Hilarious Employee Awards to Boost Office Spirits

There are numerous methods to foster a supportive work atmosphere and involve staff, but none are quite as entertaining as implementing an employee recognition scheme. Research reveals that acknowledgment is a primary factor for boosting employee engagement; “when workers anticipate recognition, they are 2.7 times more inclined to be involved.” Engaged workers are content, and content workers are more participative and efficient. 

To infuse even more positivity at work, think about incorporating humorous employee awards into the workplace culture. These awards can amuse and offer a chance to honor staff not just for their performance but also for making others smile or fostering positivity. 

Trying to be deliberately amusing can be daunting. Don’t worry. We have curated some ideas for hilarious employee awards. Use them as a launching pad to establish your own comedic employee recognition program or enhance staff engagement.   

What Are Employee Awards? 

Traditional employee awards are employed to inspire and acknowledge your team. Various firms reward employees across different disciplines. Common reward areas include performance, goal completion, customer service, character, work anniversaries, personal successes, etc. 

These awards are vital in showing gratitude for an employee’s contribution to the company’s overall objectives. They significantly impact increasing employee happiness and fostering an uplifting company environment.

Comedic employee rewards don’t always have to be frivolous. They can honor meaningful contributions in a playful way. When the business setting appears rigid and formal, lighten up the atmosphere while appreciating your employees with humorous accolades.

How to Organize Employee Awards

When devising amusing employee awards, numerous factors should be considered. Here are some essential tips to keep in mind when planning your funny employee awards:

Awards Frequency:

Accolades should be presented frequently and promptly. If an employee achieves a goal or milestone, don’t delay until the next team gathering or party to honor them. Act swiftly to cultivate a culture of recognition. Everyone appreciates being acknowledged and valued. Awarding employees promptly is an excellent method to enhance employee spirits. 

Mind Employee Sentiments

Humor can sometimes cross the line into rudeness. It’s unnecessary to be disrespectful to be amusing. Ensure that you’re mindful of an employee’s feelings when distributing humorous awards. Consider every employee’s personality and what they find humorous. If unsure about a particular award, don’t hesitate to consult the employee to confirm they’re comfortable with the award before presenting it to the organization as a whole. 

Public Recognition

Let’s be honest. Achieving a goal or accomplishment feels rewarding. It feels even better when acknowledged in front of peers. Elevate workplace morale by letting the entire company or team know what an outstanding job an employee has done with a personalized award.

To elevate it further, send the award recipient a communal greeting card detailing their achievement and invite the entire team to sign it. 

Align Awards with Company Objectives

Employee awards present an excellent opportunity to reinforce established company goals. Align these awards with the specific objectives of the company. Consider how individual employees contribute to these goals and broadcast it loudly. This helps reinforce the company’s objectives and fosters a sense of connection to the company’s achievements among employees. A win-win situation!   

20 Humorous Employee Awards

Daily Workplace Awards

Office Barista Award

The unrecognized champion in the office is the one who arrives early and starts brewing coffee. It’s typically the same individual every day, and where would we be without them? If the coffee maker isn’t deserving of recognition, then it’s hard to say who is. 

Break Room Regular

Everyone puts in the effort, but everyone requires downtime. When visiting the break room, we often desire a companion for our snack or beverage. There always seems to be one person ready for a chat during their break. Let’s applaud the individual who allows us to justify our desk breaks. 

Desk-Phobic Award

This person is notorious for being everywhere but at their desk. When you have inquiries for them, it signals a time to strap on your sneakers and go on a search. It’s not that they shirk duties; they simply value in-person communication more than digital correspondence.  

PTO Monarch

This accolade is for the individual who efficiently uses all their PTO. They might have an occasional cold at their desk, but when they utilize PTO, they are globe-trotting and updating on social media, making us all a tad envious while scrolling through feeds.

Health Enthusiast

While many indulge and relax during lunch breaks, we all know that colleague invested in a workout session. We look at them and think, “I should be doing that too,” but (naturally), we don’t. Recognize them for their dedication to fitness. 

Always Late Award

This employee award perfectly fits the individual who, much to everyone’s amusement (except theirs), is invariably at least 5 minutes late for every scheduled meeting. They perpetually trail behind, and we appreciate them for it. 

Echoing Across the Workspace

Oh, let’s be real, every workplace has that colleague referred to as “the boisterous one.” You can overhear them narrate tales, type, giggle, and mumble, reverberating throughout the entire workspace. If you’re perusing this thinking, “My workplace doesn’t have such a person,” just hold tight at the next accolade event, pal. It’s probably you. 

