Your key to easier employee experience planning in 2026

Planning an organization’s employee experience calendar is a tough job – there’s often not a lot of budget, conflicting needs and desires and we all know there’s never enough time in a day. How can you plan fun if you’re not having fun?

As the rate of change in the world seems to continually increase (is that just me?), it has become all the more important for people teams to drive connection and engagement among their staff. Feeling seen, heard and valued by one’s employer can be invaluable in tumultuous times, driving not only motivation and morale, but loyalty, as well.

We’ve just released our 2026 HR Planning Calendar full of both official and unofficial holidays, celebrations and observances designed to help you strike the balance of respectfulness and playfulness as you engage your diverse workforce throughout the year. But what does one do to celebrate National French Fry Day with their employees?

I’m so glad you’ve asked. Come with me.

Create an inclusive experience

Diversity really is the spice of life – opportunities to broaden our horizons and expand our knowledge of the world and each other are almost sacred in their worth for organizational culture and employee engagement. Consider the geographical, cultural and even religious backgrounds of your people – there may be key holidays or observances considered “atypical” for the average American organization to observe, but if they matter to your people, they should also matter to your business.

For instance, consider celebrating Diwali in October by hosting a potluck where employees can share their favorite cultural dishes, partake in traditional games or even enjoy a meditation session centered around the festivities. Such initiatives not only enrich the employee experience for employees both within and without the culture, but also foster an inclusive culture of respect and understanding.

Health and wellbeing themes

Your organization doesn’t need to be in the healthcare space to take an interest in the wellbeing of its people. For example:

January is National Blood Donor Month.

Perform a blood drive in your office – or other physical locations as possible – to allow employees a convenient opportunity to donate and help save a life somewhere in the U.S. The American Red Cross reports that someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds, but only 3% of eligible adults donate annually.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

This is a great time of the year to remind employees about the various mental wellbeing resources your organization offers, like EAP programs, free counseling sessions or sponsored apps. You could also host a “well-binar” with an outside expert to lead a talk on common issues like burnout prevention, stress management, meditation and more.

September is Self-Care Awareness Month.

The broad applicability of “self care” makes this one a brilliant opportunity for creative endeavors. For some people, it might mean spa treatments, while for others, it’s time with a hobby or a high-quality meal. Use this diversity to your advantage! You could host a self-care challenge and encourage your people to share the ways they’re practicing self-care throughout the month. The interaction of employees as they support and encourage each other all month long will build community and increase the sense of belonging among staff.

There are dozens of opportunities.

Whatever your industry, there is a set of conditions that commonly afflict your people – whether that’s repetitive strain injury in desk-based roles, respiratory issues in manufacturing or burnout in healthcare – and raising awareness of them can only benefit you, attendance rates and your employees’ continued wellbeing. Choose one or two themes throughout the year for known preventable issues to promote refreshed safety trainings or even potential exercises or stretches that employees can integrate into their routines.

Give people a reason to come together

A lot of organizations are beginning to implement RTO policies – to mixed employee sentiment. Commuting isn’t free, and many employees have become reliant upon the flexibility and comforts of home. The best way to help transition employees back into office culture is to give them a good reason to show up.

Use some of the fun, unofficial holidays throughout the year to brighten up the office, lift morale and even facilitate cross-departmental collaboration opportunities. For example:

• National Rubber Ducky Day is January 13th – put together a rubber ducky scavenger hunt for employees. Get leadership in on the fun by writing clues that encourage their interaction. Don’t forget a prize for the winners (like a really big rubber ducky)!
• Employee Appreciation Day is May 6th – the first Friday of March is your #1 day in the year to most tangibly express your appreciation for your staff. Consider themed eCards for employees to share, fun awards or even a surprise catered breakfast or lunch to make team members feel especially valued. We at RGER believe that appreciation and recognition are all-year-round affairs, but we love Employee Appreciation Day as an epicenter for effort.
• National Hydration Day is June 22nd– provide quirky or branded reusable water bottles to your teams and host a hydration challenge to encourage everyone to up their water intake and prioritize their wellbeing.
• National French Fry Day is July 10th – celebrate with a “fry bar” event featuring various styles of fries, toppings and sauces.
• National Lemonade Day is August 20th – host a refreshing lemonade stand in the office, allowing employees to unwind while enjoying a classic summer treat.

Fuel your corporate CSR commitment

Corporate Social Responsibility is an essential thread that weaves your company’s values into everyday practices. Cultivating a strong CSR strategy not only helps the communities in which your business operates, but also unites your employees under a common purpose. Aligning events with local charities or causes during times of shared observances – like National Food Bank Day in September or Neurodiversity Celebration Week in March – helps show employees the organization cares.

You could consider implementing a set number of ”volunteer days” – designated PTO for volunteer opportunities – throughout the year where they can take time to give back on their own. Perhaps your organization sponsors some tree planting for Earth Day or Arbor Day in April where employees can sign up for time slots. Observe Global Accessibility Awareness Day in May by evaluating the visual accessibility of your corporate website or offering a webinar on the challenges faced by various common disabilities – or find a disability advocate to lead a sponsored webinar about a more specific topic.

Add creative color to comms

HR teams have boundless reasons to communicate with employees, from activity calendars to business operations and staffing updates – just to name a few. And while some messages are important enough to stand on their own, there are there are infinite opportunities to brighten up less-formal comms with timely references and jokes..

Maybe you use National Sandwich Month in August to theme an employee message about collaboration and use the sandwich as a metaphor to illustrate the importance of cohesion. Or, maybe you use National Learning & Development Month in October (or National Career Development Month in November) to drive professional development activity among staff or provide a programming update from your L&D team.

Make your communications visually appealing and relatable – use vibrant graphics, cleverly crafted messages and humor that reflects your organizational culture. Can you find a topical rubber ducky picture in a January communiqué? How about messages of appreciation and consideration around Valentine’s Day in February?

Use various platforms to spread the word: social media posts, internal newsletters and community boards can all showcase upcoming celebrations. Create a “Highlights of the Month” feature, spotlighting contributions from employees who participated in activities to drive stronger participation for future events. Alternatively, integrate fun polls or quizzes related to the upcoming holiday themes to engage your workforce ahead of time and see how they would like to celebrate.

Most importantly, ensure that you’re recognizing participation with highlights, shout-outs or small incentives that further cement their involvement.

Ready to dive into your own 2026 HR Calendar? Download yours today and get started on preparing the best year ever for your people. Make your corner of the world a better place to work!