Teaching Managers to Pick Private Centers and Spas for Employee Appreciation Day

P ositive reinforcement goes the longest way – this is what all managers must learn. Productivity is quite closely related to the way employees feel when they are at work, to how they feel regarding the treatment they receive, and the recognition they receive after putting in long hours. An unofficial holiday was set up back in 1995 with the specific purpose of celebrating employees for their hard work and exertion during the year. It is celebrated on the first Friday in March, and its purpose is straightforward – consolidating the bond between manager and worker.

Woefully, this important connection is usually lost in big firms with tens or hundreds of employees. Many people don’t even get to see the face of their top employer, which makes the workplace feel very impersonal. However, with large firms, there are managers with who workers come into contact and who have the direct leading role. It falls on their shoulders to make workers feel at home so that they put passion into their 9 to 5.

Positive reinforcement should be practiced year-round. While things have changed in the past decades and workplaces are homier than ever, there are still leaders who feel like an iron fist and harsh discipline are the way to go. These people are usually proven wrong when the numbers come in or when employees start fleeting to places where they know they will receive better treatment. But we are not here to discuss these managers who lack leadership skills. No, we are here to give ideas to those who respect and value their workers, who know how far along they will come if they give their hard-working personnel the treatment they deserve.

Among the most popular options for employee appreciation day is taking the whole team to a private center or a spa. Relaxation at its finest with colleagues and getting to socialize for a bit without having work come up every few minutes is just what everyone needs to unwind. If you haven’t planned an event of this magnitude before, we are here to show you what activities you ought to consider and how you should pick the destination for this year’s unofficial employee gratitude day to make everyone happy.

Woman Relaxing with Massage Therapy at Spa

Activities that Your Chosen Spa or Center Must Include

• Massages. All spas provide them, and for a good reason – they help relieve stress better than anything can. Go for a venue that has professionals who know how to do a variety of massages so that your employees have their pick depending on what they prefer. Swedish and hot stone massages might be the popular options, but there might be people who prefer aromatherapy or deep tissue massages. The more options, the merrier.
• Saunas. A sweat session with a few friends is just what anyone needs to get their batteries to reset. Go for a spa or private center that provides options to make sure everyone can use the sauna, though. People who have cardiovascular health problems are inclined to use the infrared sauna since there is no steam involved and the ambiance inside doesn’t interfere with their affliction at all. The classic steam sauna might be just as efficient, but it’s simply not a viable choice for all people.
• Facials. Beautification is always appreciated, and a facial done by a professional can help your employees look and feel younger after one single session. Plus, the pampering score is through the roof since these beauty rituals involve creams and massages that are hard to get by from regular stores.
• Yoga. These classes can be done as a group, which is a plus. Aside from being fun and relaxing, yoga classes have the added benefit that they help people stay active. A healthy mind in a healthy body – that is what you will promote to your workers through this simple class.
• Manicures/pedicures. The ladies will adore these. Instead of giving their cash at the salon this month, they will benefit from their routine manicure/pedicure from you, their employer. Like we previously said, throwing some beautification procedures into the mix doesn’t hurt, it’s pampering at its finest, after all.
• Acupuncture treatments. If your employees work desk jobs, one thing they sorely need is to have their pressure points stimulated. This is just what acupuncture treatments are for, and the spa or center you choose must provide this service. We guarantee that most will want to benefit from this perk for its physical benefits.

How to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day with Remote Employees

The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered a massive change in how a vast majority of companies do their work. The change we are referring to is having staff work from home. This has led to a greater estrangement between workers and their higher-ups, but it’s not impossible to keep a tight-knit relationship if you really put some bone in it. Aside from having more sessions where you simply talk to each other, share ideas, have people’s input to see how they are doing and taking this development, you can easily spoil workers a bit and show gratitude.

• To stay on the topic, you can send them gift cards for employee appreciation day to their local private centers and spas. Include a whole day of pampering in the package you send so that every one of them will enjoy the gift to its fullest.
• If you have certain employees who cannot make it to these centers for one reason or another, you could send them wellness gift baskets for at-home pampering instead.

