A simple "thank you" goes a long way, but sometimes words aren't enough. Whether you are celebrating a work anniversary, wrapping up a massive project, or simply trying to boost morale during a slump, the right gift can make your team feel truly seen and valued.
But let’s be honest: finding meaningful gifts for employees is difficult. You want to avoid the generic branded swag that ends up in a donation bin, but you also have to balance company budgets with diverse personal tastes.
If you’ve been struggling to find gift ideas for staff appreciation that actually resonate, you are in the right place. This guide covers 50 unique ideas, moving beyond the standard gift card to include options that build culture and connection.
Small Appreciation Gifts for Employees (Under $25)
When it comes to gifts, going for the practical choice is always wise. Desk accessories and office supplies are things people use daily and can help enhance productivity and organization.
Think ergonomic accessories like mouse pads, wrist rests, adjustable monitor stands, and high-quality notebooks or journals in awesome designs. Noise-canceling headphones, wireless chargers, and USB hubs are also handy.
1. Specialty Coffee or Tea Blends
✅ Best For: The caffeine enthusiasts and early risers.
💰 Price Range: $15 – $25
Upgrading their daily ritual feels luxurious without breaking the bank. Look for a bag of beans from a local roaster or a unique herbal tea blend that feels significantly nicer than the standard breakroom supply. It’s a consumable gift that won’t clutter their desk but will definitely be enjoyed.
2. Low-Maintenance Succulents or Air Plants
✅ Best For: Brightening up a desk (home or office).
💰 Price Range: $10 – $25
Plants reduce stress and boost productivity, but not everyone has a green thumb. Succulents are the perfect staff appreciation gift because they are incredibly hard to kill and last far longer than a bouquet of flowers. They add a touch of life to any workspace.
3. Premium Notebooks (Moleskine or Leuchtturm style)
✅ Best For: Planners, designers, and avid note-takers.
💰 Price Range: $15 – $25
There is a distinct difference between a cheap spiral pad and a high-quality hardcover notebook with thick paper. It’s a practical tool that feels like a treat, especially for employees who still prefer writing down their to-do lists by hand.
4. A "Coffee Break" Gift Card
✅ Best For: A quick, universal thank you.
💰 Price Range: $10 – $20
Giving an employee a gift card to Starbucks, Dunkin', or a local café is essentially buying them a moment of relaxation. It’s a low-pressure gift that is universally appreciated and gives them an excuse to step away from the screen for a few minutes.
5. High-Quality Chocolate or Artisanal Snacks
✅ Best For: The office snacker or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
💰 Price Range: $5 – $15
Skip the vending machine candy. A bar of single-origin chocolate, a bag of gourmet popcorn, or artisanal pretzels feels like a genuine reward rather than just a sugar rush. It’s a small luxury they likely wouldn’t buy for themselves on a random Tuesday.
6. Desktop Mug Warmer
✅ Best For: Employees who get distracted and let their coffee go cold.
💰 Price Range: $15 – $25
This is a gadget many people want but rarely buy for themselves. It keeps tea or coffee at the perfect temperature for hours, showing you pay attention to their daily comfort and want to improve their desk setup.
7. Portable Power Bank
✅ Best For: Commuters and remote workers on the go.
💰 Price Range: $20 – $25
Tech anxiety is real. A slim, portable charger is an incredibly useful tool that saves the day when their phone battery hits 5%. It’s practical, thoughtful, and something they will use outside of work hours, too.
8. Audible or E-Book Credits
✅ Best For: Commuters and lifelong learners.
💰 Price Range: $15 (approx. 1 credit)
If you have employees who love to read or have long commutes, gifting a credit for an audiobook or an ebook is a thoughtful way to support their hobbies. It shows you value their personal growth and downtime.
9. Stress Relief Desktop Toys
✅ Best For: Fidgeters and creative thinkers.
💰 Price Range: $10 – $20
Whether it’s a high-quality fidget spinner, a magnetic sculpture, or a stress ball, these small toys can actually help channel nervous energy and improve focus during long meetings. It brings a little bit of playfulness into the workday.
10. Personalized "Kudos" Note + Their Favorite Treat
✅ Best For: A highly personal, meaningful touch.
💰 Price Range: $5 – $10
Never underestimate the power of a handwritten note. Specific praise (e.g., "I really appreciated how you handled that client call") paired with their specific favorite candy bar often means more than a generic $50 gift because it proves you know them personally.
