Thus in this scenario, investing in an effective recognition program becomes a critical part of employee engagement. 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. Simmonds was blown away by . Recognizing hard work and achievement in the workplace increase employee morale, encourage healthy competition, and creates a positive atmosphere. Find out how to attract and retain your employees through their entire lifecycle. Do the bragging on behalf of your employees, and show your whole team how fantastic everyone is. Your employees are amazing people with undisclosed talents. Promoting health is no longer seen as an initiative that yields 'soft' results. You can arrange for office taxis or subsidized bus fares so that commute becomes a tad bit easier on their pockets. Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here's How - POLITICO But with 29% of Americans reporting that they never drink alcohol, it is time for businesses to think of more inclusive activities. SWAG stands for "stuff we all get." When Kirkman first had the idea, she posted about it in her social club Facebook group and on her Instagram story, in case a few close friends wanted to join. 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. 6. There are few things that employees feel more love for than an extra day of freedom aside from the weekend. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Have regular check ins with individual team members. To set the mood, you can encourage attendees to dress up and don fancy virtual backgrounds. Not to mention, Online Office Games is highly customizable, so the activities can revolve around the spirit week theme of the day at your request. An escape room Escape room activities are available virtually and in person. Outdoor days are one of the best summer spirit week ideas for work. 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. The best online holiday parties encourage interaction. Virtual spirit weeks are weeklong events that consist of a series of fun and interactive online activities. Encourage healthy work-life balance by modeling healthy boundaries around time spent working and time off. For more ideas, check out our roundup of team building workouts. An extra day off can mean a whole lot of possibilities to overworked and overstressed employees. 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. If you are looking to reward your employees with a little something extra. To play a murder mystery online, first find a game or script, and then invite teammates to a Zoom meeting to play out the scenario. 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. I am a big believer in team norms which support the team in self managing behaviors, practices and performance. 7. You could either give employees the option of attending short 10-15 minute workouts throughout the day, or hold one or two longer sessions. Yet now is a time when communication actually needs to be ramped up. Remote teammates can enjoy a show while learning more about coworkers special skills and abilities. "We're encouraging employees to stay active by challenging their coworkers. After your holiday meal, go on a virtual group walk through your respective neighborhoods to work off the food. 3 Ways To Keep Employee Morale Up During The Coronavirus Outbreak - Forbes The packages were delivered to our doors in the afternoon of our event. What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche. On beach day, participants post virtual backgrounds of tropical locations and sip mock mai tais. 9 Date Night Ideas During the Coronavirus Pandemic - AARP Everything you need to build a better workplace. It is a small token of appreciation, but our employees have expressed that they really appreciate the recognition. - Darryl Smith, Founding Partner at Florida Car Accident Lawyer Team, Because of the coronavirus, Kickstand recently implemented more flexible work schedules, including a few mental health hours per week to encourage employees to step away from their computers and recharge during the workday. There were two main ways we did this: by requiring team members to be vaccinated, and picking a venue that would reduce people's overall exposure. Next, check our our list of ideas to celebrate Pride at work, online fun Friday ideas, and intern orientation activities. To establish team norms, ask: What behaviors and practices are most important right now to our teams effectiveness?. Gathering via video call and online communication platforms gives groups a chance to relax, re-energize, and reconnect with teammates. Teammates can select a different background for each meeting or theme day, and can even swap backgrounds multiple times per call. Things to consider when you and your employees travel 4. 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. Celebrated on the first Friday in March, it pays homage to each employee's contribution to their company. Or, you can use an app like Donut to match up opponents, and pairs can play games instead of scheduling a video chat. Commemorating a work anniversary is a robust employee engagement, development, and retention tool and a way to recognize and show your appreciation to a valued employee. The disease is extremely contagious, yet many infected people are asymptomatic, and patterns of transmission are not always clear. Weve found that this is key to recreating that Friday feeling during lockdown. - Nushy Rose, Managing Editor at Parlia. Get Chinese food somewhere. At the end of the week, count up the wins, and have the victors face off against each other for the championship. Share funny videos, do some riddles and brainsteasers, put music on in the background. Getting your own parking space is a highly coveted idea to really recognize your employees for doing a great job. Taking care of your employees' health is the most prominent form of appreciation that you can show. Not to fear: There are plenty of Halloween-inspired crafts to go around. Recommended Article: 50 Best Words of Appreciation for Employees. You can even use it as a way to support local businesses: We were able to do family meals for our employees. But to make them feel valued is what employees think is the most important. Gift ideas ranged, but included orchids, stay-at-home picnic baskets, family dinners, bookstore gift cards, and fancy coffee! - Nicole Canulla, Head of Marketing & Communications at DUST Identity, What I've found very engaging and will definitely continue to use even after we're no longer remote is Donut. Employees who want to learn about new tools, techniques, or topics but have less time on their hands will consider it a fabulous opportunity. The games last 90 minutes, giving remote colleagues plenty of time to bond and have fun together. I hope the concrete strategies and steps I share below will help you to bring some added calm, focus and renewed energy to your team. For example, Marvel versus DC Comics, the '60s versus the '70s, or Batman and the Joker. Reading a book on the sofa is a cozy way to get in the Christmas spirit. Get the latest news from Namely about HR, payroll, and benefits. Social Media is the biggest influencer of our generation. I also hired a local small business to make some custom iced cookies for us. Because honestly, everyone expects the managers and leaders to be bossy and unreachable. All online escape rooms inspire teamwork and critical thinking in a fun and exciting way. Instead, health promotion ensures that your staff actually want and like to be at work. