Valentine’s Day has been around for over a thousand years. The first commercial valentines in the U.S. were printed in the 1800s. For years people have celebrated ‘V-Day’ by telling their boo how lucky they are to have them. Showering them with roses, chocolates, and lots of kisses.
But for some, Valentine’s Day can be a sore subject. Maybe they just went through a breakup, or they’ve never had a special someone in their life. Work can be a great place to make others feel loved because it’s the place where people spend most of their day. Here are a few ways you can celebrate “Love Day” in your workplace:
Donut coffee bar
A fun way to kick off Valentine’s Day is with some sweet treats. Encourage co-workers to come grab donuts and coffee before starting the workday. This will give everyone a chance to relax and catch up with people. Create a coffee bar with fun syrups, whipped cream, and valentines’ sprinkles. Stop by Dunkin, Krispy Kreme, or your favorite donut shop for heart-shaped donuts!
Write everyone a card
Giving your coworkers a card is a great way to show your appreciation for them. Receiving a card makes everyone feel special and included. Writing a card can bring back fun memories of writing valentines to your friends in grade school. When addressing your card, make sure you make it personal. Sometimes cards can feel impersonal if they’re all written the same.
Potluck
Have everyone bring their favorite foods to share. Consider ordering food from a catering business to show some love to your co-workers. This is a great way to bond with the people you work with. It also brings a sense of community and comfort. Work may be the only place people see and talk to other people. You can go around and talk about funny Valentine’s Day stories and cringey dates you’ve experienced in the past.
Appreciation board
This is my favorite idea! Create a space in the office for an appreciation board. Either on a bulletin board or using sticky notes. Have everyone write things about their coworkers that they appreciate. Encourage people to write notes throughout the day and come see all the notes at the end of the day. You can even keep the board to remind everyone how grateful others are to them.
After work drinks
If Valentine’s Day is a harder day for some, invite your co-workers to after work drinks and appetizers. It’s something to look forward to and a way to connect. There will be plenty of restaurants with Valentine’s deals and drinks!
All these activities are a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but more importantly it is about engaging with your co-workers and the company culture. Believe it or not, showing appreciation this way can boost your employee retention and overall hiring efforts because 46% of job seekers say company culture is important. What are other ways you can engage a sense of community at your workplace?
About LGC
Since 2003 LGC has been building connections between businesses with staffing needs and job seekers looking for new opportunities. Our range of solutions includes temporary and permanent placements (and everything in between) for a variety of industries. With offices located nationwide, we can tap into a dynamic pool of talented professionals. We have a passion for creating partnerships that last and work hard every day to ensure both clients and candidates reach their employment goals.