Employee Appreciation Day is here (yes, who knew?); actually it is slipping away, it’s nearly home time. But here’s hoping you were appreciated today.
The daffodils are in bloom, cherry trees are wreathed in pink and white blossom, birds are singing, and the sound of heavy rain pattering against the windows reminds us that, yes, spring is here – unless you’re one of those astronomically minded people who insist spring doesn’t happen until the Earth’s rotational axis tilt hits 23.5 degrees as it orbits the Sun. That would be 20 March this year. The meteorological spring starts today: 1st March, because it traditionally gets milder around this time, one presumes.
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With the burst of optimism engendered by the end of winter comes Employee Appreciation Day. Perhaps 1st March was chosen because us employees are less unhappy than at any time since 2 January and will forget the lack of appreciation shown to us in the intervening period.
Sorry about my snarky tone, why be so neg you may be thinking? It’s all good. Us employees feel loved! And you only get back what you put in, right?
But, hmmm … you see, er … shouldn’t people be appreciated every day? And what if you are on zero hours and a “worker” not an “employee”? Do you get still get appreciated?
Good for Dr Bob
These weaknesses in the concept must have been put to one side by Dr Bob Nelson, a founding member of Recognition Professionals International in 1995, who created the day 29 years ago initially to celebrate the publication of his book 1,001 Ways to Reward Employees. But he felt it necessary to remind employers to thank their employees when they do good work. Dr Nelson did his doctoral dissertation on why managers do or do not recognise their employees and this apparently played a big part of organisations deciding to establish a culture of recognition. This would improve employee retention, performance and businesses’ ability to attract talent.
At Personnel Today we’d never associated Employee Appreciation Day with fridges, but now you come to mention it …
But like so many good deeds, it is vulnerable to being derided as a “check box” thing – as in “oh, look, it’s do something nice for the staff time!”. Seems a little unrealistic to think that will get the talent flooding in.
Nebel Crowhurst, chief people officer at Reward Gateway, very much agrees: for businesses, employee appreciation shouldn’t be contained to one day a year, she says, adding: “Showing gratitude for your employees is not about one-off ‘little luxuries’ – bath bombs won’t provide a long-term fix to the cost-of-living crisis.” Too right!
Fridge reward?
But then she says, curiously: “Instead, benefits like interest-free loans on white goods could dampen some immediate financial worries.”
At Personnel Today we’d never associated Employee Appreciation Day with fridges, but now you come to mention it …
A quick team discussion arrived at the consensus that it was the contents of the fridge rather than the fridge itself that was the problem. We agree fully that bath bombs, not being edible, are a waste of time, but some Champagne, a nice curry, a few vegan treats, and – for one of the more carnivorous among us – a top notch organic leg of lamb would be much appreciated.
Crowhurst adds that just 40% of UK workers say their organisation is supporting them through the cost of living crisis, which seems a little strange since it is only by being employed and getting paid that most of us get through the cost of living crisis at all. But we know what she means.
Crowhurst concludes: “It’s clear that thoughtful appreciation has never been more important in retaining talent, especially in today’s challenging economic climate, in which pay rises and bonuses are few and far between.”
We agree, no amount of cherry blossom and bath bombs can make up for that.
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