17 Last Minute Employee Appreciation Gift Ideas Great for Anyone

When it comes to running a company, times can get so chaotic that both the employers and consumers forget how essential the employees are. They are the reason stores and businesses are up and running after all. With this being said, it is important to be sure to show your employees appreciation, and thank them for all the work that they put into their jobs. Without them, almost all companies would be unable to exist or even maintain business. As you read on you’ll learn about some of our favorite employee appreciation gift ideas. 

But before we get to work, we should talk about GiftYa. GiftYa is an online distributor for thousands of eGift cards to restaurants, famous retailers, department stores, local businesses, online subscription services and shops, spas, hotels, airlines, and more. You can surprise a friend or loved one with a gift card whenever you feel like instantly thanks to GiftYa’s fast delivery system. All you have to do is go onto the website, pick a card they might like, choose an amount up to $250, customize it by adding a picture, video, and message, then decide whether you want to send it via text or email- it’s that easy!

A DoorDash Gift Card

Long work days don’t feel as long when you’ve got food waiting by your door!

Buy A DoorDash Gift Card

In this day and age there are many food ordering and delivery service apps out there, but a popular, well loved, one is DoorDash. Download the DoorDash app and pick from one of their many local restaurants or fast food chains. After that you can choose your favorite meal, add special instructions, tip your driver, and wait. And if you plan it right you can have your meal ready and waiting for you when you get home from the office. 

Plus, depending on the area that your office is located, you can get food delivered there that you wouldn’t normally be able to get at home. DoorDash also offers delivery for grocery and convenience store essentials, so you can get your shopping done for the week all before you leave to go home at the end of the day.

You can Purchase a GiftYa Gift Card to DoorDash here!

Custom Onboarding Gift

As we know, starting a new job can be nerve racking. A welcoming gift can be a wonderful surprise to those nervous employees. Some of the common items that companies will include in their onboard welcoming gifts include computer mouses, mouse pads, headphones, mugs, water bottles, notebooks and perhaps pens. The company's name or logo may be located somewhere on the accessories or perhaps the company mascot. These onboarding gifts make the employees feel welcomed and like they chose the right place to work.

Here we have the Welcome Onboard! New Hire Gift Basket from Corporate Gift.com which is a women-owned business and this basket comes in multiples: for 1-24 it’s $79.00, 25-49 it’s $78.20, 50-99 it’s $77.40, and 100-249 it’s $76.60. (For 250+ you can get a quote). This comes with Coffee Mug, Instant Waka Coffee, Energy Bar, Gourmet Popcorn, Hazelnut Toffee, Sicilian Cookies, Journal, and Tote Bag.

There are actually pre-made Onboarding Gifts available from major retailers like this Delightly - You Got This Boxed Gift Set, the New Employee Welcome Gift Set for $94.00 on Amazon which comes with: an 18 oz. double wall insulated travel tumbler with "Welcome to the Team we think you're kind of a big deal" sentiment on front, a “You Got This” productivity journal, stain remover pen, compact mirror, a personal pain reliever pack, and Trailblaze Altitude Snacks.

A Cinema Box, Popcorn, and Spices

Now this is a gift that allows your employees to be creative. With it they can either choose to keep it in their office as a decoration or they could take it home with them. Either way it permits them to create a sign that says their favorite quote, message, or word that means something to them. 

This is The PERFECT GIFT - Cinema Style Lightbox with 88 Letters, Numbers & Symbols on Etsy from user POLYXOCO for $19.53. Makes for great decoration for your workspace or for the home!

Speaking of cinema,  we thought we’d add this Urban Accents Box Office Hits Popcorn Gift Set for $21.95 at Hallmark. Not only does it show that you are acknowledging their work with this little pick me up but it's also a great treat for them. Popcorn makes for a delicious little snack as well as a great movie night treat. Your employees will be able to pop it at their own convenience and add a seasoning of their liking.

We've all gotta eat. Help ensure that the leftovers they throw in the company fridge for lunch are ten levels of delicious. There are plenty of “spice gift sets” out there but we found the Thrive Market Brands Organic Staples & Spice Jar Set for $26.95 which comes with Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Ground Cinnamon & Organic Ground Cumin spices; along with 4 oz glass jars with bamboo lids.

“Dammit Dolls” and Stress Balls

Do you ever get frustrated at work? We do. If an employer wants to provide a different type of gift for their employees, then this is the way to go. “Dammit Dolls” aren’t your typical dolls, these are designed for wacking. They tend to be fabric dolls, most use polyester like the one below, and sometimes they are designed to look like a generic sports player or cartoon character. What makes them a unique gift? The fact that they can allow employees to let out some of their frustrations without causing any damage to themselves or their surroundings. And when you do give it a little wack you utter the phrase: “dammit” – hence the name. They overall are great for employees to release their stress.

This is the Superstar from Dammit Dolls for $19.47 which is in LA and LA Rams colors as this specific doll benefits the LAFD (Los Angeles Fire Department). 5% of the proceeds go directly to them. So this gift benefits two, your employee and the LAFD.

We couldn’t not add a regular ol’ stress ball onto the list. Dammit Dolls are great and all but sometimes having a squishy little stress ball is just what we need and this is the Standard Koosh Ball from Trainers Warehouse for $6.75. They have a whole list of stress balls and fidget toys perfect for any employee.

