5 Unforgettable Workplace Anniversary Ideas

When it comes to employee recognition and making every member of your business team feel appreciated, the power of the workplace anniversary should not be overlooked. Whether a staff member has been with you for 1 year, 5 years, 10 or even more — dedicating one day each year to celebrate each individual's efforts and contributions can create a host of benefits for everyone involved.

Commonly referred to as long-service awards, workplace anniversary gifts celebrate the passing of significant milestones and put a particular emphasis on the total time served by an employee. While it’s certainly important to honour the work of your most experienced staff, celebrating all team members with thoughtful anniversary gifts is essential when it comes to creating a culture of loyalty in your workplace.

Eager to learn more? Get in touch today to find out how Red Letter Days Corporate can help your business achieve a satisfied and loyal workforce with personalised gift experiences.

Why Should You Celebrate Workplace Anniversaries?

Dedicating time to rewarding every single one of your employees each year can be a lot of work, not to mention the funds that you’ll have to put aside in order to do it effectively. However, research has repeatedly shown that recognising your employees with meaningful staff anniversary gifts is more than a worthwhile investment.

One report from Gallup and Workhuman found that employees are 20 times more likely to be engaged with their work when their efforts are recognised in a meaningful way. Employee engagement is key to the success of any thriving business, and can easily be augmented with a dedicated focus on recognising employees for their work. Celebrating staff members with anniversary gifts has also been known to have a positive effect on workplace productivity and company culture, leading to decreased employee turnover rates and an improved customer experience by extension.

How to Celebrate a Workplace Anniversary: 5 Meaningful Ideas

There are clear and tangible benefits to acknowledging your employees’ work with anniversary gifts, but how can you go about executing this effectively? Generic gift cards and mass-produced mugs might have served as acceptable staff gifts in the past, but today’s workforce is open about their desire for more personalised forms of recognition. Almost 70% of employees find individualised work gifts more meaningful, so it’s important to give your corporate anniversary ideas due consideration.

The good news is that monetary worth is not the only indicator of an effective work anniversary gift. Employees are far more concerned about gifts feeling sincere and personal than boasting a significant price tag, so celebrating workplace anniversaries doesn’t have to become a daunting business expense.

If you’re still not sure how to recognise your team members successfully, here are our top 5 corporate anniversary ideas to make your team members feel valued and motivated.

1. Create a Custom Gift Basket

Providing tangible value while catering to your employee’s interests and giving them a memorable workplace experience, personalised gift boxes or care packages are some of the most tried and tested staff anniversary gifts. Discuss with your recipient’s closest colleagues to figure out what you can fill their gift basket with, then finish with some free company swag and a handwritten note to make your gift box all the more memorable.

The beauty of gift baskets as work anniversary gifts is that they can be tailored down to the finest detail, celebrating all the quirks and details that make your individual employees so unique. Mini gifts, self-care goodies, artisan treats and experience vouchers can all be used to ensure that your custom gift basket feels just as sincere as it should.

2. Plan Anniversary Parties

Most people love a well-organised office party, so why not celebrate an employee’s anniversary by gathering your team for an in-person celebration? Ending the workday an hour early to celebrate an employee’s loyalty will not only encourage that person to continue their good work, but will boost workplace morale across the board and create a valuable performance incentive for the rest of your team.

You could recognise a new starter’s success by organising a party to celebrate their first year, or save this corporate anniversary idea for your longer-serving staff. Have colleagues create a personalised trivia quiz to make your employee feel personally valued, or encourage close team members to craft speeches which celebrate their unique contributions.

3. Align Celebrations With Company Values

A company’s culture, values and brand identity aren’t just important to customers — they are increasingly significant metrics by which employees judge the efficacy of their workplace. Internal marketing is crucial for encouraging team members to connect with your business in a meaningful way, which means that workplace anniversary celebrations should feel authentic and unique to your brand.

If collaboration and togetherness are core values of your business, you could celebrate workplace anniversaries by organising an outdoor or indoor team building event. Innovative anniversary ideas like escape rooms, art classes and indoor skydiving days all work great for brands with a culture of creativity and forward thinking.

4. Consider Paid Time-Off

Ensuring that your employees benefit from a healthy work-life balance is more important than ever in today’s working world. So why not celebrate an employee’s work anniversary by encouraging them to take some time for themselves? Research by Deloitte has found that 77% of employees have experienced burnout in their current workplace, emphasising the important effects that some extra Paid Time-Off (PTO) can have.

You could establish a company tradition by making each employee’s ‘workiversary’ an individual paid holiday, or save this corporate anniversary idea for employees that remain loyal for a fixed number of years. Some staff members may prefer to spend this day on their own terms, while others may appreciate a company-funded family day out or a relaxing overnight break.

5. Embrace Experience Gifts

If there’s one thing to keep in mind when coming up with corporate anniversary ideas, it’s that employees value unique and individualised gifts. Corporate workers have received their fair share of generic material and monetary rewards over the years, which partially explains the increasing popularity of personalised experience gifts. Allowing you to cater to your employees’ unique interests while giving them an unforgettable day away from the office — experiences offer the perfect way to honour a workplace anniversary.

One recent study found that 90% of employees would like to receive an experience-based gift as recognition from their employer, further strengthening the argument for moving on from physical presents. There are endless experience gift options to choose from, ensuring that you can find the perfect anniversary gift for every member of your team.

Find the Perfect Workplace Anniversary Gift With Red Letter Days Corporate

Recognising and rewarding your employees for their hard work is essential in the modern corporate world. By coming up with thoughtful corporate anniversary ideas and executing them in a personalised way, you can expect to see tangible uplifts in employee satisfaction, engagement, retention and overall workplace morale.

From individualised gift boxes to extra paid time-off and experiences that give your loyal employees an unforgettable day out — these creative staff anniversary gifts are bound to get your whole team feeling a renewed enthusiasm about their workplace.

Contact the Red Letter Days Corporate Team to learn more about our exciting range of gift experiences, and start planning your next employee anniversary idea today.