You can also make sure you take at least a 30-minute lunch break. Get the latest news from Namely about HR, Payroll, and Benefits. Along with trivia nights and snack boxes, some enterprising folks have floated the idea of virtual cocktail parties, costume contests or craft workshops to spice up virtual holiday celebrations.. If you have to be indoors, consider air flow. The games last 90 minutes, giving remote colleagues plenty of time to bond and have fun together. I am a big believer in team norms which support the team in self managing behaviors, practices and performance. From year-end reporting to employee paystubs, check out these payroll tips and tricks. 26 Working From Home Tips During the Coronavirus Outbreak - Healthline Your employees are amazing people with undisclosed talents. Help make kindness the norm at school, home and work by using the links below! Find out how to attract and retain your employees through their entire lifecycle. Then, plan festive activities to enjoy together during the call. Simply gear each day's activities around a particular topic. Therefore it's a win-win situation. Throughout the evening or afternoon, read awards off one by one, and give each winner 30 seconds to give a victory speech. Employees who want to learn about new tools, techniques, or topics but have less time on their hands will consider it a fabulous opportunity. Thoughtful ways to build community and pride. To help your employees stay active and get a break from working inside, suggest that they take conference calls that don't require sitting in front of a screen outdoors. About how his/her contributions have aided to a projects successful completion. The key is making exercise a daily priority, and the holidays are no different. If the show is a competition, then at the end of the performance have the audience vote for a winner via poll, or send a panel of judges into a breakout room to deliberate. Things to consider when you and your employees travel 4. COVID-safe holiday office parties don't have to be boring All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Finally going on a picnic with their loved ones. Top Pandemic-Friendly Business Ideas - U.S. Chamber 18 Parent-Teacher Association Fundraising Ideas For During (And After 12 Ideas for Writing Through the Pandemic With The New York Times Coming together this way will help bring your employees closer to you and boost the employee-employer relationship. 7. Ask each person to share one word to describe how they are feeling in. One is a gingerbread house session where theyll send you the kit, walk you through assembly, and then you can decorate with the provided candy and icing or your own. Give your entire team a chance to express their creativity with baby pumpkins, acrylic paints, and free pumpkin stencils. You could even hold contests to name and reward the best virtual backgrounds for each meeting. Planning Your Holidays During the COVID-19 Pandemic After the bartender presentation (which was short) everybody got to chat and enjoy their drinks for some time before saying goodbye. I'm really hoping we won't have to consider this in future years, but a lot of planning time went into making sure that we minimized our COVID risk during the trip. This is a great way to begin your team meetings. 4. Bring in a songwriter, band, or comedian to perform at your workplace. How to advocate for yourself at work during COVID-19. During the COVID-19 crisis, you can do a lot more from your couch than you may realize. With trick-or-treating officially considered a high-risk activity, you may be scrambling to find something for your little goblins to do on the 31st. For example, book-binding, instrument-building, ravioli-making, or makeup lessons with a drag queen. With most schools and districts shut down for the foreseeable future, many faculty and teachers are struggling to find ways to connect with their students. Hear clients' stories and learn how they're building a better workplace with Namely. Discuss and ask specific questions about work related items such as what they are working on, what they have accomplished in x amount of time, whether they have any challenges and if so how you can help. One such example that predates COVID-19 (if you follow our newsletter, you already know that it's a personal favorite of mine) is the Be My Eyes app. 7 Summer Spirit Week Ideas for the Office | Lands' End Show Your Appreciation. What every woman needs to know during COVID-19 - Lean In Dessert buffets are fun and positively addicting. And of course folks could also just log off if they wanted to, with no pressure to spend the rest of the day working. It can be scheduled ahead of time or impromptu, just like you might invite a team member to grab a coffee with you while walking by their desk. If you work in an industry where teamwork is crucial, sudden orders to . 