All Together Now

Emphasize the importance of being team players by declaring September 15th “Team Tuesday.” Adorn your facility with sports-themed decorations. Invite everyone to wear team apparel, and arrange for a sports coach to give your employees a pep talk on teamwork. Hand out “Teamwork For Success” Kits (see page 21) at the beginning of the day. Present one to the guest speaker as well. Serve snacks that would be found at a Superbowl party. Before the festivities wind down, give out “Great Staff, Great Team” T-Shirts.

Forecast: Showers

Spend some time singing in the rain, singing your environmental services staff’s praises, that is. Decorate a bulletin board or display case with paper raindrops. Hang a sign that says, “We Shower Our Environmental Services Staff With Appreciation.” Draw
a template of a large raindrop on a sheet of paper. Photocopy the raindrop, then make these copies available to patients and their families. Instruct them to write thank-you notes on the paper, cut out the raindrops, and place in a collection box. Each day of your recognition week, hang up several of the raindrop notes. Then give staff members something from the Environmental Services Gift-A-Day Packages. At the end of the week, distribute Environmental Services Compact Umbrellas With Cases.

Green Is Good

Organize a “green” appreciation luncheon that adds a twist to the three Rs: recognize the contributions of your staff while reusing and recycling. Buy old candles and interesting glass jars at second-hand stores. Melt down the candles (in a double boiler), then let them harden inside the jars. Have these as centerpieces at the luncheon. Use plates and silverware that contain recycled materials. Lay out fabric tablecloths instead of disposable ones. Thank your luncheon guests with gifts that have less impact on the Earth, such as “It Takes A Team To Keep It Green” Eco Journal and “It Takes A Team To Keep It Green” Jute Tote Bag.

Gifts In Hand

Be ready with appreciation at the start of National Healthcare Housekeeping Week. Stand by the time clock. (If you have more than one, recruit volunteers to help you.) As each employee clocks in, give out “A Shining Example Of Excellence” Retractable Badge Holder. Also award a “Behind Every Great Hospital Is A Great Staff” Lapel Pin or other lapel pin that fits your situation.
Include a hearty handshake!

T-rrific Recognition

Give your employees “Environmental Services: Taking Pride in a Job Well Done” T-Shirts to proudly wear. During National Healthcare Environmental Services Week, hold an appreciation lunch. In the invitation, state that the entry ticket to lunch is the shirt. At the end of the event, give each environmental services worker a 3-Section Plate With Lid as further thanks.

Daily Drawing

Use two-part raffle tickets to pick a prizewinner per day during your recognition week. Distribute the tickets Monday morning to your laundry staff members. Place gifts, such as “Laundry Staff: Making Each Day Clean And Bright” Office Mugs and Contour Grip Water Bottles, in a pillowcase. At the end of each day, draw a raffle ticket. Have the lucky ticket holder reach into the pillowcase without looking and pull out a prize. On Friday, take all of your laundry staff to dinner after the drawing.

Head To Toe Thanks

Utilize the theme “Hats Off To The Maintenance Staff” as the basis for your celebrations. Design a banner out of bulletin board paper that states the theme, and attach plastic hats from a party store. Make construction paper cutouts of hats and write a staff member’s name on each, then display them outside the maintenance office. Thank these devoted workers with “Maintenance Staff: Making A Difference One Repair At A Time” Caps and Handy Auto Travel Kits. Also, ask employees in other departments to wear hats on a designated day to honor them.