We're in a celebratory mood here at the Compensation Cafe, following last week's recognition as one of the Top 25 HR Blog at Fistful of Talent. Coming off of Superbowl Sunday heading straight for a double header weekend coupling President's Day Weekend with Valentine's Day, we're feeling the momentum build for a much needed break from winter's dreariness and are ready, quite frankly to party!
Now I know what you're thinking....That Compensation Cafe is a serious blog for HR & Total Rewards professionals, so you may be questioning whether you're in the right place? And the answer is a resounding "yes," simply because all of us need to lighten up from time to time.
Have you ever considered using Valentine's Day as an excuse to have some fun at work? You spend more time at work during the week with your co-workers than you do with your family. Take a couple of hours as your workweek begins to coordinate and schedule some fun events for your employees to enjoy later this week and into the Spring. Everyone will enjoy getting a jump start on the upcoming holiday weekend and building a little ol' fashioned camaraderie amongst fellow workers.
Before we begin, however, remember there are only two words that really matter when it comes to celebrating Valentine's Day: chocolate and flowers.....
Here are 5 simple, inexpensive ideas you can easily implement to create a little fun at work for your hard working employees:
1). Give Away Free Chocolate. Fill a large glass vase or candy jar with foil wrapped Hershey's kisses (red, of course). Post the contest's rules on the front of the jar for all to read and enter. During the week, employees can submit their guess for the number of kisses in the jar. The employee who gets the closest to the actual number wins. Movie theatre tickets, a box of Godiva chocolates, a romantic Valentine's dinner for 2 at a great restaurant, or a bouquet of red roses would be a great gift for just about anyone.
2). Hold A Contest to see who has the most interesting story about how they met their spouse or significant other. Limit the story size to a few paragraphs and emphasize that it needs to be appropriate for the workplace (you know what I mean!). Then read through all of the submissions to determine who has the most intriguing story about how they met their life partner. The Grand Prize could be an extra day of PTO or simply leaving work after lunch on Friday to extend their holiday weekend.
3). Hold a V-Day Potluck with a prize for the most creative Valentine's Day related dish that's elected by popular vote (heart shaped casseroles, cakes, cookies, pizza, etc.). Begin the festivities with a sparkling cider-cranberry toast to your employees, thanking them for their contributions at work. You can provide a luscious heart-shaped cake for desert from your favorite bakery. The winner takes home a dozen gourmet chocolate dipped strawberries.
4). Sponsor a Heart Healthy Event. Suggestions include reserving a free night at the local gym for employees and their families, sponsoring basketball Saturdays at a rented gym, setting up Spring softball leagues, hikes and bike rides, or sponsoring an introductory rate to promote membership at a local gym. Hire a masseuse to come on-site for a few hours every week for an afternoon to give free 10-minute shoulder, back & neck massages. Who wouldn't love having a quick massage?
5). Love Your Community. Explore meaningful ways for your employees to share their skills, knowledge and expertise with non-profits in your area. Create a page on your website that's dedicated to current announcements for opportunities to work with local schools, non-profits, universities, emerging professionals and small business entrepreneurs to help them move forward in their missions and endeavors.
This short list of ideas will prompt you to come up with a few more of your own that can be customized for your work environment. Act now to plan a few fun events for this week and beyond, and join us at the Cafe in our celebratory mood! There's simply no better time than Valentine's Day to show your employees that you truly care.
Please take a moment to share your own Valentine's Day office plans with other readers by adding your own comment.
Becky Regan is the founder and President of Regan HR, Inc., a human resources consulting firm specializing in compensation consulting for California employers and purveyor of online HR products. A former Corporate Human Resources Director (10,000+ employees) with more than 25 years of HR work experience in many industries, her team works with private, public and non-profit clients. Becky is passionate about designing HR programs and compensation plans that build organizations.
Flickr photo courtesy of njchow82
My personal favorite is Happy Hour on Friday at a wine tasting with all the ladies wearing their favorite red dress.
Posted by: Sharri | 02/09/2010 at 07:48 PM