10 Cringiest Examples of Recognition Done Wrong

Employee Appreciation Day just passed, and companies everywhere employed strategies to show gratitude for their teams. 

Some got it right. Others? Not so much.

Look, we know that recognition in all its forms has good intent. But there’s a fine line between a thoughtful thank-you and a gift so misguided that it makes employees feel worse than if they’d gotten nothing at all. 

Unfortunately, we see too many examples of the latter.

We scoured the internet for the most cringeworthy examples of employee “appreciation” gone terribly wrong. Here are the top ten offenders:

1. A rock (yes, an actual rock)

Imagine working hard for years only to receive a smooth, hand-sized reminder that your efforts are about as valued as a paperweight.

2. A pen

Oh, wow. A tool to do more work. Who needs a keyboard, anyway? 

3. Mandatory pizza night…on a Friday

What’s worse than unpaid overtime? Being forced into it under the guise of “team bonding.” Thanks, we hate it.

4. A card that took four seconds to write

Words are nice, but this is basically the workplace equivalent of a generic birthday card with no cash inside.

5. A mint with the latest dad jokes

We love a pun as much as the next person, but this is sad. Recognition should be meaningful, not a joke with a two-second shelf life.

6. An itty-bitty ice cream cone

Oh, an ice cream cone for ants. That’ll definitely make up for months of underappreciation.

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7. A ziplock bag filled with “love”

This one deserves an award for sheer audacity. If your employee appreciation gift could be mistaken for a prank, reconsider your approach.

8. A pile of useless trinkets destined for a junk drawer

Keychains, stickers, (more!) mints—if employees are just going to throw them in a drawer, it’s not a reward. It’s trash.

9. An ‘anti-stress kit’ that causes us stress

Nothing like passive-aggressive metaphors when you’re already stretched thin.

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10. Cookies—after bringing in $10 billion in sales

When the company is rolling in cash, but employees get…a cookie. Not a bonus. Not a meaningful gift. A single, solitary cookie. 

The problem with recognition done wrong

We understand that most of these gifts come from a good place. However, recognition is only effective if it makes employees feel valued. Recognition can do more harm than good when it’s lazy, thoughtless, or tone-deaf.

Great recognition is:

• Personal and specific
• Timely and frequent
• Inclusive (not just from managers)
• Tied to company values or goals
• Paired with opportunities to grow

Bad recognition is:

• Tacky or cliché
• Impersonal and generic
• Sporadic (or non-existent)
• Fluff with no real value
• Completely out of touch

So, as we close out Employee Appreciation Day season, now is the perfect time to rethink your approach. If your recognition strategy involves handing out tiny trinkets or tired puns, it’s time to level up. 

And if you need help getting it right, come talk to us. Let’s make recognition matter—together.