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Gifting a Thanksgiving turkey to employees is an American Thanksgiving workplace tradition that has been around since the 1800’s. Back before everything was digital, and employee benefits weren’t already included in standard compensation plans, employer-gifted turkeys was a common way to show employee appreciation during the holidays.
While turkeys remain to be a symbol of gratitude for many Americans, numerous employers have put an end their tradition of handing out Thanksgiving turkeys throughout the years. In fact, Bloomberg Law’s annual survey of Thanksgiving Holiday Practices found that only 2% of employers gifted turkeys to their employees in 2018. CentricsIT is proud to be part of that 2%, and we plan to continue this tradition for years to come.
Adjusting the Thanksgiving Workplace Tradition in the Face of COVID19
2020 marked the 13th consecutive year that CentricsIT’s executive leadership team handed out turkeys to their employees. Our turkey hand-out may have looked a little different this year due to many of our employees working remotely during the ongoing pandemic, but we were happy to be able to continue the tradition in a social-distanced manner.
“We’ve always valued the personal touch and sentiment that comes along with giving someone a turkey to enjoy during the holiday,” explained CentricsIT Executive Vice President of Global Services, Patrick Keuller. “Even with how different things are this year, we wanted to find a safe way to thank the many people who make countless contributions across our organization.”
Our employees have grown to anticipate the Thanksgiving gesture every year. “Our number one priority during our annual Thanksgiving workplace tradition was to make sure that everyone stayed safe,” said CentricsIT Manager of People and Culture, Joanna Smith. “We sent our staff members face masks and conducted a socially distanced pick-up line as employees drove through our parking lot. For many of us, this was our first time seeing each other since the lockdown began.”
This year, family gatherings will be smaller, and many won’t be able to see their loved ones at all due to the pandemic. CentricsIT hopes the continuation of this Thanksgiving workplace tradition brought a spot of brightness and appreciation to all of its employees.
CentricsIT is known among Atlanta’s top workplaces and has a reputation locally for having a vibrant culture. In an interview with Univeristy of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, Odegard described the office environment at CentricsIT:
“Culture helps forge the identity of the company itself, not only inside the walls, but out. There is no doubt that if your employees are happy and in a good place that will shine through to your customers as well.”
By optimizing IT budgets and consolidating data center vendors, CentricsIT helps clients around the world improve efficiency and reduce wasteful IT spending. The company is headquartered in Metro-Atlanta, Georgia and operates globally out of offices in: Toronto, London, Prague, and Dubai.