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about virtual spirit weeks. It is capped at $200 per day, and $2,000 in total, for employees who have a family member affected by COVID-19 or a child staying at home because their school is closed. This year, theyre sending a food related gift to our homes and giving us the afternoon off. Walking not only counts as physical activity, but also provides some mental health benefits. Companies all over the world are making their operations remote for the first time to combat the spread of the coronavirus. It might sound cliche, but small courtesies like a boss saying thank you to the team members can make a huge difference. 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. InDirect Report, she spotlights themes from her inbox that help explain the modern workplace and how we could be navigating it better. It is a good idea to vary the class types and levels so that more team members can participate. 17 Ways to Boost Employee Morale During COVID-19 That Arent Happy Hours, celebrate employee milestones virtually here, general tricks for managing your remote workforce here. It means that they can catch up on the countless movies that they have missed. Consider downloading a fitness app with curated workout playlists. Communication in remote teams, whether casual chats or work related discussions, cant easily happen as spontaneously as it does when people are sitting next to each other at work. One of the best ideas for spirit care packages is to pack supplementary materials for the weeks activities. Take off your coat. Online Office Games is a friendly competition for remote teammates. Coronavirus - how to cope with going into work - Mind Every company has its own perks: fully stocked kitchens, corporate team events, and the latest MacBook Pro. Weve had a few teams compete in virtual relays, races, or step challenges using free apps to log steps, distance ran/cycled, etc. Then, plan festive activities to enjoy together during the call. However, you could include a holiday theme in your virtual spirit week during any time of the year. COVID-19 is expected to last for many months, with a potential resurgence in the fall. How to Volunteer Remotely During the COVID-19 Crisis - AFAR When you think about having a great company culture, you think about building trust, honesty, and a great team of workers. You can even display this social media recognition on your offices digital displays to make sure the whole team sees it. 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. For example, build breaks into your work schedule, remind team members to take breaks, and don't do work tasks while off work.7,8,9,10,11,12,13 Model problem solving from a variety of viewpoints. Keep Little Hands Busy. One such example that predates COVID-19 (if you follow our newsletter, you already know that it's a personal favorite of mine) is the Be My Eyes app. 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. 2022 Alle rechten voorbehouden. Sally can whip up a variety of cold meals, including salads, grain bowls and yogurt. Virtual spirit weeks bolster team resolve and brightens telecommuters moods. Beyond bestowing traditional awards like extraordinary performance, team player, or rookie of the year, you can also create fun award categories. There is also the threat of a recession. Or take a field trip to the local entertainment venue. Instead of taking the stage, performers share their acts during a video call. After the bartender presentation (which was short) everybody got to chat and enjoy their drinks for some time before saying goodbye. 5 Radical Ideas For Schooling During Coronavirus : NPR But providing a good employee experience is the future. Also, they give continuous optimal performance. Distance does not have to put a damper on the fun. It could be a magazine subscription (on a topic they would be interested in), treats for pets, snack samples, or anything they would enjoy. For more tournament ideas, check out our list of Slack games. According to Harvard Business Review writer Anthony K. TJan: Company leadership should embrace, promote and value mentoring programs to realize a return on investment. Who doesnt love free food? Harvard Business Review reports that "the most impactful driver of employee engagement is recognition.". For our workers who have never worked from home, social isolation is deeply felt. I didnt even stay until the end and used half the amount of tequila in my margarita because Im not used to drinking, but it was a lot of fun, we all learned something and had a good laugh. The intensive schedule prevents routine responsibilities from interrupting the fun, and permits employees to focus on recharging and team bonding. 