29 Inexpensive Appreciation Gifts for Employees That They’ll Love

Research identifies three reasons to give employees gifts:

• Strengthening relationships
• Showing appreciation
• Improving employee engagement

However, similar research shows that over half of recipients have tossed gifts like these out. So much for appreciation!

You don’t have to spend big on gifts to stay in an employee’s good graces. Today, we’re sharing dozens of inexpensive appreciation gifts for employees (including remote), when to give them, and how to make them meaningful.

When to give employee appreciation gifts

There are a handful of gift-appropriate occasions at work, including some optional dates:

• Employee Appreciation Day
• Holidays
• Work anniversaries
• Birthdays
• Large project completion (optional)
• Promotions (optional)
• Great performance (optional)

What do employees want as appreciation gifts?

Not sure, you could always ask them. No, really. Collecting feedback and putting effort into learning everyone’s preferences works better than anything else. Surveys usually find that they want flexibility or perks that support work-life balance.

However, today we’re (mostly) focusing on tangible goods. Physical gifts people actually like have one or more of the following qualities:

• Thoughtful: You took the employee’s preferences or lifestyle into account. Example: An employee loves doing yoga on the weekends, so you get them a nice-quality yoga mat.

• Useful: The gift won’t just sit around; the employee can use it.

Example: Someone is known to drink multiple cups of coffee each workday. If you gift them their favorite coffee, they’re sure to use it.

• Meaningful: It holds special importance, evokes memories, or elicits positive feelings.

Example: An employee is crazy about their Golden Retriever. You surprise them with an office mug featuring a photo of their dog.

• Practical: It serves a purpose or solves a problem for the employee.

Example: Someone needs a quieter environment to stay focused. You gift them a pair of noise-canceling headphones.

• Personalized: The gift reflects the employee’s personality or interests.

Example: An employee loves wearing leopard print often. They’re given a leopard-patterned planner as a gift.

• Appropriate. Proportionate to the occasion and the company culture.

Example: Someone receives a gift basket of snacks for their first work anniversary. Employees celebrating five or 10 years get something more valuable and meaningful.

Thoughtful, inexpensive appreciation gifts for employees

It doesn’t matter if “inexpensive” means $5 or $50. Cool, useful, or just plain considerate can be had for nearly any amount of money. Here’s our master list of 21 inexpensive employee appreciation gifts for regular occasions.

1. Personalized mugs

Personalized mugs are unique to the recipient, easy on your budget, and can be kept and used for years to come. Just make sure this employee is known to enjoy coffee, tea, or other hot beverages.

2. Desk plants

Employees who’ve expressed any fondness for plants can get a lot of benefits from this gift. Studies suggest that adorning your workspace with plants can increase job satisfaction, environmental aesthetics, and air quality.

3. Custom notebooks

A practical gift for the employee who is always jotting something down. Customizing it with their initials, name, or something they’re really into adds enough of a personal touch to let them know it’s a sincere gesture.

4. Reusable water bottles

Many of us have a cabinet full of these knocking around. And yet somehow, we always forget to bring one to work! Choose a cool new water bottle for the employee who needs help hydrating on the go.

5. Small gift cards

Gift cards in small denominations are still welcome. It can cover someone’s coffee and pastry, or act as a discount on a larger purchase.

6. Stress relief toys

There’s usually at least one employee who isn’t listening to your whole rap about work-life balance. Or, they can’t sit still, especially when they’re talking on the phone. Before you sneakily swap out their espresso for decaf, try giving them stress relief and fidget toys.

7. Handwritten thank you notes

Are you at a loss (financially and idea-wise)? Short on time, too? Do this right now. Handwritten notes of appreciation are one of the most underrated small employee gift ideas. Make it a good one, and they can keep it around, deriving motivation from it later on.

8. Snack packs

If you have 10 bucks and there’s a gas station or grocery store nearby, you have a token of appreciation. Grab some fresh fruit, crackers, chips, and nuts. Add them to a box or basket, fix that handwritten note on it, and voila.

9. Fun desk accessories

Nameplates, little crystal orbs or sculptures, novelty lamps, oil diffusers–it’s easy to spot the knick-knack lover in any office. These trinkets are like keepsakes to them. Pick a small one they’ll treasure every day.

10. Eco-friendly tote bags

Environmentally conscious employees will appreciate the versatility and sustainability of a tote bag. Offer a branded company bag or customize one to their tastes. Bonus points if it’s made of natural or recycled fibers.

11. Stationery and supplies

The highly organized will find this sort of gift very on-brand. Pick from patterned desk organizers, desk calendars, planners, matching paper and pen sets, fancy paper clips, sticky note pads, and more.

12. Subscriptions

A modern classic that will never go unappreciated. Music, meditation/mindfulness, and TV/movie streaming apps all offer gift subscriptions.

13. Device accessories

It’s easy to find good pricing on nice phone stands, Bluetooth speakers, wireless chargers, headphones, styluses, and more. Choose chic cases for phones and tablets, too.

14. Candy

A small box of artisanal chocolates or an employee’s favorite imported candies may not cost much, but still feel extra special.

