The employee appreciation gift guide: 30 unique gift ideas

Looking for meaningful employee appreciation gifts that your team will actually value? Whether you need low-cost ideas, thoughtful gifts for remote employees, or more unique ways to recognise great work, the right gift can help employees feel seen, valued, and motivated.

In this guide, we’re sharing 30 employee appreciation gift ideas for different budgets, team structures, and occasions, from simple thank-you gestures and practical everyday items to personalised experiences and flexible gift options. If you’re searching for gift ideas for employees that support morale, strengthen culture, and make recognition more personal, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here.

Employee appreciation isn’t just a nice-to-have, it has a real impact on engagement, satisfaction, and performance. When employees feel recognised in ways that are relevant to them, they’re more likely to feel connected to their work and your organisation. That’s why the best employee recognition gifts aren’t always the most expensive; they’re the ones that feel thoughtful, useful, and inclusive.

What makes a great employee appreciation gift?

So where can you start in deciding on a powerful (and reasonable!) gift?

First, you should consider personalisation and relevancy.

I knew a Nurse Manager who filled out an employee recognition profile with each new hire asking about their favourites – chocolate, coffee shop, TV show, etc. –  to personalise small and large gifts throughout their employee lifecycle. But gifts also need to be practical. She found that having bags of the “favourite chocolates” in her office meant she could easily and quickly honor someone's great work without crushing her budget.

In fact, it's better to have simple, meaningful gifts that you can provide most frequently, balanced with high-quality gifts for special occasions.

Finally, make sure your gift giving is inclusive of different people and situations. Simple example, is someone allergic to chocolate? Don’t mindlessly hand them a Snickers. Is someone observing Ramadan? What are some non-food gifts you can give them to honour their fast?

10 low-cost employee appreciation gift ideas

Our clients love providing small, frequent amounts of reward points into their employee engagement platform so employees can spend the points where they want – whether toward a purchase in their Amazon account, Kmart, or to reduce the cost of a holiday (just to name a few of hundreds of potential options).

But there is something lovely about giving a gift in person, and I know most people’s interest in supporting their people outweighs their budget.

Never fear!

You can still provide thoughtful gifts that will drive appreciation. 

1. Personalised thank you

Perhaps it's as simple as having a box of Thank You cards on hand so you can hand write a note. While we love making recognition stories visible to all, sometimes a more personal touch may win the day.

2. Sweet treats

I already mentioned the power of chocolate, but consider celebrating donut day or bringing in cookies after the team has had a busy week.

3. Time off

Flexibility is increasingly seen as currency in the modern workplace. Having people leave early on a Friday, or even giving an additional day of PTO for above and beyond results is a gift people will love to get!

4. A gift card to a coffee shop

Most people find joy in their morning coffee, especially when you can have someone else make it for you! Consider which retailers are convenient for your team, near their house or on their commute.

5. Desk accessories

Desk accessories can be a way to add something fun or functional to an employee's life. What is their favourite show or book? A pen or notebook with that theme will show you are paying attention. 

6. Customised stationary

Is there someone on your team that consistently recognises their colleagues? Some customised stationary can acknowledge this trait and make it more likely they continue to support the team.

7. Public shoutouts

More than a third of people in our research said that frequent, consistent recognition is more important than a 10% pay raise, and taking time for regular public shoutouts doesn’t cost anything at all.

8. Fun mugs or water bottles

If you are focused on wellbeing, reminding people to drink water is a secondary benefit of this gift. It is practical and they are easy to customise to your company or team.

9. Work from home days

Letting people work from home is a wonderful way to make things simpler for them as well as demonstrate your trust. It could be a way to support an employee going through a tough time, or a prize for those that achieve key results.

10. Custom playlist

A playlist can be a way to bring the group together and learn about each other - having everyone share one chill and one high energy song, or something a leader builds as a way to acknowledge the team reaching a key milestone.

10 unique appreciation gifts for employees

Lower-cost gifts mean you can celebrate all the time, but it is nice to level up when an employee really makes an impact or needs a morale boost.

Here are some ideas for providing a gift that will make its mark.

1. Experience vouchers

Is there a restaurant or museum the employee would love? Or an amusement park they frequent? A voucher from the company can support them but also their family.

2. Subscription services

Subscription services can be a great gift for the hard to shop for. And it's a gift that keeps giving! Pay for a premium music subscription or for access to a big box store that will save them money all year long.

3. Beverage tasting set

For people who love their beverages, a chance to explore new tastes will be a treat that shows you know them and what they like. Whether that‘s coffee, tea, juice, or alcohol, have them report back so the whole team can benefit. You never know who's just waiting for the right recommendation!

4. Cooking or baking kit

Meal services like Hello Fresh or Dinnerly can provide simple, healthy meals and save employees trips to the store. It can be a fun event for the whole family, or a chance for the employee to learn some new skills or flavours. There are also countless on-demand cooking classes (learn to make cheese, samosas, or paella, for example!) if meal kits aren’t a good fit.

