Employee appreciation
Event planning

Employee appreciation week: when it is, plus a 5-day plan

Employee Appreciation Day is the first Friday in March: Friday, March 5, 2027. There is no official week, so most teams run Monday, March 1 to Friday, March 5. Below is a plan for each day at three budgets, with a video version of every idea.

KraftyLab TeamUpdated Nov 20264 min read

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When is employee appreciation week?

Employee Appreciation Day falls on the first Friday in March every year. Bob Nelson created it in 1995 with his publisher, Workman Publishing; it is a workplace tradition, not a federal holiday. Nobody sets an official week, so most teams use the Monday to Friday that ends on the day.

Employee Appreciation Day and the week before it
Year	Employee Appreciation Day	Appreciation week
2027	Friday, March 5, 2027	Monday, March 1 to Friday, March 5
2028	Friday, March 3, 2028	Monday, February 28 to Friday, March 3

Quarter-end or a big launch on that week? Move it. The thanks matters more than the date, and a week in late February or mid-March works just as well. For the day itself, see our Employee Appreciation Day page.

A manager hands a thank-you card to a coworker at an office breakfast spread while teammates pour coffee

The 5-day plan at three budgets

One theme a day, with a free, a small-budget and a full-budget version. Mix them: a free Monday and a full-budget Friday is a good default.

Monday: Thanks from the top

Start with leaders saying what they noticed, by name.

Free: The leader sends a note naming one thing each person or team did this year.
Small budget: Breakfast in the office; remote people get a breakfast delivery credit.
Full budget: A small gift on every desk or doorstep, each with a handwritten tag.
On video: The leader spends the first five minutes of Monday's call on thanks, no agenda.

Want the desk gift sorted without the shopping? See our employee appreciation gifts: chocolate gift boxes and bars. Need lines for the tags? Borrow from these employee appreciation quotes.

Tuesday: Peer thanks

Thanks from the people you work beside lands differently.

Free: A thanks wall of sticky notes by the coffee, plus a thanks thread in chat.
Small budget: Hand everyone three blank cards to give to coworkers by Thursday.
Full budget: Every coworker who gets nominated by a peer gets a small prize; no single winner.
On video: A ten-minute round where each person thanks one coworker by name.

Opening the round on video? These Employee Appreciation Day icebreakers get people talking first.

Wednesday: Time back

An empty afternoon says thank you without a speech.

Free: No internal meetings after noon, for everyone, managers included.
Small budget: Lunch brought in and eaten together, away from desks.
Full budget: A hosted wellness break on video that the whole team can join.
On video: Cameras off for every call after lunch.

For the full-budget version, a host runs a guided wellness session on video, so nobody on the team has to lead it.

Thursday: Spotlight and growth

Point the light at roles that rarely get it, and at what people want to learn.

Free: At the all-hands, spotlight three roles that rarely get noticed: IT help, facilities, the night shift.
Small budget: Each person picks one book or short course, up to an amount you set.
Full budget: A paid half day for learning or a volunteer project of their choice.
On video: Two volunteers share a 15-minute what-I-learned-this-year slot.

Friday: Employee Appreciation Day

The one moment the whole team is together. Make it the event.

Free: Close the week early: everyone logs off two hours before the usual end.
Small budget: A do-it-yourself game hour with small prizes, in the room or on video.
Full budget: A hosted team event everyone joins at once: a game show, or a kit workshop.
On video: Run the same hosted event on video; kits reach US homes when you book about 3 weeks ahead.

Short on prep time for Friday? A host runs a live employee appreciation event for the room and the remote crowd at once, and you get to be thanked too.

Have Friday hosted

Friday is the one moment the whole team is together, and the planner should be a guest at it. A live host runs the hour for the office and every remote screen at once, with nothing to prep. Hosted games book about 2 weeks ahead; kit workshops need about 3 weeks for US addresses, 5 with guests in Canada or abroad. Mixology is 21+.

Each card opens the activity page, where you can reserve with a 50% deposit or pay by invoice or PO. Several offices or a whole company? A multi-event program runs several sessions at once.