15. Time off

Now introducing your employee’s favorite inexpensive employee appreciation gift. Scale this to what makes sense–getting to leave early, coming in a little late, taking an afternoon off, or a whole day.

16. A craft kit

Book nooks, candle-making, pottery painting, origami! Kits are some of the best small gifts to give employees who lean artsy-craftsy.

17. Game or puzzle

Puzzle lovers are easy enough to please; get extra credit for choosing puzzles that intersect with their other interests. Social butterflies might enjoy conversation-sparking card games.

18. Local gift certificates

Shop local by getting small employee gifts at area spas, parks, breweries, and boutiques.

19. Custom fan gear

If you have an employee who cannot act normal about a sports team, singer, or TV show, hit up Etsy. Check out the niche merch crafters are making for just about every fixation under the sun.

20. A nice candle

A go-to for other gift-giving occasions, candles are also great small gift ideas for staff. Employees who are decked out for every holiday might like seasonal scents. Otherwise, choose a clean or calming scent with broad appeal.

21. Treats for the whole team

“Kim did such a great job on this project, bagels are on me this morning.” Now everyone in the office is showing their appreciation, doubling Kim’s pride and planting the seeds for peer-to-peer recognition and team-building.

Appreciation gifts for remote teams

Parking spots and team lunches aren’t really applicable to asynchronous teams. There are still plenty of ways to celebrate remote employees on a budget, from anywhere.

1. Snack boxes

Build your own on the cheap or spend a little more on custom and build-your-own snack boxes. You can also pack and send a DIY pasta dinner box, with noodles, sauce, and any extras, like some good EVOO or sundried tomatoes.

2. Home goods

Employees working from home might appreciate a wooden cutting board, coaster set, or blanket as much as an office mug or desk décor.

3. Digital gift cards

This is still one of the best small employee appreciation gifts–just have it sent via email or text if it’s an on-the-spot gesture of gratitude.

4. A back pillow for the home office

A small, ergonomic lumbar support cushion may be just the ticket for the team member who’s always wincing during Zoom meetings.

5. Slippers/house shoes

The company-branded windbreaker or fleece can set us back a pretty penny. If you have a remote team, you can get away with the much more economical, yet still incredibly useful, pair of slippers.

6. Plant bundles

You can still get remote workers plants, just try a service like Rooted for shipping and selection. The baby bundles offer a great variety and value.

7. Movie night box

Box up a streaming subscription gift card, candy, and popcorn. It’s more thoughtful than a gift subscription alone, but can still come in at under $20.

Giving small employee gifts: 5 tips for success

We’ve established that when it comes to appreciation, it’s the thought that counts. In other words, you can’t throw money at something and be done.

Here are five footnotes for success in giving inexpensive employee appreciation gifts.

1. Put some effort into the presentation.

You don’t have to buy special wrapping paper, ribbons, and custom tags. It still might be a good idea to keep a quantity of simple gift bags on hand.

You can also choose gifts, such as a nice pen, that already come in a box ready to give.

2. Mix up personal and practical.

Personal gifts are things strictly for pleasure, like snacks, candles, gift cards, and puzzles. Practical gifts include your device accessories, water bottles, desk organizers, and so on.

If employees get multiple little gifts a year, mix it up for interest.

3. Make the purpose clear.

Part of the positive psychology of gift-giving is that the recipient experiences a natural desire to reciprocate.

If an employee gets a small gift for never being late to work, they know you genuinely appreciate this behavior. It will specifically motivate them to continue to be timely.

4. Always give appreciation gifts on time

Similarly, appreciation gifts won’t have as much impact if they come late. After all, did you really appreciate them if you couldn’t prioritize expressing that?

If you don’t have a gift on hand, try not to leave it for more than two days.

5. Strive for equity

Some employees may warrant a small appreciation gift more often than others. It may be that they’ve been there longer, or their performance is exceptional.

Be mindful of this. Try to spend evenly across employees at the same level. If you’re going to buy gifts at all, make sure no one’s left out for long periods. This is why some companies reserve gifts for holidays or Employee Appreciation Day.

BOTTOM LINE: Don’t give one employee a less valuable gift (or nothing at all) than what others have gotten for the same reasons. Watch out for what looks like favoritism.

HeyTaco is the best inexpensive employee appreciation gift.

Gratitude is preventative medicine against burnout-causing stress and general job dissatisfaction. When we focus on appreciating one another every day in the workplace, a little gift here and there is just the icing on the cake. Or, um, the guac on the taco. 🥑🌮

Arming your employees with little virtual tacos they can use to communicate positivity is an effective, inexpensive way to make appreciation part of your culture. It’s also a metric you can track, so you know how it’s working and who it’s working best for.

If you’re looking to make employee appreciation inexpensive but very high-impact, try HeyTaco for free.

“I love how HeyTaco encourages peer-to-peer recognition in a lighthearted and engaging way. It has strengthened our team culture and helped everyone feel appreciated.”

• Daniel Alberto J., Fraud Analyst