Travel Mates & Portable Chargers

Does your company require your employees to travel often? If so then this is a great gift for you to consider. Travel Mates Kits are miniature travel kits that tend to include a power pack, a USB plug, a luggage tag, and possibly even a bluetooth tracker among other potential accessories. Employees would both be pleasantly surprised as well as appreciate this kind gesture. The kit is small enough that it allows for people to easily slip it in to their backpack or carry on and comes with the accessories organized in a way that allows for them to have quick access to these items while waiting at the airport, or while sitting in the back of an Uber or Lyft as they are traveling from one location to the next.

This is the Travel Mates Kit #4179 from Powerstick.com which also comes in several quantity orders: $44.81 for 1-499, $42.46 for 500-999, and $40.33 for 1000+. This kit comes with one PowerUSB with a dual port travel plug, one SpotScout Luggage tag & Bluetooth tracker, and one EVA travel case.

Not looking for a whole kit but rather one portable charger perfect for anyone- not just those on the go? We got you.

It is always a bummer when your phone's battery is low or goes down completely when you are out running around for work or on those rare occasions where you forget your phone charger at home and are working from the office.

Keeping this in mind, employers can order in bulk core power banks for their employees. If they follow the link above or look further into it themselves they will find that they can order custom chargers that have their companies name or logo on it making it unique to their company.

Blue Light Glasses

Are your employees required to spend a majority of their work day in front of a computer? Sending out emails, or analyzing data, their eyes slowly start to become strained as they sit there throughout the day working away. If this describes your employees work then this is the perfect employee gift for them. Blue light glasses will not only help protect their eyes as they work on their computers but also prevent them from too much strain. 

ZenniOptical has a line of Blue Light Glasses in a bunch of different styles, these are their Square Glasses for $12.95 that come in clear, black, navy, tortoiseshell, and red. The light that computer screens project can cause both eye pain and headaches, by wearing these you can help prevent that.

Books and Journals

Reading, like watching TV or movies, is a great way to unwind at the end of a long work day. Jumping into different stories and engaging in fantasy worlds from the pages of a book (or by writing them) is always fun, so we thought of these gifts:

Besides some escapism, employees are at their best when they have engaging activities outside of work as well. Help them reach their resolution to read more books this year or, just give them a much needed way to escape the stresses of their daily life when you get them a Book of the Month subscription. BOTM's experts select five exciting new release titles every month, and subscribers select one to have delivered to their door. 

Each of us has our own unique strengths and weaknesses -- and the majority of professional advice and aptitude tests tend to focus on the latter. They identify gaps in knowledge, things we're bad at, things we should work on, etc. But psychologist Don Clifton brought a different approach to the table: what if we focus on our strengths? What if we lean into the skills we naturally have, and hone them into some of our strongest professional tools? And that's how StrengthsFinder was born.

Purchasing the book also comes with a code that allows your employee to take the test online. The book guides them through the results: what their strengths are, and how to leverage them. This positive approach to employee gift will have a huge impact -- both on your company and their professional mindset!

Available in a variety of colors, this handy little notebook comes with a pen, sticky notes, and arrow stickies as well. Customize it with the company logo and save when you order in bulk -- making it a practical gift for management and employees alike. So customize a Full Color Note Organizer & Paragon Pen today! (These are available to buy in bulk at varying price points).

A Barnes & Noble Gift Card

Pick up a book while you’re on your break and get a new one when you’re done all at B&N!

Buy A Barnes & Noble Gift Card

We can’t have a “Books and Journals” section without shouting out Barnes & Noble properly. The famous retailer has all the books in all the genres, that means you can read what you want, when you want, and pick up another all from the same store. This makes for a great general gift for lots of employees.

You can Purchase a GiftYa Gift Card to Barnes & Noble here!

Gift Baskets and Little “Thank You’s”

It’s important, all year round, to show appreciation for your employee’s hard work. Even more so when the holidays are coming up or their birthday. In cases such as these, one of the things they may do is either gift their employees with a gift basket like you’ll see below or simply a good written “thank you” note with a gift card in it. Specifically telling them what you appreciate and what they do that benefits the company is a huge way to boost morale. 

Harry & David is a well known business that specializes in making a variety of gift baskets, boxes, towers, and more. They have their own selection of Corporate Gifts here where you can take a look through their specific Client Appreciation, Employee Recognition, Personalized Gifts, and Customer Favorites sections.

This is an example from their Employee Gift Baskets & Boxes section. This is the Harry & David® Classic Gift Box with Sweet and Salty Treats for $49.99 which comes with:

Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn - classic caramel (6 oz)

Signature Trail Mix (10 oz)

Raspberry galettes (5.25 oz)

3 white chocolate raspberry cookie bars (1.4 oz each)

Mixed nuts [cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans] (4 oz)

Rainbow berry gummies (6 oz)

A Custom Visa Gift Card from Gift Card Granny

Make the cards more special, send a personalized gift card!

Buy A Visa Gift Card

Did you know that it is possible to make personalized Visa gift cards? Many people don’t. If all else fails we highly recommend that employers consider ordering a bulk order of personalized gift cards for their employees. They can have a picture on them for whatever the occasion may be that you are ordering them for. Or this gift is something you are planning on giving throughout the year, you could also have the company name or mascot printed on them. 

Gift cards are a great go-to for any occasion or even for a weekly office raffle. It’s up to the discretion of the employer how much they feel like making the gift cards worth. Best part? Most people don’t turn their nose to money that can be spent anywhere.

You can Purchase a Custom Visa Gift Card from Gift Card Granny here!

After reading through this we hope that you have been inspired by these employee appreciation gift ideas. Remember, business wouldn’t be able to run without their contributions to the company!