gift cards if its not something they will see as a taxed line item on their next check.
posted by asockpuppet at 2:37 PM on October 21, 2015 [4 favorites]

Just give them money with a note. Money can be exchanged for goods and services. They don't want a peanut.
posted by Hollywood Upstairs Medical College at 2:39 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I agree with the gift card trend.

As an alternative to the $50 x 15= $750, I suggest a coffee-and-snack meeting in which you make a 5-10 minute speech about how awesome this team is and how hard they've worked, and then release people to eat bagels (or nachos, or cookies, or breakfast pastries, or chinese dumplings, or whatever) and chat while you hand out $40 gift cards and tell each person individually what you appreciate about their work. Unless you work in a call everybody up and shake their hand individually in front of the group kind of culture, in which case do that.

Having a written note about their particular skillset is something that comes in handy at performance-review time (and when bolstering spirits in a dark hour, and for career moves and future jobs).
posted by aimedwander at 2:43 PM on October 21, 2015 [23 favorites]

Nthing gift cards. If possible, half or full day off as well.

Just say no to mandatory fun (e.g., taking them out to lunch or having a staff appreciation party).
posted by jcatus at 2:58 PM on October 21, 2015 [18 favorites]

For $750 (less, I imagine) you could get a crepe cart or some kind of food truck to come to your office. Super fun!
posted by DarlingBri at 3:03 PM on October 21, 2015

If you're in America-land, give the poor buggers an early mark to leave on a Friday afternoon. And a gift card. Just close the office two or three hours early and give them your blessing for a wonderful weekend. And a gift card.

If you're in Australia, things are different because our leave entitlements are ....better. But yeah, time off is the best thing. Time for them to do as they like. The more hours the better.
posted by taff at 3:26 PM on October 21, 2015 [14 favorites]

I hasten to add that I appreciate you said nothing that takes up too much time, but if you schedule this, and cover your phones (or whatever your coverage needs are)- planned office closures for staff development are totally manageable.
posted by taff at 3:29 PM on October 21, 2015

Can you give them extra time around the Thanksgiving holiday? A day on either end of that would be a very welcome reward.
posted by barnone at 3:37 PM on October 21, 2015

Comp time is a great thing. So is a gift card.

I still remember the boss from over 15 years ago, who after a tough stretch had a masseuse come to the office with a massage chair and gave us all 30 minute massages!
posted by brookeb at 3:52 PM on October 21, 2015 [3 favorites]

I'd say gift card or cold, hard cash.

The problem with having food as a treat is that there's people with dietary restrictions, and/or allergies, and/or diets, what have you. I've been the odd person out because we all got treated to lunch, and I can't have any of it due to allergies and intolerances. It feels lousy.

I much would have preferred the cash.
posted by spinifex23 at 3:53 PM on October 21, 2015

A friend of mine once arranged with a local animal shelter to bring kittens to the office for everyone to play with. Big hit. But yeah, gift cards are also great.
posted by three_red_balloons at 4:00 PM on October 21, 2015 [4 favorites]

Cash or gift card.
posted by LoveHam at 4:01 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

Paid time off.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 4:30 PM on October 21, 2015

Time off. It costs you nothing but means a lot to the employee.
posted by kevinbelt at 4:40 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

We occasionally get perks like this at my job and several of us are pushing hard to have someone come in and give us chair messages.
posted by smashface at 4:41 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

My loyalty to managers that have given me visa cards is significantly higher then to ones who haven't.
posted by lepus at 5:38 PM on October 21, 2015

Just as a note, depending on the level or type of organization, it may or may not be possible to get people cash or gift cards. I know they're not a reimbursable/purchase card eligible expense where I work.

If they are off the table, I think that comp time/afternoon off is great. Other than that, maybe something nice and non-branded, like an fancy water bottle or a nice insulated coffee mug.
posted by mercredi at 5:54 PM on October 21, 2015

Gift cards are great if your company allows it. We can't do that at my company because I guess it's considered a taxable benefit and so the our tax department doesn't allow it (or so I've been told). I like the idea above of getting a food truck to come to the office for lunch, as well as a couple hours off early one day or even just a couple of comp hours for use at your employees' discretion.
posted by noneuclidean at 6:10 PM on October 21, 2015

The workplace of someone I know had his car detailed for him while he was at work. I don't know how they managed it -- did they have the detailer come to the office parking lot? Anyway, the recipient liked it because it was a nice treat and saved an errand (thus gave him the gift of time off, indirectly).
posted by xo at 6:17 PM on October 21, 2015

My coworker and I were fantasizing aloud earlier today about how we would like to be appreciated for our work. We want extra vacation time. Even half-days on Fridays, rotated amongst the staff to ensure coverage, would be amazing. It sounds like that won't work for you, but it would be a hit.

Failing that, I'd definitely take a gift card.
posted by bunderful at 7:45 PM on October 21, 2015