National Payroll Week, September 7-11, is just around the corner. If you are unable to celebrate the best week of the year for payroll in-person this year there are many virtual alternatives you should consider. Thanks to online tools, like Zoom, WebEx, and Google Hangouts, being together can be as easy as having a stable Internet connection. Consider these five different types of virtual events and activities that could help you celebrate NPW in your workplace:
1-Host a Team Lunch
Hosting a virtual luncheon for your payroll team during NPW can be a great teambuilding opportunity and a chance to relax during the middle of the workday. If your budget allows for it, you can even go so far as sending each member of your team a gift card to their favorite lunchtime restaurant or a more encompassing food delivery service, like Grubhub or UberEats, in advance.
2-Game Time
Put your competitive face on and play digital NPW or payroll-themed challenges you can easily create, such as custom word searches, crossword puzzles, emoji puzzle games, word jumbles, and more. Here at the APA, we like to start each morning of NPW by sending a companywide email with a fun NPW/payroll themed game that staff can play digitally. You could even consider playing virtual trivia games using real-time online tools, like Kahoot, that allow you and your co-workers to compete in real time games together and track your progress with a leaderboard. This can add a fun engagement tool to your NPW celebrations, and if you really want to up the ante, consider offering prizes to the game winners! Your game time activities can also be expanded by inviting your entire company to participate. This can be a great way to share payroll knowledge in a fun way with your non-payroll coworkers.
3-Unwind with Happy Hour
If you do not want to interfere with work hours, hosting a virtual NPW happy hour will allow you to relax in a less formal setting with your payroll team at the end of the day. Check out a recent Chapter Leaders blog post to learn how the Virginia Statewide Payroll Conference (VSPC) Board planned an engaging virtual happy hour for their local payroll professionals.
4-Throw a Companywide Payroll Party
Invite your whole company to join the payroll celebration with a virtual event! This could include a virtual luncheon using a web conferencing tool where you have a special guest speaker present on a payroll topic with time left-over for NPW-related virtual games. A virtual payroll department open house could also be a way to get your coworkers involved. Invite your whole company to login to a virtual meeting room during a designated time to have a virtual meet and greet with the payroll team, hear a presentation on paycheck maximizing tips, enter to win a virtual raffle, access helpful payroll info, complete virtual activities, or more! Being virtual provides you the opportunity to fully customize the online engagement activities for your coworkers.
5-Spread Financial Literacy
NPW provides a perfect opportunity to teach area teens, members of your community, and even your coworkers important paycheck basics. Sign up to be a Money Matters National Education Day (MMNED) volunteer and share your payroll knowledge. The MMNED lesson is optimized to be presented both in-person or virtually, so you can teach from the comfort of your desk. Volunteers who teach virtual MMNED presentations are eligible to earn 1 RCH and will receive a citation of recognition from the APA.
Once you’ve decided how you’ll be celebrating Team Payroll in the workplace be sure to sign-up to join the official NPW Supporter Program. It’s free to join, and as APA’s way of saying “thanks” we’ll send you a special package to help you get in the NPW spirit! As an added bonus, document your celebration efforts and enter the NPW Individual Activity Contest where you can win fantastic prizes from the APA.