21 Fun Quarantine Christmas Ideas 2020 - Good Housekeeping These morning check-ins, no matter how short are invaluable for maintaining a sense of community, checking in on how team members are doing, and to stay focused on key priorities so that momentum and performance is maintained. Company retreats are great for celebrating employees after successful project completion or after an outstanding financial year. But heres the thing. A few more things that made it special: The best part about it was everyone participating posting a small list of likes and dislikeswe all got to know each other better through reading those lists and connect over shared interest. Food is a big deal at work. Here's how the pandemic will change - CNN From theme days to care packages to costume contests, here is a list of fun ways to celebrate spirit weeks in remote offices. There's a lot you can do to be helpful from home. Also, they give continuous optimal performance. After your holiday meal, go on a virtual group walk through your respective neighborhoods to work off the food. This amazing app pairs the blind and visually impaired with volunteers via a video call in order to assist with everyday tasks (think reading a recipe on the back of a box or selecting a . Many a time, they'll bring that positivity and enthusiasm back to the workplace. Declaring theme days is one of the easiest spirit week ideas for work from home. 2022 Tous droits rservs. Their office is infused with fun, including random Razor scooters available to any staff who think better while in motion. The disease is extremely contagious, yet many infected people are asymptomatic, and patterns of transmission are not always clear. One idea that keeps popping up on our Principal Life Facebook group is the concept of a virtual theme week. We have these events called campfires that take place twice a week. Recommended Case Study: Indias Largest Telecom Company Boosts their Global Employee Engagement with Vantage Rewards. High 53F. Its a really cool way to connect with your coworkers and find out more about their life outside of work. For instance, take their opinion during decisions like on-boarding new technology or a specific project. When you think about having a great company culture, you think about building trust, honesty, and a great team of workers. One employee's commute could be inexpensive, while for another, it could be prohibitive. Websites like Elfster or DrawNames will organize the whole process for you, letting you set a gift budget and providing space for participants to share their wish lists: I worked in a fully remote environment last holiday season, and this had been a tradition for several years, though it was entirely opt-in. For more ways to excite remote teams, check out our list of free virtual team building activities for work, this list of virtual offsite ideas, and this one with Zoom meeting ideas. Spirit week is a week-long event that promotes company pride and employee engagement through fun activities. 1. Gift ideas ranged, but included orchids, stay-at-home picnic baskets, family dinners, bookstore gift cards, and fancy coffee! - Nicole Canulla, Head of Marketing & Communications at DUST Identity, What I've found very engaging and will definitely continue to use even after we're no longer remote is Donut. Go for a walk. Simply gear each days activities around a particular topic. I wont be able to attend as COVID-19 gave me the chance to move out of state and go full-time remote, but I actually think its a great idea. The cost of commuting is heavily influenced by the location of the workplace relative to where the employee lives. Do the bragging on behalf of your employees, and show your whole team how fantastic everyone is. Saint Lucia has more than a dozen COVID-19 regulations for hotels, and visitors must get a negative COVID-19 test within a week of their arrival on the island. We also have a list of the best remote team outing ideas. Reward employees with a token or gift of appreciation from your side. We started this challenge at Booster. It was a huge hit, and we're already scheduled another! - Ryan Law, Content Strategist at Animalz, We sent care packages to our employees homes to help them adjust to remote work. They take place using video call software, online communication platforms, and occasionally social media. Everybody got to sign up for whichever they liked best: Online beer tasting (they ship the beer to your house, and then you taste it on Zoom with an expert telling you what youre tasting). Paint Pumpkins. This is one of the most underrated employee appreciation ideas out there. Daily Dose of Kindness (sent daily) Weekly Kindness Idea (sent weekly) General Newsletter (for everyone) General Newsletter (for educators) Wed all ooooh and ahhh, and laugh. We have 30+ experiences to choose from, and thousands of five star reviews. Basically, the idea is to boost morale by giving students a collective silly goal. Just beware of overdosing on sugar. This is how COVID-19 will change the office lunch - Fast Company To set the mood, encourage participants to put up virtual backgrounds of Victorian parlors or lush gardens. But we must also address the negative impact of isolation loneliness, fatigue or even . Simply ask, how are we doing living up to our agreements?. Online board games or trivia challenges are a great way to bring a team together for something besides work. Halloween is the time of year when employees can showcase their