Meaningful & Personalized Gifts
Sometimes the best gift for staff appreciation isn't about the price tag, but the thought behind it. These ideas focus on personalization and showing your employees that you see them as individuals, not just workers.
11. Charity Donation in Their Name
✅ Best For: Employees who are value-driven or passionate about specific causes.
💰 Price Range: $25 – $100
Instead of a physical item, give them a donation card (like GlobalGiving or DonorsChoose) where they get to pick the charity. This is one of the most meaningful gifts for employees because it supports a cause close to their heart, whether that’s animal rescue, climate change, or local education.
12. A Book Tailored to Their Hobbies
✅ Best For: The avid reader, the aspiring chef, or the history buff.
💰 Price Range: $20 – $40
Don't just give a business book. If you know they love Italian cooking, get a high-end pasta cookbook. If they love sci-fi, get the latest bestseller. This proves you listen when they talk about their life outside of work.
13. Custom Digital Avatar or Illustration
✅ Best For: Remote teams and adding personality to Slack/Teams.
💰 Price Range: $30 – $60
Hire an artist (easy to find on Fiverr or Etsy) to draw a stylized portrait of your employee. It’s a fun, unique keepsake that they can use as their profile picture on Slack, Microsoft Teams, or LinkedIn. It adds a great sense of fun to company culture.
14. MasterClass (or similar) Subscription
✅ Best For: Lifelong learners and creative spirits.
💰 Price Range: $10 – $15/month
Give the gift of learning from the best. Whether they want to learn cooking from Gordon Ramsay or photography from Annie Leibovitz, this subscription supports their personal growth and interests purely for the joy of it, not just for professional development.
15. Personalized High-Quality Stationery
✅ Best For: The organized professional who loves pen and paper.
💰 Price Range: $30 – $60
A set of notecards or a leather-bound notebook embossed with their initials adds a level of sophistication to their desk. It’s a classic professional gift that feels elevated and personal.
16. A "Pet Care" Package
✅ Best For: The employee who is obsessed with their dog or cat.
💰 Price Range: $25 – $50
For many employees, their pets are their children. A gift box with high-quality treats, a durable toy, or a branded bandana for their pet shows that you appreciate their "whole self," including their four-legged office mates.
17. Framed "Word Cloud" of Team Praise
✅ Best For: Work anniversaries or emotional milestones.
💰 Price Range: $20 – $40 (Printing and framing)
Collect one word or sentence from every team member describing what they appreciate about this employee, then arrange it into a designed print. This acts as a tangible reminder of their impact on the team and is often kept for years.
18. A Cameo Video Message
✅ Best For: A funny, memorable surprise for the team joker or pop-culture fan.
💰 Price Range: $50 – $150
Getting a personalized video shoutout from their favorite minor celebrity, athlete, or reality TV star is a hilarious and unforgettable way to say thank you. It creates a shared moment of joy that the whole team will talk about.
19. Plant a Tree in Their Name
✅ Best For: The eco-conscious employee.
💰 Price Range: $10 – $30
Services like Treedom or One Tree Planted allow you to plant a tree in an employee's name. You often receive a certificate and coordinates of where the tree was planted. It’s a lasting legacy gift that contributes to the planet.
20. Customized "Swag" (That They Actually Want)
✅ Best For: Team spirit without the "cheap" feel.
💰 Price Range: $40 – $80
Move away from cheap t-shirts. Think high-quality Patagonia fleece, a North Face backpack, or a Nike hoodie with a very subtle company logo (or just their initials). If the quality is high, they will wear it because they like it, not just because they have to.
Gifts for Remote & Hybrid Teams
Managing a distributed team comes with unique challenges, and appreciation can sometimes get lost in digital translation. These gifts are designed specifically to improve the work-from-home experience, helping remote staff feel connected and comfortable in their home offices.
21. Food Delivery Credits (UberEats / DoorDash)
✅ Best For: A "Virtual Team Lunch" or a treat for a busy week.
💰 Price Range: $25 – $50
Since you can't take them out to lunch, bring lunch to them. Sending a digital credit for a food delivery service allows remote employees to order exactly what they want from their favorite local spot. It’s a practical, immediate reward that solves the "what's for lunch?" problem.
22. Customizable Snack Box (e.g., SnackMagic)
✅ Best For: Recreating the office breakroom experience at home.
💰 Price Range: $45 – $60
One of the biggest downsides of pre-curated baskets is dietary restrictions. Services like SnackMagic allow you to set a budget, and the employee fills their own box with snacks they actually can (and want to) eat. It’s the ultimate way to cater to vegan, gluten-free, or keto preferences without the headache.
