No matter what industry you work in, December is crunch time.
Everyone’s focus is on meeting end-of-year goals and deliverables before statuses change to “out of office.” If you ran out of time — or budget — to recognize your employees for the holidays, it’s not too late: Consider sending new year gifts for employees instead.
About three quarters — 74% — of employees say holiday gifts from their company help them feel energized for the new year, according to the 2024 Holiday Branded Pay study from Blackhawk Network (BHN). January is still a good time to show you value employee contributions and can help you set the tone for a productive year ahead.
Our study also revealed that inflation and burnout are top concerns for employees. Building your campaign around these themes will make your gifts more intentional — and impactful.
To help you start 2025 off right, here are some creative ways to give new year gifts for employees that they’ll definitely appreciate.
READ MORE: Learn From These Worst Holiday Gifts for Employees
Not only were employees who participated in our survey concerned about inflation (72%), they worried about grocery/food prices (58%). A digital gift card to a restaurant, food delivery service, or meal kit will be a welcome treat to employees concerned about the economy and paying the bills, especially after all the expenses of the holiday season.
To make such new year gifts for employees stand out, try one of these fun campaign ideas:
Stress continues to be a top workplace concern, with 45% of Gen Z and 50% of Millennials saying they’re burned out at work, according to Deloitte’s Gen Z and Millennial Survey. Show your empathy and commitment to work/life balance by using a rest and relaxation theme for your new year gifts for employees:
If you really want to play up the relaxation theme, get creative. Give everyone an extra day of PTO to take in 2025. Or host brown bag lunches for employees to share their hobbies with one another.
January is a great time to start fresh at work — and at home. Using resolutions as your theme for new year gifts for employees, offer team members some help with meeting their goals, whether that’s focusing on wellness or learning something new. Gym memberships and gift cards to spend on athletic wear are one idea.
If that doesn’t fit your corporate culture, put a fun twist on the concept. Offer everyone a gift card to a clothing retailer so they can freshen their wardrobe for the new year, for example.
The holidays are a popular time to upgrade phones, laptops, and gaming systems. That could mean your employees need to update their electronic accessories, too. Your new year gifts for employees could take on a high-tech theme, with gift cards to Apple, Google Play, the PlayStation Store, Xbox, or Best Buy.
Finally, it’s a good idea to time your gift giving around other events on the January calendar. If you’re hosting a sales kickoff or starting an internal sales campaign, combining the two acts can act as an extra boost for morale.
Or plan to launch on International Thank You Day on Jan. 11. (That’s a Saturday, so make your announcement the day before.) That way, you have a built-in theme to work with, making giving gifts for the new year that much easier.
Need more ideas and tips on new year gifts for employees? Check out these research insights to optimize gift card rewards.
BHN Rewards puts the power of digital rewards to work for marketers, researchers, and HR managers. Don't forget to check out all the great content in our Resources section!
BHN Rewards puts the power of digital rewards to work for marketers, researchers, and HR managers. Don't forget to check out all the great content in our Resources section!