creativity and interact with coworkers they may not normally work closely with. Spirit weeks are a time-honored tradition, in elementary, middle, and high schools alike. You might feel anxious about: Your own safety and the safety of others. Teammates could also give a short slideshow presentation of their home cities. Reading a book on the sofa is a cozy way to get in the Christmas spirit. To host a virtual talent show, invite teammates to sign up for slots. From theme days to care packages to costume contests, here is a list of fun ways to celebrate spirit weeks in remote offices. Their diaries are told in words and. You could either give employees the option of attending short 10-15 minute workouts throughout the day, or hold one or two longer sessions. As the coronavirus continues to spread and confine people largely to their homes, many are filling pages with their experiences of living through a pandemic. Better still, if this praise comes in front of their team members, colleagues, and peers. Get 5 morale boosting tips here, learn how to celebrate employee milestones virtually here, and get some more general tricks for managing your remote workforce here. They had a selection that included non-alcoholic mixes too (like a ginger lemonade). 2. Click here to find out how. Whether you're looking for help communicating COVID safety guidelines to your guests, searching for face masks for couples and guests (so you can look stylish while complying with guidelines from the WHO and CDC) or are in need of a cute social distancing sign, we've got you covered (literally! Gain practical tools and strategies to lead your remote team to high performance with mycomplimentary webinar and check out my new e-course: Lead High Performing Remote Teams That Thrive Through COVID and Beyond. Walking not only counts as physical activity, but also provides some mental health benefits. Who doesnt love free food? SHRM estimates that it costs $20,000 to $30,000 in recruiting and training expenses to replace a manager making $40,000 a year. Attempt a self portrait with pencil and paper. Then, encourage teammates to square off. SWAG stands for "stuff we all get." First, create a Slack channel for the games. When employees feel that their work is valued, their satisfaction and productivity rise. Record and report COVID-19 infections and deaths: Under mandatory OSHA rules in 29 CFR part 1904, employers are required to record work-related cases of COVID-19 illness on OSHA's Form 300 logs if the following requirements are met: (1) the case is a confirmed case of COVID-19; (2) the case is work-related (as defined by 29 CFR 1904.5); and . Whats Working/Whats Not? Getty Images/PeopleImages. Some employees even showcased their talents liveranging from musical performances to cake baking to cat training. Maintain a positive work/life balance and encourage your team to do the same It's easy to work longer hours and take fewer breaks when working from home. Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace 2. Use virtual coffee breaks to: Limit e-mail, insteaduse real-time, in person communication tools such as Skype, Zoom, etc., or even the old fashioned phone. Experiences, not cash, are the new corporate bonus. Top 10 Ways to Grow School Spirit From Afar - PTA How the coronavirus pandemic will impact the future of work - CNBC Not every office can shut down for a full week, but even just an afternoon off usually goes over well: Our end-of-year celebration is usually a big lunch and then we get the rest of the afternoon off. How and Where to Volunteer During the Coronavirus Pandemic As a leader, having the right mindset, structure and strategies to enhance communication and build team cohesion will help you ensure the latter is true for you and your team. The Ultimate Guide to Employee Rewards and Recognition. You could even give teammates a prompt per day, like show us your fridge, or share your favorite spot in the house. This activity helps remote teammates learn more about each other, and may reveal shared interests and common ground. If you see someone going above and beyond and who commutes through their own vehicles, this will prove to be a wonderful opportunity to make their lives a little bit easier. Recommended Article: 25 Employee Engagement Activities To Reinvent Your Workforce. 5k+ Downloads Invite team members to share concerns or issues that need to be addressed, and be sure time is also spent acknowledging what is working well and what team members are proud of. For employees, having access to a mentor can add velocity to the workplace learning curve. From digital marketing to online delivery services, there are several needs that the pandemic has sparked among consumers. Staff members find creative ways to celebrate during COVID-19 - Miami It becomes less of a break and more of a disappointment. Theres nothing quite like desserts and ice cream to alleviate stress. First, either mail employees tea and fancy snacks, or ask attendees to bring their own refreshments and reimburse them for the expense. If your crew would rather perform just for fun, then end the show by giving participants a well-deserved round of virtual applause.