23. Video Call Enhancement Kit (Ring Light)
✅ Best For: Client-facing staff or frequent Zoom users.
💰 Price Range: $20 – $40
Lighting makes a massive difference in how we present ourselves online. A simple, clip-on ring light or a desk-mounted light improves video quality instantly, helping your team feel more confident and professional during internal and external calls.
24. Blue Light Blocking Glasses
✅ Best For: Employees suffering from screen fatigue or headaches.
💰 Price Range: $25 – $50
With remote work often leading to longer screen time, eye strain is a real issue. A stylish pair of non-prescription blue light glasses shows you care about their physical wellness and long-term health.
25. A High-Quality "Office" Blanket
✅ Best For: The "always cold" employee.
💰 Price Range: $30 – $60
One of the perks of working from home is comfort. A premium, soft throw blanket is a cozy addition to a home office chair. It acknowledges the human side of remote work that sometimes you just want to be warm while clearing your inbox.
26. Virtual Team Activity Vouchers
✅ Best For: Team building and morale boosting.
💰 Price Range: $20 – $40 per person
Instead of a physical object, gift an experience. This could be a virtual escape room, a hosted online trivia session, or a murder mystery game. It provides a structured way for the team to hang out and have fun without talking about work.
27. DIY Cocktail or Mocktail Kits
✅ Best For: Virtual Happy Hours.
💰 Price Range: $40 – $70
Send a kit containing syrups, garnishes, and mixers (alcohol can often be optional or sent separately depending on shipping laws). It turns a standard MS Teams or Slack happy hour into an interactive mixology class where everyone is making the same drink together, apart.
28. "Letterbox" Brownies or Cookies
✅ Best For: A sweet surprise that doesn't require a signature.
💰 Price Range: $15 – $30
"Letterbox" gifts are designed to fit through a standard mail slot. This means the employee doesn't need to be home to sign for a package (avoiding the "sorry we missed you" slip). It’s a seamless way to get freshly-baked goods onto their doormat.
29. Headspace or Calm App Subscription
✅ Best For: Mental health and boundary setting.
💰 Price Range: $60 – $70 (Annual subscription)
Remote work can blur the lines between "home" and "office," leading to burnout. A year’s subscription to a meditation and sleep app is a powerful signal that you support their mental health and want them to disconnect at the end of the day.
30. High-End Puzzle or Board Game
✅ Best For: Encouraging screen-free downtime.
💰 Price Range: $25 – $40
After looking at a monitor for 8 hours, the best gift is something analog. A beautifully designed 1000-piece puzzle or a strategy board game gives them a way to relax and engage their brain without blue light.
Premium & Luxury Gifts
When celebrating a major work anniversary, a retirement, or exceptional annual performance, a $25 gift card won't cut it. These premium gifts are significant investments that signal to your employee: "Your contribution is vital to this company."
31. Premium Noise-Canceling Headphones
✅ Best For: Deep workers and frequent flyers.
💰 Price Range: $250 – $400
Top-tier headphones from brands like Bose or Sony are the gold standard for focus. They aren't just a gadget; they are a productivity tool that allows employees to carve out a quiet space in a busy office or a noisy home environment.
32. High-End Carry-On Luggage
✅ Best For: The road warrior or travel enthusiast.
💰 Price Range: $200 – $350
A hard-shell, lifetime-warranty suitcase (like those from Away or Monos) upgrades their travel experience instantly. It’s a sleek, durable gift that they will use for years, thinking of the company every time they pack for a vacation.
33. Smart Watch or Fitness Tracker
✅ Best For: The health-conscious and data-driven employee.
💰 Price Range: $250 – $450
Whether it’s an Apple Watch or a high-end Garmin, a smartwatch helps employees manage their notifications and their health. It’s a lifestyle gift that integrates into their daily routine, encouraging wellness and balance.
34. A Top-Tier Ergonomic Office Chair
✅ Best For: Long-term remote employees.
💰 Price Range: $300 – $1,000+
Few things impact daily work life like the chair you sit in. Offering a stipend for a Herman Miller or Steelcase chair is a massive gesture of care for their physical long-term health. It transforms their home office into a professional workspace.
35. At-Home Espresso Machine
✅ Best For: The coffee connoisseur who spends $6 a day at cafes.
