How to Prepare for International Week of Happiness at Work 2025

📅 Coming up: 6th–10th October 2025

We spend around one-third of our lives at work, so it makes sense that workplace happiness isn’t just a “nice-to-have.”

International Week of Happiness at Work (6th–10th October 2025) is a global initiative that encourages organisations to put employee wellbeing, connection and recognition at the top of the agenda. In today’s world, creating intentional moments of joy and appreciation has never been more important.

Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or managing culture across departments, this is a perfect opportunity to boost morale, increase engagement and show your people that they matter.

In this guide, we’ll help you prepare with practical planning tips, celebration ideas and thoughtful gifting inspiration, because happiness should be built into your culture.

Why It Belongs on Every HR and Culture Leader’s Radar

When employees feel valued, connected and genuinely happy at work, they’re more likely to be engaged, collaborative and resilient. Research consistently shows that happier employees are more productive, take fewer sick days, and are less likely to leave. In other words, happiness drives business performance.

But here’s the catch: happiness doesn’t happen by accident. It’s cultivated through recognition, communication, wellbeing support and the everyday experience of being part of a team.

International Week of Happiness at Work gives leaders a natural moment in the calendar to pause and ask:

• Are we creating a culture where people feel appreciated?
• Are we recognising effort beyond KPIs and deadlines?
• Are we building connections across hybrid or remote teams?

The week also acts as a powerful reminder that small moments make a big difference. Whether it’s a thank-you note, a wellbeing gift, or a shared virtual experience, these tangible touchpoints help people feel seen and supported.

This October, take the opportunity to create meaningful moments that show your team they’re more than just their job titles. It’s one of the simplest ways to improve engagement, reduce burnout and build long-term loyalty.

How to Prepare for International Week of Happiness at Work

A little planning goes a long way in creating a week that feels intentional, engaging, and genuinely impactful for your team.

Here are a few steps to help you get started:

1. Define Your Focus

Start by deciding what this week is really about for your organisation. Is it a chance to boost morale? Reconnect remote teams? Champion wellbeing? Or simply say thank you?
Knowing your focus will guide how you structure the week, from activities to communications to gifting.

2. Build a Simple Plan

Create a light structure for the week. This could be:

• A theme for each day (e.g. Gratitude Monday, Wellness Wednesday)
• A mix of live and asynchronous activities (to suit hybrid teams)
• A calendar of messages, events or giveaways

It doesn’t need to be overly complex, what matters is consistency and sincerity.

3. Involve Your Team

Invite team members or managers to contribute ideas or take ownership of a day or activity. This helps create a sense of shared purpose and encourages wider engagement.

4. Add a Personal Touch

Whether it’s a short message from leadership, shout-outs in team meetings, or personalised notes of appreciation, these smaller details often have the biggest impact. Happiness at work is built on the feeling of being seen and valued.

5. Make It Tangible

Words matter but physical touchpoints create lasting memories. Consider sending a small, meaningful gift that ties into your week’s theme. From wellbeing gifts to snack bundles or desk-friendly treats, a surprise delivery can create a shared moment of joy, even from a distance.

Need some inspiration for what to include in your plan? In the next section, we’ll share simple, low-effort ways to celebrate across any team or budget.

Easy Ways to Celebrate Happiness at Work Week

Whether your team is remote, hybrid or in-office, there are plenty of simple, effective ways to mark International Week of Happiness at Work that don’t require huge budgets or complex logistics. The goal isn’t perfection – it’s connection.

Here are some thoughtful and engaging ideas to get you started:

1. Start the Week with Gratitude

Open the week with a message of thanks from leadership or team managers. Better yet, encourage peer-to-peer shoutouts using Slack, email or a shared whiteboard. Recognising small wins and everyday contributions helps everyone feel seen.

2. Surprise and Delight with Gifting

Send a personalised wellbeing gift, snack box or mini treat to your team’s doorstep.
It’s a small gesture that creates a big impact, especially for remote or hybrid employees who may not be part of office celebrations.

3. Host a Wellbeing Moment

Create space for people to slow down. This could be:

A 15-minute guided meditation
A desk yoga or stretch session
A “no meetings” morning or afternoon
A digital detox challenge with a mini prize

Even small pauses can create a reset and show you care about mental wellbeing.

4. Bring in a Bit of Fun

Happiness doesn’t always need to be deep, sometimes, it’s about lightness. Try:

A team quiz or game session
Pet photo competitions
Mystery coffee pair-ups for cross-team chats
Virtual escape rooms or lunchtime trivia

These small social moments can help foster connection across teams.

5. Make it Personal

Ask each team member to share what brings them joy at work, and compile a “Happiness Wall” (virtual or physical). You could also create a team Spotify playlist, gratitude jar or memory board from the week’s celebrations.

6. Give the Gift of Time

Sometimes the most appreciated gesture is a bit of breathing space.

Consider offering an early finish, a long lunch break, or an optional day for personal development. It’s a strong signal that you value wellbeing beyond just words.

Whatever you choose, remember this: it doesn’t need to be grand to be meaningful. The most impactful celebrations are those that feel sincere, thoughtful and aligned with your culture.

Next, let’s talk about how gifting can play a valuable role in amplifying happiness—not just during this week, but throughout the year.

Gifting That Adds Value, Not Clutter

Corporate gifting shouldn’t be a last-minute afterthought. When done well, gifting becomes a powerful tool to show appreciation, strengthen culture, and create lasting connection.

But in a world of generic merch and one-size-fits-all hampers, how do you make sure your gift actually means something?

Here’s how to get it right:

1. Make It Personal

People remember how a gift made them feel.
Whether it’s a handwritten message, a name on the gift, or choosing items that reflect your team’s interests or wellbeing needs, a little personalisation goes a long way. We offer personal touches like custom notes and curated gift options tailored to your people, not just your brand.

2. Align It With Your Culture

A gift can say a lot about what your company values. Choosing products that support local suppliers, prioritise wellness, or contribute to social good reflects a commitment to more than just business as usual. Our gifts are carefully curated to align with CSR goals and give back through charity partnerships, so your gift feels good and does good.

3. Think Beyond the Desk

The best gifts fit into your team’s lives, not just their workspaces. Think wellbeing gifts with herbal teas and mindfulness tools, or healthy snack packs they can enjoy at home. Gifts that support relaxation, connection or self-care send a message that you care about the whole person, not just their output.

4. Prioritise Simplicity and Delivery

Planning a Happiness at Work gift shouldn’t add more to your to-do list. We makes it easy to send high-quality, personalised gifts to employees – wherever they are in the UK – with simple bulk ordering, free delivery and expert support if you need help choosing.

Looking to Build Gifting Into Your Wider Employee Engagement Strategy?

Download our Employee Appreciation Guide – your go-to resource for planning impactful, personalised gifting moments across the full employee life cycle.

Inside you’ll find:

✅ Smart ways to integrate gifting into onboarding, milestones, and wellbeing initiatives
🎯 Tips for building a consistent, values-led employee experience through gifting
🌱 Ideas to align your gifting approach with CSR and sustainability goals
🛠️ Real-world examples from companies using gifting to boost connection and retention