Employee Spirit Month, which is celebrated every March, is an annual holiday month, which the essence is to celebrate and honor all employees and the efforts of hard work, discipline, and diligence which generally contribute to the smooth running of the country’s labor force. The holiday was founded by Harriet Meyerson, an Ohio State University graduate who specializes in creating material for boosting employee morale. She has been known to do this for quite some years. The idea of Employee Spirit Month came about as a result of Harriet Meyerson’s understanding of a need for employees to be as comfortable and as motivated as possible at work.
History of Employee Spirit Month
Throughout time, high morale has been revealed to be highly influential in driving performance in all organizations. It has also been proven to benefit productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction, and most importantly, sound health for the worker. Many business owners and managers have been able to measure employee morale through the use of surveys, and this way, a direct connection between employee morale, and the company’s performance can be determined.
Low morale has been recognized as one of the major factors which negatively affect the productivity of an organization’s workforce, as well as the overall financial stability of the business. This low morale may lead to a decline in the workers’ concentration, therefore possibly leading to mistakes, poor customer service, and missed deadlines. It also can contribute to a high turnover rate and absenteeism in employees thereby meaning that the employee morale will be negatively impactful on the business in these respects. High employee morale can drive an organization forward, and low morale can inversely lead to employee disgruntlement, low performance, and absenteeism, all of which are detrimental to the organization.
There is usually a steep price to pay for the lacuna created by low employee morale, and one of the worst things for any organization is to lose money while losing employee productivity. According to research, there are millions of actively disengaged and unmotivated employees whose low morale is leaving a negative economic imprint on the American system. This research shows that the cost of low employee morale is to the tune of $350 billion each year as a result of plummeting productivity resulting from factors such as absenteeism, illness, and other associated problems. It is for such reasons as this, that Harriet Meyerson has dedicated her life to providing employers with viable solutions to the problem of low employee morale, and she remains in the business of doing so even today.
Employee Spirit Month timeline
The etymology of the word ‘morale’ is traced to a French origin.
American company Sears commences its regular analytical mood test for employees.
The first methodological framework for conducting scoping reviews of employee morale is developed.
Melissa Bushman writes an article titled “Tips for Increasing Employee Morale and Reducing Absenteeism.”
Employee Spirit Month FAQs
What is Employee Spirit Month?
Employee Spirit Month, celebrated in March every year, is an American holiday meant to boost enthusiasm among all employees at their workplace and reward their efforts.
Who is the Employee of the Month?
The Employee of the month award usually goes to the employee who exhibits performance that is reflective of the company’s ethics.
Why is employee morale important?
Employee morale is important because employees with high morale are better engaged, motivated, and efficient at work. This leads to more productivity on the job.
How to Observe Employee Spirit Month
Give your employees a special treat
Your employees spend a reasonable portion of their lives working for you, and even though they get paid, sometimes they may not feel up to it and yet they show up. A good way to appreciate them is by giving them a special treat (like tickets to a concert for example)
Organize an office hangout/retreat
This could be a really fun way to help your employees loosen up a bit and have some fun. This would allow them to bond with other co-workers over non-work-related activities and it would boost your employees’ morale.
Give your employee some time off
Sometimes what some of your employees need is some time off to rest and recharge. In celebrating the employee spirit, you could add this to your list of options for improving employee morale.
5 Interesting Facts About Employee Morale
Happy employees outperform the competition
The happier your employees, the more likely they are to outperform your competition.
Rewards boost employee engagement
Adding rewards to your employees’ activities enables them to engage better.
Theme days make work fun
Having theme days for every workweek, are a good way to throw a little fun into the mix of things, thereby giving your employees something to always look forward to at work.
Work retreats foster work relationships
It is absolutely important to maintain a good relationship with one’s co-workers, and most employees can do this through activities like work retreats and hangouts, further increasing the team’s morale.
Employees function better when work is fun
When work feels a little more like fun, and employees feel more like they are in the company of family and friends, morale is on a high.
Why Employee Spirit Month is Important
Employee morale is rekindled
Employee spirit month is a way of rekindling your employees’ morale if they know that you have interesting things lined up for them. We love this!
It’s an avenue to foster employee relationships
The fun and interesting activities that come with the employee spirit month are a very vital way to foster and improve the relationship among your employees. A good working relationship is essential to productivity.
Everyone is in high spirits
When Employee Spirit Month comes around, everybody is in high spirits, particularly employees. This means they’re operating at their best, keeping customers happy, and it’s all just a chain reaction of happiness!
Employee Spirit Month dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | March 1 | Saturday |
| 2026 | March 1 | Sunday |
| 2027 | March 1 | Monday |
| 2028 | March 1 | Wednesday |
| 2029 | March 1 | Thursday |
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