💰 Price Range: $150 – $500
Give them the gift of café-quality coffee in their kitchen. A compact Nespresso or Breville machine is a luxury appliance that feels indulgent and adds a touch of class to their morning routine.
36. Airbnb or Hotel Gift Card (Weekend Getaway)
✅ Best For: Encouraging use of PTO and unplugging.
💰 Price Range: $200 – $500
Cash bonuses are great, but they often get spent on bills. A travel gift card must be spent on an experience. It forces the employee to take a break and treat themselves to a change of scenery, which is essential for preventing burnout.
37. Percussive Massage Device (Theragun/Hypervolt)
✅ Best For: Athletes and anyone with desk-related back pain.
💰 Price Range: $150 – $300
These handheld massage guns have become incredibly popular for a reason. They provide immediate relief for tight shoulders and backs, common complaints for office workers. It’s a wellness gift that feels high-tech and premium.
38. Custom "Nike By You" Sneakers
✅ Best For: The stylish employee who values self-expression.
💰 Price Range: $120 – $180
Instead of buying them shoes, give them a gift card specifically for the custom design experience on Nike (or similar brands). They get to choose the colors and materials to design a one-of-a-kind pair of sneakers that fits their personal style perfectly.
39. Premium Tech Backpack or Tote
✅ Best For: Commuters who carry expensive gear.
💰 Price Range: $150 – $250
Brands like Peak Design, Aer, or Bellroy make bags that are vastly superior to standard backpacks. They are water-resistant, organized, and designed to protect laptops. It’s an upgrade that makes their daily commute significantly smoother.
40. VIP Event Tickets
✅ Best For: Creating an unforgettable memory.
💰 Price Range: $200 – $500+
Find out their favorite band or sports team and buy great seats (not nosebleeds). Handing over a pair of tickets to see their favorite artist live is a deeply personal gesture that says, "I know who you are outside of this office."
Experiential & Team Building Gifts
Physical gifts are great, but shared experiences build bonds. If you want to improve team cohesion while saying thank you, these experiential gifts create memories that last longer than a box of chocolates.
41. Private Cooking Class
✅ Best For: Foodie teams who love to get hands-on.
💰 Price Range: $75 – $120 per person
Whether it’s making pasta from scratch or learning the art of sushi, a cooking class forces the team to communicate and collaborate in a low-stakes, fun environment. Plus, everyone gets to eat a delicious meal at the end.
42. In-Office Food Truck Surprise
✅ Best For: A spontaneous mid-day morale boost.
💰 Price Range: $15 – $25 per person
Surprise the office by hiring a popular local food truck (tacos, burgers, or artisanal ice cream) to park outside for lunch. It breaks up the monotony of the workday and gets people mingling outside in the fresh air.
43. Team Escape Room Challenge
✅ Best For: Problem solvers and analytical teams.
💰 Price Range: $30 – $50 per person
Escape rooms are the ultimate teamwork test. They require different personality types (leaders, observers, and thinkers) to work together to solve puzzles under pressure. It’s high-energy, exciting, and reveals great team dynamics.
44. Paid Volunteer Day
✅ Best For: Teams that want to give back to the community.
💰 Price Range: Free (Cost of paid time off)
Organize a day where the office closes, and the team goes to pack meals at a food bank, clean up a park, or help at an animal shelter. It bonds the team over a shared sense of purpose and reflects positively on your company values.
45. Guided Brewery or Vineyard Tour
✅ Best For: Celebrating a major project launch or quarter-end.
💰 Price Range: $40 – $80 per person
If your company culture allows for alcohol, a guided tasting tour is a relaxed way to socialize. It removes the hierarchy of the office and allows managers and junior staff to chat casually over a drink.
46. Professional Workshop of Their Choice
✅ Best For: Teams hungry for growth.
💰 Price Range: $100 – $300 per person
Bring in an expert for a workshop that isn't about their daily tasks. Think: public speaking training, a negotiation masterclass, or even a specialized creative writing seminar. It shows you invest in their skills, not just their output.
47. "Tourist in Your Own City" Tour
✅ Best For: Local teams who rarely leave the office bubble.
💰 Price Range: $30 – $60 per person
Hire a local guide for a history walk, a ghost tour, or a street art tour of your city. Even for locals, these tours often reveal hidden gems and offer a nice afternoon of walking and talking outside the office.
48. Pottery or Painting Night
✅ Best For: Creative expression and stress relief.