15 gifts to give essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic The week before your work at home spirit week, mail boxes full of goodies to team members. Spirit Week ideas for busy offices should include low-maintenance events that require minimal planning from event organizers and the participants. Coronavirus has put a particular national spotlight on unmet needs of the growing older population in our country, and the tens of millions of overstretched family and professional caregivers they . Their diaries are told in words and. This will allow team members to truly appreciate each other, leading to better team building. Following recommendations from the CDC, we've put together some helpful guide to navigating Christmas during Covid this year. Spirit weeks build ties with community Over the course of this week, schools will ask students and staff to do activities such as share TikTok videos, do workouts and share pictures wearing. Simply ask, how are we doing living up to our agreements?. From theme days to care packages to costume contests, here is a list of fun ways to celebrate spirit weeks in remote offices. Team costumes Whether you're a team of two or twenty, you can dress up in team costumes for Halloween. Our division is doing a holiday drive-in movie and renting out a drive-in theater for the evening. Recommended Article: 25 Employee Engagement Activities To Reinvent Your Workforce. This peer-to-peer employee recognition idea is about encouraging everyone from the organization to recognize good work. Were working with local restaurants (some minority-owned) to provide cold reheatable family meals that our employees will take home to enjoy with their family. Encourage team members to do the same. Daily Dose of Kindness (sent daily) Weekly Kindness Idea (sent weekly) General Newsletter (for everyone) General Newsletter (for educators) Or it just might be a beautiful day to sleep in. Find out how to shape a culture that attracts, engages, It is working together that will get us through this time. The Only List Of Zoom Icebreakers You Need In 2023 - Vantage Circle Plus, we decided there will be a prize for the tallest sunflower, so it's turning into quite the competition. - Rose Jinks, Digital PR Specialist at Online Mortgage Advisor, As a way to boost morale and encourage teamwork while were apart, my company has been hosting virtual trivia nights every week. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the federal government (OSHA) has provided detailed guidelinesfor workplace safety policies. Since healthier employees are more productive, happy, and energetic, the company will benefit from this form of appreciation. The lobby at Googles Sydney office makes visitors feel like theyre about to embark on a safari expedition rather than drown in a concrete jungle. For instance, on sports day, staff can wear jerseys, square off in competitive games, and participate in an online pep rally. They take place using video call software, online communication platforms, and occasionally social media. Workplace Safety During COVID-19 | Justia 20 Valentine's Day Ideas During Coronavirus | ApartmentGuide.com Many of us now look forward to Mondays because of these hilarious crosswords! Company retreats are great for celebrating employees after successful project completion or after an outstanding financial year. 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. All This Talk About Quiet Quitting Is Absurd. 9. by HR professionals across the globe! Breakout rooms enable guests to have more intimate conversations, so that no attendee feels like an observer. Cycling is beneficial for your. The Kaiser Family Foundation found . Learn more about virtual costume contests. You can supplement your on-the-clock remote spirit week activities with fun social media challenges. Covid Christmas plans: How to celebrate safely I Paperless Post These activities also make great spring spirit week ideas for work. Ventilation and air circulation are your friends. They had a selection that included non-alcoholic mixes too (like a ginger lemonade). Try a subscription box. Online retreats are company gatherings that take place online. Virtual talent shows double as entertainment and team bonding. It's marketed as "COVID-19 style" since all schools across the state are currently shut down. Believe it or not, such small stuff really sees a positively impacted company culture. 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. This is how COVID-19 will change the office lunch - Fast Company Trivia leaders can create questions and teams can decide on their favorite themes or trivia topics. PopCap, the company behind legendary Facebook games like Bejeweled, offers some fantastic break rooms for its 400 odd employees. Every company has got one of these employees. 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. Health & Safety Giveaways: Ideas amid COVID-19 - National Pen Although workplace benefits help keep employees happy, they rarely tend to spark inspiration. And what could be better for this purpose than to offer E-Learning options? Murder mysteries are games that require participants to play a character while solving a mystery. Pandemic office holiday party ideas. - Slate Magazine If you developed team norms to stay on top of (as above), then ensure you check-in on them. Superhero Academy is a perfect fit for a hero or villain themed online spirit day. About how his/her contributions have aided to a projects successful completion. 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. One is a gingerbread house session where theyll send you the kit, walk you through assembly, and then you can decorate with the provided candy and icing or your own. School encouraging spirit week during COVID-19 | Videos | wandtv.com Also, of the cocktails on offer, there were a few non-alcoholic punch ideas, for people who dont drink or who wanted to share with a kid, etc. If you have to be indoors, consider air flow. A dynamic host facilitates this 90 minute virtual team building event with a trusty virtual sidekick. Then there will be a contest with prizes for best house, most creative house, house that looks like the before pic on a HGTV show, etc. This activity involves solving puzzles and finding clues to "escape" a themed room. Even a small gesture like a "thank you" goes a long way to boost productivity, increase performance and improve morale among the workforce. Inject Fun and Humor. Let the kids pick out a book and read it to them while . 50 Spirit Week Ideas For Work To Energize Any Size Team - SnackNation Decatur, IL (62521) Today. Along with trivia nights and snack boxes, some enterprising folks have floated the idea of virtual cocktail parties, costume contests or craft workshops to spice up virtual holiday celebrations.. Heres a way to see people in-person from the safety of your cars: Our company has had a couple of drive-through events set up in the parking lot of the main company campus. This article is written by Barasha Medhi who is a part of the marketing team at Vantage Circle. 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. SHRM estimates that it costs $20,000 to $30,000 in recruiting and training expenses to replace a manager making $40,000 a year. It was a huge hit, and we're already scheduled another! - Ryan Law, Content Strategist at Animalz, We sent care packages to our employees homes to help them adjust to remote work.