PaperDirect Blog PaperDirect Blog

A healthy staff is a productive staff. This year, get everyone in the office geared up and ready to participate in Bike to Work Day. Or, better yet, make it a weekly event. Each Friday allow staff to dress casual and cycle to work.

Why? Aerobic exercise, like cycling, walking and swimming helps you live longer by maximizing the amount of oxygen in your blood, increases feel-good hormones called endorphins and helps you lose extra pounds or maintain a healthy weight, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Cities like Denver have organized bike to work days that turn out thousands of bikers. If your city doesn’t have an official day, create one! Try partnering with fellow companies or organizations to kick start a new tradition.

So, let’s get everyone into the groove, and on bikes. Here are a few ways to motivate employees to pedal to the office.

1. Offer a later start time on biking days. If most employees report to work at 8:00am, let them arrive at 8:30am, so they have an hour to cycle to the office and enjoy the scenery along the way.

2. Present a healthy breakfast on bike to work days. Create a small spread of fresh fruit, oatmeal or scrambled eggs in a slow cooker and a selection of herbal teas and juices in the conference room.

3. Give out awards to active participants. Present certificates to the people who biked to work the most often in a given month or who traveled the furthest. Keep the presentation lighthearted and fun!

4. Partner with a local cycling club. Have the members come to the office and present some cycling performance and safety tips so the employees feel ready to tackle a new type of exercise.

5. Keep it casual. One days employees ride to work, relax the dress code and keep the schedule light. Desk work and small department meetings are fine. Skip the big client presentations or appointments away from the office.

Sometimes all you need to do to get employees to participate in a bike to work event is let them know it’s happening and why it will benefit them personally. It’s hard to turn down an opportunity that makes the work day more enjoyable, your body healthier and your co-workers happier!

With summer upon us, it’s time for employers to start thinking about motivational gifts for employees, and if you’re the office manager who has been assigned this task, PaperDirect has some ideas that may make your job just a little bit easier this summer. For employees fortunate enough to have a boss that shows his/her appreciation with gifts, summer is a great time to give creative, yet practical, motivational gifts that can be used during the warm summer months.

• Water bottles have become one of the most popular motivational gifts for employees in recent years. Many people take a water bottle with them wherever they go, especially in the hot summer months, so a water bottle is a considerate and practical motivational gift for the summertime. Add that extra special touch by having the water bottle personalized for your deserving employee.
• Tote bags (perfect for the beach, pool or any summertime excursion) are a great motivational gift for employees that can be used during summertime and year-round.

Tips for Employee Gift Giving

Be Fair – Try and keep your gifts fair where cost is concerned, especially if everyone is pretty equal in their job duties and salaries. Giving one person an expensive gift and another employee an inexpensive gift is a sure way to create resentment and hard feelings.

Be Gender Neutral – Stay away from gender specific gifts such as football or baseball tickets for the men and necklaces for the women. The office is not the place

for gender specific gifts.

Don’t Overspend – Company picnics are

fun for everyone but consider your employee gifts as an expense and budget for that expense.

Do It Yourself – As a small business owner, don’t assign all the employee gift buying to one of your employees. Do it yourself or ask a friend, associate or relative to help you.

Cards or Thank You Notes – A nice card along with a personal hand-written note to go along with your gift is the perfect touch and will be appreciated.