10 Employee Appreciation Gift Ideas Your Employees Will Actually Like

Finding the best employee appreciation gift can be challenging. But it’s worth the time and expense. Employee morale and company culture are top priorities for many workers and a proven way to keep high-performing talent. To give you some inspiration, here are 10 employee appreciation gift ideas.

And if you’re shopping on a tight budget, check out our Budget Gift Guide for gifts under $50, $25 and $10.

1. Coffee or Tea Mug for Their Work From Home Commute

Many employees are working from home now. Without their usual Starbucks run they made during their old commute, it might be hard to get going in the morning. Give their morning routine a boost with a nice mug for tea or coffee. Heck, throw in a box of instant coffee to get the party started!

You have a lot of options here. You can go for an office-themed print like this Weapons of Mass Creation mug from Express. Bed Bath & Beyond has sports team branded insulated cups if you know what your employee’s favorite sports team is.

2. Notebook for People Who Can’t Live Without Paper

Death, taxes and meetings. There will always be meetings, which means a notebook will always be useful. You can go with a floral patterned notebook or one with a more contemporary design. We found a notebook and pen set at Macy’s from Caran d’Ache that comes in difference colors and sizes.

3. Personalized Pen

A personalized pen is a little pricier, but it might be worth it for a signature employee appreciation gift or a special occasion. Cross has several good options in various price ranges and you can order the pen with your employee’s name engraved or not.

4. Desk Accessories for Their New Home Office

Many of us have had to adapt a room in our home to an office. Help your employees make it a little more comfortable with some accessories.

Bed Bath & Beyond has a ton of office accessories for under $25 – everything from a Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer, desk plants, organizers and more. Our Happy Moments Gift Card can be used at Bed Bath & Beyond plus six other brands, so we highly recommend that as an employee appreciation gift.

Related Gift Guides
> Budget Gift Guide: Cheap Gifts for Every Budget and Everyone (Gifts Under $50, $25 and $10)
> What to Write In a Thank You Card: 30+ Meaningful Thank You Card Messages

5. Multi-Brand Gift Card So They Can Get Whatever They Want

If you’re not sure exactly what gift your employees will like the most, keep it simple and give a multi-brand gift card. These gift cards are more versatile than single-store gift cards but they don’t have fees like Visa gift cards do. For example, the Happy You and Happy to Say Thanks Cards feature five or more brands! Plus, they’re redeemed for eGift cards that can be used for online shopping.

6. Headphones to Block Out Noise While Working From Home

Whether your employees are working from home or are back in the office, they likely have some background noise they need to filter out. Instead of making them settle for company-issued earbuds, pick up nice pairs of headphones to help drown out the noise.

These iLive headphones are wireless and have on-ear controls. They come in black, green, blue and red – a color for everyone! For something with a modern, sleek design, try this pair of Samson over-the-ear headphones from Best Buy.

7. Umbrella, But a Really Cool One

An umbrella might not sound like the most exciting gift, but think about it – most everyone needs one, it seems like there’s never one around when it’s raining and no one wants to buy their own! If you’re going to gift an umbrella, give one that goes beyond the ordinary.

For example, a reversible umbrella makes it easy to get in and out of the car without getting wet and it won’t drip water when it’s folded. Macy’s has a Shedrain reversible umbrella that comes in pink, black and red.

8. Chocolate

Never underestimate the power of chocolate. Almost everyone loves it! You can spring for a basket of good ol’ fashioned Hershey’s or spend a few extra dollars on a special gift set.

Macy’s has a House of Dorchester gift set that says ‘Thank you’ right on the box. It doesn’t get any easier than that! For a few dollars more, Godiva has an 8-piece box that has a variety of rich chocolates.

9. Dinner

Either plan a team dinner or give your employees the gift of dinner with gift cards. There are plenty of options for restaurant gift cards. If you’re not sure which restaurants your employees like, give them a Happy Dining gift card. A Happy Dining card can be used at six different restaurants – McCormick & Schmick’s, The Cheesecake Factory, Red Lobster, Buffalo Wild Wings, Cracker Barrel and P.F. Chang’s.

10. Professional Massage

We can probably all use a little relaxation and stress relief. Why not give each employee a gift card for a relaxing massage? The Spafinder gift card can be used at thousands of spas and salons nationwide, so it’s your safest option. In fact, a Spafinder gift card, a box of chocolate and a coffee mug or notebook would make a nice gift set!

These employee appreciation gifts will make anyone happy. If you’re still not sure, a gift card is the safest choice. There’s a Happy Card for everyone and they’re versatile enough to suit all of your special employees.

More Gift Guides & Inspiration

Happy Gift Cards issued by MetaBank, Member FDIC. Card valid only in the US, no cash or ATM access. Use your Happy Gift Card to purchase goods and services at locations listed on card.