💰 Price Range: $40 – $70 per person
"Sip and Paint" nights or pottery wheel workshops are fantastic because they require focus, which helps people disconnect from work stress. It’s messy, fun, and everyone leaves with a tangible reminder of the event.
49. Private Movie Screening
✅ Best For: A chill, low-pressure afternoon.
💰 Price Range: $20 – $40 per person (plus theater rental)
Rent out a small local theater for a matinee screening of a new blockbuster or a classic film. Provide popcorn and drinks, and let the team just relax in the dark for two hours. It’s a great way to recharge.
50. The Gift of Time: A Surprise Early Dismissal
✅ Best For: Literally every single employee.
💰 Price Range: Free
Sometimes, the best gift isn't a thing, it's time. Announcing at 12:00 PM on a Friday that the office is closing and everyone is paid for the rest of the day is often the most appreciated gift of all. It gives them a head start on their weekend and shows you respect their life outside work.
The Ultimate Gift: Continuous Team Connection
While physical gifts and gift cards are appreciated, they are often one-off gestures. Once the chocolate is eaten or the money is spent, the effect fades.
If you are looking for a gift that keeps on giving, consider giving them the gift of connection.
CoffeePals is the Microsoft Teams and Slack app designed to recreate the "water cooler" moments that remote teams miss so much. Rather than a one-time reward, it builds a culture of appreciation and friendship all year round.
Here's why CoffeePals is the perfect appreciation tool:
- Access to Leadership: Use the matching tools to organize CEO Coffee Chat Lotteries or Executive Encounters. It gives staff a rare, casual opportunity to chat with management, ask questions, and feel heard by the people at the top.
- Automated Connections: It automatically pairs colleagues for virtual coffee chats, ensuring that team members get to know people outside their immediate department.
- The "Coffee Maker" Feature: Start fun, asynchronous conversations in your team channel with daily prompts (e.g., "What’s the best book you’ve read this year?"). It keeps engagement high without adding another meeting to the calendar.
✅ Best For: Remote/Hybrid organizations using Microsoft Teams and Slack who want to improve retention and flatten the hierarchy.
Appreciation is a Practice, Not Just a Present
Finding the right gift for staff appreciation can be stressful, but remember: the specific item matters less than the intent behind it.
Whether you choose a $10 succulent, a $300 noise-canceling headset, or simply a scheduled time to listen to them via a CoffeePals chat, the core message remains the same: acknowledgment.
Your employees want to know that their hard work is seen and that they are valued members of the team. The most effective strategy is to mix these physical gestures with a consistent culture of gratitude.
Don't wait for "Employee Appreciation Day" or the annual holiday party. Pick one idea from this list, even a small one, and make someone's day today.
Looking for more ideas on employee appreciation and recognition?
Read this article next: Ultimate Guide to Building an Employee Recognition Board
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I have to give everyone the same gift?
You can, but unique gifts are best. While the monetary value of the gifts should be consistent to ensure fairness, the item itself should be personalized. Giving a non-drinker a bottle of wine because "everyone got one" shows a lack of attention. Using a "choose your own" gift platform or selecting specific items based on their hobbies makes the gesture far more meaningful.
2. When is the best time to give appreciation gifts?
While "Employee Appreciation Day" (first Friday in March) and the December holidays are standard, the most impactful gifts are often unexpected. Sending a gift immediately after the completion of a difficult project, or celebrating a personal life milestone (like a new home or baby), shows that you are paying attention to their contributions in real-time.
3. Is company swag considered a good appreciation gift?
Generally, no. While branded hoodies or water bottles are great for new hire onboarding or for ongoing giveaways, giving them as a "thank you" gift for milestones or special events can feel self-serving. An appreciation gift should be about them, not your brand. The exception is high-end, co-branded gear (like a Patagonia jacket or a Yeti cooler), where the quality of the item outweighs the presence of the logo.
4. How do I find out what my employees actually want without ruining the surprise?
The best strategy is to have every employee fill out a "Favorites Survey" during onboarding. Ask for their coffee order, favorite snack, hobbies, and T-shirt size. Keep this file accessible to managers. This way, when it's time to send a gift, you don't have to ask. You already know they prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate. Better yet, make casual conversations the norm in your organization so that personal details like these stick.
5. What gifts should I avoid giving employees?
Avoid gifts that are too personal or risky. This includes perfume/cologne (scent is subjective), clothing that requires guessing specific sizes (which can be uncomfortable), or "gag gifts" that might be misinterpreted. Also, be cautious with alcohol; always check if the employee drinks before sending wine or spirits.
