Most Wonderful Return to Office Gifts for Your Employees

Some employees see their return to the office as a treat! A sudden change in their adapted lifestyles might not be easy, even if they come back to familiar settings. The pandemic created some of these hesitations, and employers are finding ways to welcome them back, apart from disinfecting the office. There’s a new trend of giving all employees a return to office gift as they come back to the professional world amidst these challenges. It might just be a great idea to lift tired spirits and boost the mood so employees can go back to their former productive selves. Assuming that all other precautions have been covered, what else can you do to help employees feel excited about the office?

List of Affordable and Premium Return to Work Gifts to Choose From

These welcome back to office gift ideas for new hires and existing staff are bound to be big hits. We’ve selected various ideas based on function, safety, comfort that will last and fit all budgets.

1. Safety Packages

Safety packages are the most apparent welcome back to office gift. This gift idea could be like a welcome gift basket filLED with goodies ranging from snacks, office tools, and safety goods. The focus, however, will be on the safety goods like gloves, handwashes, hair nets, masks, and sanitizer bottles. While the economy and your office might be recovering, it still isn't 100% safe outside their homes. Employees are still risking their health as they go back to work. This gift basket can help employees protect themselves by providing them with safety supplies at their desks. It could go a long way in preventing them from contracting COVID-19 and is ready for use right away.     

2. Office or Desk Staples

More welcome back gift ideas involve providing the items employees use every day. The contents of this return to office gift might differ for each department, and you could add some general office supplies or office desk accessories that each team member will find helpful.    

3. Wellness Hampers

Ever thought about how your employees would appreciate relaxing gifts to ease tension and anxiety? These are the relaxing gifts they’re looking forward to that would give them a refreshing change from their work-related environment. This return to office gift also shows them that you are putting their wellness first to make them comfortable at work.  

4. Bottles

To maintain social distancing, offices prohibit access to public use areas like the tea room, cafeteria, and water fountain. In place of communal items, try gifting them with a bottle that they can fill with water. This is the perfect return to office gift that can help everyone lower the risk of contamination, keep employees from needing to move around too much.      

5. Hybrid Reorganization

Some offices won’t be considering a full return-to-work scenario but a hybrid workplace instead. Employers are redesigning their office layouts with smarter, stylishly coordinated work items called smart office accessories. Not only are these extra appealing, but they are also ergonomic and promote better work health too. Pair an office standing desk with an ergonomic chair to make employees feel more welcome from lockdown situations.            

6. Lunch Box Holders

Just like the water bottles, a lunch box could be a very useful welcome back gift idea as well. The concept is the same – to prevent unwanted socialization and viral spread. It's also a great way to encourage employees to bring healthy home-cooked meals and better sanitization as they can bring their own cutlery. Their lunch essentials can be safely stored away after use in these handy lunch box totes.     

7. Cooking Essentials

In connection to bringing home-cooked meals, more employees are making meals at home as it's easier and healthier. A good return to office gift idea would be a nice cooking starter set or a cookbook that gives them ideas. Otherwise, give them a gift card to the most prestigious online cooking schools or home shops where they can find the skills and tools needed for their gastronomic efforts.    

8. Bag Organizers

Now that employees have much more to carry to the workplace, they need a well-organized bag. While it is easy to settle a bottle or lunch box in a bag, it’s the smaller items that tend to get misplaced. These nifty bag organizers keep all your essentials in one place so that they don’t get lost. These return to office gifts are good for holding keys, chargers, smaller tools, pens, devices, makeup, and more.     

9. Setting Up a Happy Hour

Now that everyone is back in the office, it’s a great opportunity to transform those virtual happy hour sessions into real ones. Schedule a special happy hour where employees can be entertained, visit or simply lunch together. Be sure to keep in mind the state's guidelines and rules about sharing spaces.      

10. Providing More Workshops or Resources

Provide your employees with more information that they can use to ease their transition. Prepare some additional resources so that your team is prepared ahead of time. You can even choose the formats that work best for you. For example, hosting virtual wellness seminars that they can watch at their desks, share links to articles, videos that they can find useful, updates on services or benefits offered.

11. Virtual Gifts

Smaller return to office gifts can prove to be helpful and can be easily shared with hybrid and on-site employees. Think of all the emailable items that you can send them: things like gift cards, meal delivery discounts, transportation, books, or treats. You could even provide them with a free subscription to a top wellness program like yoga or meditation apps. The best part is that you can choose the suitable amount to put on those virtual gifts.