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In Honor of National Employee Appreciation Day today, we thought we’d give you the secret to keeping your employees happy. After all, “a happy employee is a productive employee.” Your employees are the life force of your business. Without them you wouldn’t be where you are and your life would be much more stressful. Why not take a day to show them how much you appreciate them?

Employee Appreciation Day is only one day a year but that doesn’t mean you should only show your appreciation once a year. Show your employees how valued they are every day. An employee that feels secure and satisfied in their job is invaluable to you as an employer. They are more productive, more loyal, stick around longer and call in sick less often. Your employees have a direct effect on your bottom line, make sure they know how much you appreciate them.

Keeping your employees happy doesn’t have to be hard. Remember these easy tips to help keep your employees happy:

1. People like to be acknowledged for their hard work and accomplishments. This can range from verbal praise to simple rewards like a gift certificate or catered lunch.
2. People like open communication and to feel secure. Make sure your office is a place where people feel free to express all their ideas without fear of rejection, criticism or negative judgements. Try your best to keep office gossip to a minimum by encouraging open communication. Frequent brainstorming meetings, a suggestion box, and informal manager/employee lunches can all help keep communication flowing.
3. Treat your employees like your best customer, not like servants. They do work for you, but without them you wouldn’t have the booming business you do. You need them as much as they need you. Learn their names and spend time getting to know them. This makes them feel valued, and may also encourage them to share ideas.
4. Give them the best. Nothing is more frustrating than having your equipment not work at the office. Employees expect high quality, convenient access while at work to get their tasks done, or why be there? Investing in your employees shows them that you value their time as much as your own.

Now that you have some keys to help keep your employees happy, we’d like to share some fun ideas on how you can show your appreciation for them this Employee Appreciation Day.

1. Pay for an Adult Education Class – learning something new is exciting, especially when they get to pick the topic. Your employees will love this.
2. Bring in a Masseuse – (or pay for a massage outside of work) a nice massage will help your employees physically relax and feel refreshed.
3. Day off Pass – give them a day off of their choosing. It’s like playing hooky, but you don’t have to feel guilty about it!
4. Movie Time – Give your employees something fun to do on their own time or pay for everyone to go during work one day.
5. Treat Them To Something Special – Bring cookies, doughnuts, brownies, or whatever you like to your next staff meeting and see how much it lifts your employees’ spirits. Be sensitive to special dietary needs as well, and every employee will feel valued.
6. Offer Perks – Those box seats at the local sports arena are probably not always in use by clients. Make a rotating schedule and offer even entry-level employees the chance to enjoy these perks once in awhile. It will help them aspire to something more.
7. Consider a Bonus. When your company does well, include your employees in the celebration. Even a small bonus does a lot to help a team feel appreciated and motivated to continue the great work.

It doesn’t matter how you show your appreciation, what matters most is that you show it. Your employees work hard for you every day, let them know you notice.

Employee relations are a crucial part of any good PR strategy. If you’d like help with your employee relations or just want to better understand how to show your appreciation we’d love to help!

For more awesome business tips, check out our Entrenpreneur articles.