As remote work continues to gain popularity, it’s reshaped how we approach productivity, collaboration, and work-life balance. While offering flexibility and convenience, remote work also presents unique challenges like isolation, communication barriers, and low team morale.

Thoughtful gifting is a meaningful way to improve the remote work experience, fostering connection, appreciation, and motivation among distributed teams. By addressing the human aspect of remote work, companies can help bridge the gap between physical distance and emotional engagement—making remote work not just viable, but truly rewarding. 

Read on to discover 23 thoughtful gifts you can give employees this year.

Comfort and practicality

You can enhance the remote work experience by optimizing technology, and ensuring comfort and well-being with thoughtful, practical gifts.

• Cozy and comfortable: Cozy indoor slippers, lumbar cushions, and ergonomic office chairs create a comfortable home office environment. Send gift cards from Nordstrom, Amazon, or Zappos for employees to choose their preferred items, allowing them to personalize their workspace for maximum comfort and productivity.
• Clean desks: Maintaining a clean and organized workspace is essential for productivity, and a clean workspace not only looks better but also contributes to a more focused and efficient work environment. Offer employees gift cards from Target or Sam’s Club so they can find the best cleaning supplies to keep their workplace tidy.
• Desk accessories: Practical and stylish items like organizers, cable management solutions, monitor stands, and desk lamps keep workspaces tidy, enhance productivity, and add a touch of personal flair. Consider sending gift cards from Office Depot so your employees can choose how to customize their workspace.

As comfort and well-being lay the foundation for a positive remote work experience, you can also consider gifts that enhance work efficiency and organization.

Work efficiency and organization

For remote workers, staying organized and focused is crucial to maintaining productivity and reducing stress. Gifts that enhance work efficiency and streamline the home office environment can make a significant difference in how effectively someone manages their tasks and responsibilities.

Here are some gifts for remote employees that improve work efficiency and organization:

• Minimalist planner: Simplify task management with tools like seven-day sticky note planners, pomodoro timers, desk calendars, and sticky notes. Offer digital gift cards from Staples to your staff so they can pick their favorite one.
• High-quality work tools: Equip remote workers with premium tools that enhance their work experience. They can purchase high-quality webcams, computer mice, and tablets if you give them gift cards from Best Buy or Apple.

By providing tools that promote organization and facilitate smooth workflows, you can help remote workers achieve a more structured and productive workday.

Personal care and wellness

Supporting the well-being of remote workers goes beyond the office setup, extending into health, nutrition, and personal comfort.

Here are some gift ideas to support staff health and wellbeing:

• Healthy meals: Nourish remote workers with healthy meals filled with nutritious, energy-boosting ingredients that keep them fueled throughout the day. Send them gift cards from HelloFresh, Panera, or Subway so they can have healthy meals throughout their work day.
• Fitness and health: Encourage a healthy lifestyle with gifts that promote physical activity and well-being. Get employees gift cards from REI, Athleta, or Adidas to support a holistic approach to well-being for sustaining long-term productivity and happiness in a remote work setting.

As well-being and productivity are essential for a balanced remote work life, it's equally important to consider how entertainment and leisure play a role in relaxation and rejuvenation.

Entertainment and leisure

Help remote workers unwind and recharge with thoughtful gifts that cater to entertainment and leisure.

Here are some gift ideas to consider for employees who want to relax and unwind:

• Subscriptions and memberships: Provide remote workers with entertainment service subscriptions to popular platforms such as Hulu, or Spotify, offering a range of movies, music, and documentaries to enjoy during their downtime.
• Relaxation: Send gift cards from SpaFinder, AMC, or similar services allows employees to choose their preferred relaxation experiences, whether it's a spa day or a movie night.

As entertainment and leisure enrich the remote work experience, so can experiences and travel.

Experiences and travel

Experiences and travel offer remote workers opportunities to break free from their daily routines and explore new environments. Gifting experiences can provide much-needed rejuvenation, helping them maintain a healthy work-life balance. From weekend getaways to virtual tours, these thoughtful gestures can enrich the lives of remote workers, allowing them to create lasting memories and recharge for the challenges ahead.

Here are some experiences and travel gift ideas for remote employees:

• Travel: Encourage remote workers to take a break and explore new places with travel-related gifts. A weekend getaway package to a nearby destination offers a refreshing escape from the home office, allowing them to unwind and recharge in a different environment. For those who prefer to plan their adventures, a gift card from Airbnb, Hotels.com, or Hopper can provide the flexibility to choose a destination that suits their interests and schedule. These travel gifts offer the chance to create lasting memories and return to work with renewed energy and inspiration.
• Experiences: Gift experiences that offer unique and enriching activities, either in person or virtually. A cooking class from Groupon with a renowned chef or wine-tasting experiences can provide a fun and educational break from work, allowing remote workers to develop new skills and indulge in their passions.

Experiences and travel bring excitement, but the final touch to a thoughtful gift lies in its delivery and customization. Here are ways to ensure gifts arrive with a personal and memorable impact.

Gift delivery and customization

Gift delivery and customization ensures thoughtful gifts leave a lasting impression. In today’s fast-paced, digital world, convenience and personalization are key.

Platforms like Tango offer a seamless solution by enabling the digital delivery of gift cards in real time, ensuring recipients receive their gifts instantly, no matter where they are. Immediate delivery allows senders to surprise their recipients, making the gift even more meaningful.

Customization further elevates the gift-giving experience by adding a personal touch that shows thoughtfulness and care. With Tango, you can easily customize the delivery emails to include personalized messages, images, or branding, making the gift feel tailored to the recipient.

Whether adding a heartfelt note or incorporating company branding for a corporate gift, these customization options ensure that the gift stands out and resonates with the recipient on a deeper level.

Conclusion

The right gifts can significantly enhance the work-from-home experience by addressing both the practical and personal needs of remote workers.

By considering these gifts, you can create a positive and impactful gifting experience that not only supports productivity but also fosters connection and appreciation in the remote work environment.