Employee Appreciation Day is a moment to pause and celebrate your team. If your team is remote, distributed, hybrid, or all of the above, it’s even more important to make sure employees are seen and recognized.
A thoughtful celebration this Employee Appreciation Day will help remote employees feel valued, continue to do their best work, and stay with your company.
In this article, we share 10 practical ways to acknowledge your remote team’s efforts.
Employee Appreciation Day: Virtual Ideas to Celebrate Your Team
Working from home can get lonely. Celebrating Employee Appreciation Day is an excellent way to remind your remote employees that they’re valued members of your team.
With that in mind, here are a few proven ways to make sure your remote workers feel the love.
1. Send an Online Group Card
One of the best ways to show gratitude is to send an online group card.
An online group card is a digital version of a traditional card that multiple people can contribute to. Unlike traditional cards, however, online group cards can be signed by people anywhere. No need to be physically in the same place! They can also include longer messages, images, GIFs, and videos, which makes them extra special.
Use a tool like Kudoboard to create online group cards for your remote employees. All you have to do is create a board using one of our professionally designed templates, add your message of appreciation, and invite other team members to join. Then deliver the finished product to your remote recipient. You can also add a gift card to reward your team for a job well done.
Encourage team members to dig deep and leave personalized messages. Or funny GIFs around a certain theme. Or even record videos or audio posts of themselves talking about their coworker. These things will make the group card more impactful, reminding remote employees how appreciated they really are.
2. Play an Online Game With Team Members
Having fun with your team is an easy way to increase connection and create memories. Online games that can be played from anywhere work great. Simple enough, but the question is, which games should you play?
The answer is, whatever gets your employees excited! Do they want to play trivia? How about two truths and a lie? Maybe they’re adventurous and want to tackle a virtual escape room.
Any of these can be fun depending on the team. They can also encourage friendly competition, teamwork, and laughter. As such, they’re excellent tools for building team culture, in addition to recognizing remote employees. Play one and see what happens.
3. Offer Employees a Home Office Upgrade
Your off-site workers spend a lot of time in their home offices. Why not offer to upgrade these spaces? Doing so is an excellent way to celebrate employees remotely.
The upgrades you offer could include an ergonomic chair, noise-canceling headphones, a quality desk lamp, or even an annual stipend for decorating their space. These things will not only improve productivity, but also demonstrate that your company values its staff’s well-being.
Put simply, a home office upgrade is a practical gift that keeps on giving.
4. Support Your Remote Workers’ Career Goals
Remote workers can be concerned that without in-office face time, they are missing out on opportunities and promotions. Your remote staffers have career goals. Find out what they are; then help them become reality.
Few Employee Appreciation Day ideas can compete with this. Why? Because it shows remote employees that you care about them, not just the work they do for your company.
For some employees, this idea will have you purchasing online courses and/or industry conference tickets. For others, you give a remote team member more responsibility. That way they can develop their skills and level up within your company—an ideal situation.
5. Donate to Charity in an Employee’s Name
Do your remote employees support specific charities?
If so, donate to these organizations in their honor. Doing so will show appreciation, display company values, and make the world a better place. You can also send a charity gift card with a thank you Kudoboard and let them choose from 50 different organizations.
For many people, the act of giving is more rewarding than receiving a traditional gift or piece of company swag. Keep that in mind on this year’s Employee Appreciation Day.
6. Grant Your Team Extra Paid Time Off
What if you paid your remote employees to watch Netflix? (Trust us, they aren’t doing that on a typical Wednesday.) Or take a day trip with their families? Or do another random thing that brings them joy? They’d probably feel super appreciated, right?
That’s why you should consider granting your team extra paid time off (PTO.)
For example, you could announce a half day and let your staff clock out after lunch. Or skip an entire Friday. Or take a whole week to rest, travel, or otherwise recharge. The end result will be happier, more productive employees who work hard to meet team goals.
7. Bring Your Entire Team Together
Virtual team building activities are great. But nothing beats in-person experiences. Show your remote employees that you care by bringing them all together for a face-to-face event.
Obviously, this idea requires deeper pockets than the ones previously mentioned. (Flights, hotel rooms, meals, and so on add up.) But if you can swing it, you’ll be able to help your remote team build deeper connections with each other, which will likely lead to better work down the road.
Plus, you’ll all have a fantastic time, which will improve team culture and employee retention metrics. Because of these things, this is a step above other Employee Appreciation Day ideas.
8. Shoot a Heartfelt Video for Everyone
While your remote workers will definitely appreciate an office upgrade, industry conference tickets, and extra PTO, they don’t need these things to be productive members of your team.
