Pancake day 16th - An occasion where almost half of the nation (45%) will be indulging in pancakes (YouGov), so why not celebrate Shrove Tuesday in the workplace? Offer complimentary pancakes which staff can have on their breaks? Provide the ingredients for traditional pancakes, or buy ready made ones with a selection of toppings if you are short on time.

Benefit - According to a study by seamless, 60% of employees said that having company-provided food makes them feel more valued and appreciated.

Valentine's day 14th - Share the love in your workplace, create a heart-shaped board in your staff room and ask employees to write one thing on a post-it note that they like about their team/team members. To ensure everyone gets a note of praise, managers could secretly write one out for every employee as well.

Benefit - Delivering praise can be as effective as a financial reward and can significantly improve performance. 69% of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognised (Globoforce).

To have happier and more productive employees, you must provide ongoing feedback and coaching, making staff know that their work is valued. Oplift’s Achievements encourages feedback and recognition aligned with your company values, goals and mission so employees understand their impact on your business and customer service.

Payday is finally here - January usually feels like the longest month without pay as most get paid early in December. Plus most people's pay was spent quickly on presents, food, meals, drinks and general festive activities. So finally your staff will feel like they've got money again which is a great boost for morale. Why not make staff feel even richer and offer prize incentives during the month of February e.g. staff who pick up the most overtime, staff who make the most sales, staff who get the most positive customer feedback.

Benefit - Incentive programmes can motivate your employees to stay and perform well in their jobs. DCR Strategies found that incentive programmes motivated 66% of employees to stay at their job.

End of dry January - Employees will seem more relaxed if their dry January is coming to an end. They will also probably be arranging nights where they can have a drink or two. Why not arrange a team evening out in February to celebrate the end of dry January and boost team relationships.

Benefit - When you have a team night out hierarchy goes out of the window which means that more ideas are circulated. It facilitates conversations between juniors and more senior members of the team which can lead to increased engagement.

No more moaning about overindulging - Most people have had their January detox and are now ready to indulge in some winter treats again. This means you don't have to feel bad about rewarding them with afternoon sweet treats to get them through the day.

Benefit - You can break up the day for staff by giving them a treat to look forward to in the afternoon. This can reduce the post-lunch slump and make employees more productive.

People have gotten over the back to work blues - Let's be honest, most people find it hard to get back in the swing of work after the Christmas holidays. By February most have settled into their routine and are looking forward to the year ahead, rather than dwelling on their Christmas festivities. Take this opportunity to do performance reviews and set action plans because staff will be in the best place to want to achieve their goals.

Benefit - Setting goals and plans at the beginning of February, sets staff up to be ambitious and want to succeed for the rest of the year. Oplift Review allows you to carry out reviews and create action plans right on the shop/factory/restaurant floor.