Scheduling Savant

Engagements are integral to life, we all have them. This humorous recognition is for the colleague who perpetually seems to have an engagement of some form. They habitually run late because they “had an appointment.” They dash out of the workspace at day’s end because they “have somewhere to be.” Every workplace has one. 

Company Merchandise Champion

Everyone enjoys company goodies, but we all know that one individual who elevates enthusiasm for them to the highest level. This accolade is for the person who flaunts company merchandise more than any other employee. They wear swag so habitually that you begin to wonder if they possess any other attire. Acknowledge the team spirit of the employee with the most fervor with the company merchandise champion humorous award. 

Instant Emoji Expert

Slack reigns supreme when it comes to workplace communication. It is the primary mode teams use for interaction daily. There is always someone who consistently has the ideal emoji ready for the ideal response. Their emoji responses are so rapid that by the time you start to search for one, they have already sent 4. It’s truly praiseworthy. PS: GIF Guru is also an option.

Professional Achievement Honors

Task Finisher 

If you desire something accomplished accurately, this is the go-to person. Dependability is a vital trait in the professional world and deserves acknowledgment. Set aside some time to appreciate the individual who is consistently relied upon to complete tasks efficiently. This is a whimsical way to highlight what your organization values the most. 

Innovative Idea Authority

Every discussion has someone who can be relied upon to concoct brilliant concepts. This merit is significant to encourage others to voice their thoughts during meetings. Not every concept is a gem, but the courage to share is the only path for a company to uncover valuable ideas from its employees. Award the idea authority honor to that individual who is always willing to contribute ideas. 

Conflict Resolver

Every corporate team encounters challenging individuals throughout their careers. Whether they come from clients or within the team, it is crucial to have someone who can manage difficult personalities. We all know that one go-to person we turn to for assistance in defusing a tough situation. They’re an essential asset to your team and merit acknowledgment.

Always Available

In today’s world, people are defining strict boundaries between professional duties and personal life. However, the corporate world doesn’t always operate between the hours of 9 and 5. It is extremely beneficial to have team members willing to step in while at home to handle urgent matters. It boosts your team’s success and deserves recognition. 

Wordsmith Extraordinaire

Effective communication is crucial in the business realm. Throughout the workday, you often find yourself continuously engaging through face-to-face talks, phone communications, emails, Slack messages, etc. Occasionally, it can be challenging to discover the right wording to express your thoughts. From eloquent emails to Monday inspiration, this is where the wordsmith comes into play. Your humorous awards should include one for the person who can provide the precise wording to articulate your ideas thoughtfully. 

Walking Encyclopedia

This is the perfect award for the person who perpetually seems to possess the answers. Now whether those answers are accurate or not is beside the point, but we admire someone who endeavors to be the responder. In the fast-paced corporate sphere, quick, real-time problem-solving is essential. Having someone who knows the ins and outs of the product or company and who you can rely on for swift answers is invaluable. 

Relentless Motivator

Motivation is an invaluable trait in an employee. Someone who will finalize tasks on schedule and persistently push until perfection is reached is crucial to fulfilling the organization’s objectives. Seldom does a project journey smoothly without encountering obstacles. The relentless motivator will never make excuses. They will overcome hurdles and complete the tasks at hand. 

Email Would Suffice

Let’s be candid. Meetings have spiraled out of control in the corporate world. Not EVERYTHING necessitates a meeting. Meetings can be time-draining and distract employees from their actual duties. Every team needs someone brave enough to point this out, encouraging others to resolve issues independently without scheduling meetings for every minor issue. 

Early Riser Honor

We all recognize that one person consistently at their desk before everyone else. They often seem to be the first to join meetings. This shows commitment to the workspace and alignment with the company’s objectives, definitely worth rewarding. Truth be told, many tend to be tardy these days. Let’s appreciate those respecting the time of both the company and their colleagues. 

The Ultimate Cheerleader (for everyone)

It’s easy to take joy in our own achievements, but it’s not always as simple to celebrate others’ success. This award should go to the person who’s genuinely thrilled for everyone around them, no matter their own current situation. This demonstrates strong character and is another priceless quality for any office environment. 

Joy is the Ultimate Tonic

Engagement of employees is paramount for any organization’s triumph. If enhancing employee morale and stimulating productivity is your aim, employee recognition awards are a fantastic route. Why not make them amusing? Let your team laugh while acknowledging them for the distinctive contributions they make. 

Everyone enjoys feeling noticed and valued. It assures us that our efforts are not going overlooked. Humorous awards motivate employees to continue their good work, guaranteeing the company’s triumph and maintaining strong employee engagement.