What they really need is to know that their efforts are seen and valued by the company they work for.
One of the best ways to make sure your remote employees know this is to tell them via video. Set aside an hour for each leader in your company, and ask them to hit the record button on their phone and speak from the heart.
Pro tip: make a different video for every remote team member. In said video, spotlight the unique contributions each person has made so that the recording feels more authentic. Then send it off on Employee Appreciation Day (you can do this on a Kudoboard!) to increase job satisfaction and performance.
9. Highlight Your Staff on Social Media
Did you cringe when you read the remote team appreciation idea above? “Step in front of a camera? I could never…” It’s okay! Just highlight your staff on social media instead.
Pop onto LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or any of the other social networks your company uses. Then post a picture of your remote employees (with their permission, of course) and highlight each person’s specific contributions to key projects, company goals, etc.
Then throw in a few fun facts while you’re at it like, “When Jimmy isn’t crushing customer service tickets for us, he’s ripping on his guitar. Rock on, Jimmy!” (Again, make sure you get permission from each of your remote workers before you post about them.)
A thoughtful post on social media will make your team feel appreciated while reinforcing a positive work culture to your company’s broader audience.
10. Build a Sustainable Employee Recognition Program
Last but not least, honor your remote team on Employee Appreciation Day 2025 by building a sustainable employee recognition program for your company. That way, employees’ efforts are acknowledged on a regular basis—both by management personnel and coworkers.
Kudoboard is an excellent tool for ongoing employee recognition. With it, you can shout out employees whenever you want on peer-to-peer recognition boards. Employees can contribute too, by shouting out their coworkers. And as mentioned above, shout outs can contain text, images, and/or videos.
Whichever tool you decide to use, make regular employee recognition a priority. Doing so will help your remote team feel appreciated, perform at a higher level, and stick around for longer.
FAQs for Employee Appreciation Day 2025
When is Employee Appreciation Day 2025?
Employee Appreciation Day is always celebrated on the first Friday in March. In 2025, Employee Appreciation Day falls on March 7th.
What is Employee Appreciation?
At its core, employee appreciation is about acknowledging the efforts and dedication of your team. It’s a way to let employees know you see their hard work and value their contributions.
This is important because a culture of appreciation can transform the way employees feel about their jobs. When people feel recognized, they’re more likely to stay motivated and engaged.
Think of it like watering a plant. Without consistent appreciation, it’s hard for employees to thrive in their roles. Employee Appreciation Day 2025 is a perfect opportunity to ensure your team knows they’re an essential part of your brand’s success.
Why is Employee Appreciation Important?
Expressing gratitude is more than a feel-good gesture, it’s a smart business move.
When employees feel appreciated, they’re more likely to reach peak performance, stay loyal, and drive company culture. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of showing appreciation:
- Better Productivity: Happy employees are productive employees. Recognizing their contributions can inspire them to accomplish things they previously couldn’t.
- Reduced Turnover: When employees feel valued, they’re less likely to seek new opportunities.
- Improved Workplace Morale: Appreciation fosters a positive work environment where people feel motivated and connected.
- Stronger Team Relationships: Gratitude builds trust and improves collaboration within remote teams. This is especially important for employees who work in different areas.
In short, Employee Appreciation Day isn’t just about making your team feel good. It’s about creating a thriving workplace where your employees want to do their best—and actually can.
What’s the Difference Between Employee Appreciation and Employee Recognition?
While these terms are often used interchangeably, they’re not quite the same. Understanding the difference between them can make your efforts in each area more effective.
- Employee Appreciation: This is about valuing employees as people. It’s more holistic and focuses on how they contribute to the company’s culture and success, regardless of specific milestones or achievements. Think of it as saying, “We value you for being you.”
- Employee Recognition: This is more about acknowledging specific accomplishments or performance metrics. For example, you might recognize an employee for exceeding a sales goal, completing a major project, or demonstrating exceptional leadership.
Both employee appreciation and recognition are important. When you combine them together, they create a balanced approach that makes all employees feel valued.
For remote teams, combining appropriate levels of appreciation and recognition is especially critical, as these professionals can’t rely on casual in-office interactions to feel seen and acknowledged. By focusing on both, you ensure your employees know they matter—not just for what they do, but for who they are. And that’s the foundation of a healthy, engaged team.
Employee Appreciation Day is your chance to highlight both aspects and make a true impact.
Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day with Kudoboard
Make sure your remote employees feel the love with a group card or peer-to-peer recognition board.
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