Employee gifts can be about more than recognition or appreciation. They can communicate a clear message to employees about what the organization values. Take employee wellness gifts, for example. By connecting the positive vibes of gift-gifting with the importance of employee well-being, you bring two important elements of care into one neatly wrapped package. And by promoting well-being at work, you’re sending a valuable message at a time when 93% of workers worldwide say wellness is equally as important as salary.
Wellness is comprised of eight pillars: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual. They’re all connected, and each is essential in the pursuit of optimal health. With those pillars in mind, we explore gift ideas that show employees you’re all in when it comes to their health and wellness.
Encourage physical wellness
A recent survey showed 71% of Canadian workers have become more conscious of their health in the past few years.
Among the areas they’re focused on is physical well-being, which includes exercise, diet, sleep, and responding to illnesses and ailments.
As an employer, you can work toward making physical health a priority in the workplace. Start an employee fitness challenge, where employees are offered rewards for reaching measurable goals, like running or walking a certain distance, or exercising a number of minutes each day. Kickoff the challenge by handing out running belts for employees to use on their wellness journeys. At the end of each month, people who hit their marks can be entered in a draw for fitness-related prizes, like a resistance band set or fitness mat.
Focus on financial and occupational well-being
Financial well-being is about successfully managing finances and fiscal security. Occupational well-being relates to enjoyment and fulfillment achieved through work. In an environment where 87% of employees say they’d consider leaving a company that doesn’t focus enough on well-being, employers may want to keep financial and occupational well-being front of mind. Providing competitive compensation is a great way to encourage financial wellness. And offering professional development opportunities is a foundational part of occupational fulfillment. Regularly checking in with employees to ensure their needs are met can go a long way.
To promote financial wellness, consider inviting a speaker to discuss topics like budgeting, managing debt and investing for retirement. Poll your team for even more topic inspiration. Encourage participation by offering a small incentive, like a money-themed pen or tin of mints.
Show you prioritize occupational wellness by recognizing employees who finish large projects or reach important goals. This shows your support and commitment to their career. After a successful conference presentation, a gift like a laptop backpack or leather padfolio lets them know you have their back. Or a surprise piece of apparel, like a long-sleeve dress shirt, after a professional development training course is completed shows the company is invested in their financial and occupational well-being.
Provide opportunities to make a positive environmental impact
Our environmental well-being considers how we interact with our surroundings and care for the world we live in. This encompasses everything from our immediate space to the entire planet.
Kick off a new year by improving the areas where employees spend a large chunk of their time—their workspaces. A motivational calendar can impact mood and inspire drive. And an office cube can help everyone feel a bit more organized.
Help employees be better stewards of their environments by encouraging behaviours that are thrifty and responsible. Celebrate a work anniversary with a reusable water bottle or tote bag, two items that can steer recipients away from single-use products. Or organize a team project—plant trees, clean up near a waterway or pick up litter in the community—to help everyone make their neighbourhood a little better.
Boost social and intellectual activity
Social wellness pertains to the relationships in a person’s life. Intellectual wellness relates to expanding knowledge and engaging in cultural, scholastic and community activities. An employer can encourage these pillars of wellness in a variety of ways.
Nurture a positive social environment by bringing employees together. Celebrate holidays or employee birthdays with a catered breakfast or lunch. Or choose a theme for a potluck to celebrate each time a new hire finishes onboarding.
Organize an outdoor movie night for employees as a way to say thanks for all you do. Provide chairs that double as gifts and allow their popcorn boxes to runneth over. Offer each attendee a stainless steel mug or tumbler and a bottomless cup of cocoa, coffee or tea. Choose a film that connects to your industry, opening the curtains for both social and intellectual stimulation.
Make space for emotional and spiritual wellness
Emotional wellness is a person’s ability to understand and cope with their emotions, and spiritual wellness connects to a person’s meaning and purpose. It’s a positive sign for both that 86% of HR professionals affirmed their organizations value employee mental health and take steps to safeguard well-being.
A hot/cold eye mask and a robe pave the way for relaxation when an employee is headed for a long weekend. A roll-up blanket and picnic basket can set the stage for a fun family outing. For a more day-to-day workplace wellness idea, consider welcoming new employees with a journal or memo board so they can write down words of wisdom, favourite quotes, mantras or other information to help them along.
Health and wellness incentives have no limits
Employee well-being is important for any company or organization. In fact, 96% of global employees said they seek employers who prioritize well-being—meaning it’s important for the potential employees you’d like to attract as well. For both current and future teammates, employee wellness gifts can play a fun and meaningful role in your organization’s efforts to support all the pillars of well-being.