Get a free quote

Your plan sheet

Pick a budget for each day, then copy the week into a message or print it with an owner column for the committee.

Include the video version of each day

Monday, March 1: Thanks from the top
The leader sends a note naming one thing each person or team did this year.
On video: The leader spends the first five minutes of Monday's call on thanks, no agenda.
Tuesday, March 2: Peer thanks
A thanks wall of sticky notes by the coffee, plus a thanks thread in chat.
On video: A ten-minute round where each person thanks one coworker by name.
Wednesday, March 3: Time back
Lunch brought in and eaten together, away from desks.
On video: Cameras off for every call after lunch.
Thursday, March 4: Spotlight and growth
At the all-hands, spotlight three roles that rarely get noticed: IT help, facilities, the night shift.
On video: Two volunteers share a 15-minute what-I-learned-this-year slot.
Friday, March 5: Employee Appreciation Day
A hosted team event everyone joins at once: a game show, or a kit workshop.
On video: Run the same hosted event on video; kits reach US homes when you book about 3 weeks ahead.

Remote and hybrid versions

Every day above has a video line. These six rules keep remote people from getting the leftover version of the week.

Match every office treat. If the office gets breakfast, remote people get a delivery credit the same morning, not a week later.
Pick a window every region can make. Across US time zones, late morning Pacific is early afternoon Eastern; hold Friday's event there.
One laptop per person in hybrid. People in the room join from their own laptops, so remote coworkers see faces instead of a far-off room camera.
Ship anything physical early. Kits and gifts need home addresses: about 3 weeks ahead for US guests, about 5 with anyone in Canada or abroad.
Cover every shift. Repeat Monday's thanks at shift change and run Friday's event twice if the team works split shifts.
Post the whole week in one place. A single message with all five days, times and links beats five surprise announcements.

Coworkers in a meeting room build snack boards together while remote teammates join on a wall screen

Five ways to make the week land

The week works when people feel noticed, not managed. Check the plan against these before you send it.

Keep it in work hours. Thanks that costs people their evening reads as one more obligation. Make every event optional.
Name the work. A template line thanking everyone for all they do lands flat; one sentence about a real project does not.
Track who got thanked. By Thursday, check the list: quiet roles, new hires and remote people get missed first.
Keep it about thanks. Save policy news and reorg updates for another week; the mix sours both.
Leaders show up, then step back. A leader who joins Friday's event and plays along says more than a speech at the start.

Want thanks that lasts past March? Our employee appreciation ideas are sorted by budget for the rest of the year, the employee recognition ideas cover the everyday habits, and these employee award ideas fit a Friday awards moment.

Employee appreciation week FAQ

When is employee appreciation week in 2027?

There is no official week. Employee Appreciation Day is the first Friday in March, which is Friday, March 5, 2027, so most teams run the week from Monday, March 1 to Friday, March 5.

Who created Employee Appreciation Day?

Bob Nelson, a founding member of Recognition Professionals International, created it in 1995 with his publisher, Workman Publishing, around his book 1,001 Ways to Reward Employees. It is not a federal holiday.

What do you do during employee appreciation week?

Give each day one theme: thanks from leaders on Monday, peer thanks on Tuesday, time back on Wednesday, a spotlight on quieter roles on Thursday, and one shared event on Friday, Employee Appreciation Day itself.

How do you run employee appreciation week for remote employees?

Give every office treat a remote equal on the same day, hold the shared event in a window every time zone can make, and ship kits or gifts early. Our employee appreciation quotes page has lines for the cards.

Can employee appreciation week be free?

Yes. A specific note from the leader, a thanks wall, a meeting-free afternoon, a spotlight at the all-hands and an early finish on Friday cost time, not money. Spend a small budget on food and cards first.

Can someone run the Friday event for us?

Yes. KraftyLab books live-hosted games and kit workshops on video, plus hosted games at your office in 17 US cities. Hosted games book about 2 weeks ahead. Reserve online with a 50% deposit, or get a free quote and a full plan within 24 hours.