5. Home office upgrades

Does someone seem fatigued after a long day of work or a busy week? Who would say no to a new office chair or a walking pad?

6. Luxury skincare or wellness basket

Often our top performers may sacrifice taking care of themselves in service of others. Make sure they take time to take of themself with some bougie and great-smelling products. (Double check with your employees about allergies or scent sensitivities before sending these out!)

7. Fitness class voucher

Staying in shape is a great stress reliever, but it can take a toll on the bank account. Getting someone a certificate to a yoga or pilates class can provide them with new experiences and give them time for themselves.

8. Customised puzzles or games

A deck of cards with the team’s pictures on the back? A Monopoly board specific to landmarks from their town? This is a creative gift for an individual or could be a gift for the team to make lunch breaks more fun.

9. Donation to a charity of choice

We know employees at our clients’ organisations often feel the most reward in giving to others. We partner with GlobalGiving.org through our Reward Marketplace so employees can pick from hundreds of possible choices. If you already know of a group they support, this is an even better choice.

10. Professional development course

Learning and a chance for advancement is a gap on many employee surveys. Honour your people by bringing these opportunities to them. Either time to attend a webinar or travel to a conference is a wide-ranging way to support their growth.

10 employee appreciation gifts for remote teams

When you spend time in-person with your team, it is more likely you will pick up on ideas for gifts. Overhearing where they went to dinner over the weekend or seeing which brand of coffee they walk in with each morning is highly useful.

However, you can still create a powerful experience for remote teams. It may just take a bit more thinking and planning ahead. Consider semi-regular social questions in your company chat app to solicit easy opinions while driving team morale and connection.

Here are some options to get you started.

1. eGift cards

If you don’t know the person well, an eGift card can be tricky. Especially if you don’t know which retailers are close to them. For this reason, providing points in a flexible marketplace can be a safer bet. This can be a fun option to connect the team, perhaps giving everyone a gift certificate for the same retailer so they can all pick out similar gifts, a plant of their choice, or socks to keep them cozy during winter.

2. Work from home comfort box

Speaking of cozy socks, a few simple gifts like hot chocolate, salty snacks, and hand cream, can be boxed together as a treat for an individual or the team.

3. Meal delivery service

You can sign up for regular or one-time delivery for most meal services. They allow for all kinds of dietary restrictions and support financial and physical wellbeing in the team.

4. Virtual happy hour

These were commonplace during 2020 because they are easy to pull together. People can drink whatever they like – water, tea, or alcohol. And all it takes is setting aside some time for the team to bond. Running a quick trivia content or playing an app-based game can also energise a tired time and get them talking.

Pro tip: Schedule these in the final hours of your workday to ensure that commuting employees can still catch their trains or buses, and those with caretaking responsibilities don't need to find alternative arrangements.

5. Personalised virtual backgrounds

Virtual teams spend a lot of time staring at each other’s backgrounds. Customising a background for the whole team to celebrate an accomplishment or support team pride or for an individual can be a fun talking point for future conversations.

6. Custom chat emojis

A lot can be conveyed with an emoji – with a local sports team’s logo, a well-known cartoon character, emojis that speak to your industry or roles, or mini portraits of the team. Adding these into messaging platforms can make conversations more rich and engaging.

7. Travel accessories

If an employee travels frequently, it can take time and increase the physical impacts of work. Providing them with simple accessories, luggage tags, computer bags, or mobile chargers can make employees’ lives easier and even make them more productive on the road.

8. Desktop organiser

An item like a desk organiser would naturally be provided by a company if employees worked in person, and it is a simple purchase that can get lots of use. Again, this gift can boost employees‘ connection to the organisation and also help them feel more productive.

9. Themed gift boxes

Do you wish you could bring the team together for a movie night? Send them what they need to do it themselves: popcorn, candy, and a cozy blanket. Is it the end of a busy season and the start of spring? How about sunglasses, sunscreen, and a beach towel to encourage them to get out of the house?

10. Team shout-out video

A video sharing your specific thoughts on their efforts, what they do and the value they provide, is simple enough but isn’t often done. It can be how you summarise the end of big projects, or a way to counteract a stressful time. Production value isn’t important, just the sincerity of the message.

Show your appreciation with Reward Gateway | Edenred’s employee rewards

I hope this list has given you some personalised and meaningful ideas for gifts for individuals or a team. It also may have pointed out the time it takes to really customise these gifts. And, as I’ve noted, often employees may prefer to pick out a gift for themselves.

Reach out to Reward Gateway | Edenred to learn how we can make individual rewards simple and powerful, bulk gifting easy and fast, how we provide a Reward Marketplace that puts the control in the hands of employees to get what they want when they want it.