What’s important is that you don’t leave anyone behind and give it your best to make everyone who works for you feel spoiled because let’s face it – they deserve every bit of it! A little effort will go a long way since the psyche of the people in your command will receive a much-needed boost.

Be Smart – Get Contracts and Discounts for Year-Round Use

If your budget allows it, a great idea would be to set up a contract with a local spa or private center for year-round use. Most companies have special discounts for their employees, discounts that they negotiate with venues of the sort. This way, you can treat your workers to relaxation all year long instead of on specific dates.

By proceeding in this manner, you boost productivity in the long-term since whenever an employee feels like they need a day for themselves, they can just use their discount to get that tension-relieving massage or relax on a chair while receiving a paraffin wax bath from a pro who knows what they are doing. Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of this deal:

• You will bring in a lot of traffic, so you must try to get as big of a discount as possible. Be a tough negotiator and run your proposal with several spots before dealing.
• To sweeten the pot for all involved, advertise the services of the spa or center with your business publicly. Exposure is something no business can refuse because it pumps numbers.
• Depending on the type of services your company offers, you might be able to provide a service for that specific spa or center too. If that’s the case, use it to your advantage and maybe you won’t have to spend a dime on those preferential discount contracts.

Go Beyond This Single Day – Show Employees Gratitude the Rest of the Year Too

Statistics show that even a simple “thank you” for completing a task makes a huge difference. We all respond to positive reinforcement, it’s in our DNA. This is why we urge managers to go beyond this single day and do their best to treat employees right year-round. Your gestures don’t necessarily have to cost any money, only when the time asks for it. Personal gestures, noticing efforts, smiling, these small changes in attitude make all the difference in the world.

Boss Presents Award to Outstanding Employee

Make It Personal

Nothing hits closer to home than saying what’s on your mind to someone’s face. Make your praise personal and truly heartfelt by reserving a bit of your time to talk directly to employees when you have positive feedback to offer. Just call the person in your office for a few minutes and have a chat where you simply show your appreciation verbally. The change will astound you when it comes to productivity since the worker in cause will feel an immediate boost in their motivation, trying to put in more effort because of the intimate approach you take up.

Surprise Day Off

It doesn’t necessarily need to be a full day. On the birthdays of your employees, you can give them a half-day off, for example. Give workers a full day or half a day off after completing a grueling task successfully too. The larger the project, the bigger your recognition for their effort should be too. Pay attention to those who tend to overwork themselves. They might be struggling in their private lives, which will inevitably spill into their work lives too. When you feel like someone hasn’t had a break in a while, give them one – they might accept the small relaxation period better coming from you.

Go Out to Lunch Together

Make it a habit to go out with your whole team for lunch at least once a month. Pick the spot where you will treat yourselves together through rotation so that no one’s favorite restaurant is overlooked. This sort of break together can bring everyone closer. Seeing how workplace drama is not uncommon even in the smallest firms, it doesn’t hurt having everyone together over lunch once in a while to let differences aside and get to know one another in a different setting where work talk doesn’t hover over their heads.

Spoil Everyone

Make it part of your business’s routine to have goods delivered and spoil the whole team, yourself included. Order sweets from a local bakery that everyone loves, or simply have fresh fruit on the kitchen table every day. You don’t have to go overboard with this effort. The simple fact that you think about employees enough to treat them to a special something regularly is more than enough to boost morale.

Bottom Line

Whether you pick to show recognition on this single day per year or you go above and beyond, taking our full set of tips and changing your attitude and managerial approach overall, what’s certain is that you will notice an improvement when it comes to the attitude employees have. Numbers are bound to drop when it comes to people leaving, word of mouth will inevitably function, and recruits will know that they will receive proper treatment at your firm, and you will notice that productivity boost every leader dreams about almost in an instant. A few massages, some sauna sessions, hot tubbing, and talking to each other while getting facials will take your company a long way.