Interested in learning about work at home kits – AKA survival kits – for your remote team and employees? 

This is the complete guide to help you get started with the buying process. 

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

• What equipment do employees need to work from home successfully?
• What are your options when it comes to work at home kits for your employees?
• What should you pay attention to during the buying process?

We’ve got a lot to cover so let’s get started. 

Table of Contents

What Do You Need to Work From Home Successfully?

Your Options When It Comes to Work at Home Kits for Your Employees

What to Pay Attention to During the Buying Process

What Do You Need to Work From Home Successfully?

Working from home (WFH) has become the new reality for professionals around the world. 

This new reality has come with a number of challenges, including having difficulty working from home for a variety of reasons, such as lack of equipment and mental health issues. 

We’re presenting you with a list of ten items that can help make your employees’ work routine easier and more convenient.  

Before we get started, we probably need to note that this list doesn’t include pieces of equipment and software that are absolutely necessary for employees working remotely. 

For example, we’re not going to tell you to give your employees access to useful software, like Microsoft Office, send them a Logitech webcam for their Zoom calls, or make sure their Wi-Fi connection is fast and stable. 

We can only assume that employees have already had all that’s essential for an efficient workday since the beginning of the pandemic. 

For that reason, we’re focusing on some complementary, thoughtful items that can help you boost your employees’ productivity and morale. 

Without further ado, let’s start with the first item on our list.

Item #1: Desk Organizer

Having a clutter-free workspace can help significantly improve one’s productivity and focus. 

That’s why we think a desk organizer might be exactly what you need in order to have a well-organized office setup and make your WFH more productive. 

Price range:  $40 – $85

Author’s Note: Pricing varies depending on quality and quantity. This applies to all items featured in this list post.

Item #2: Desktop Document Sleeve

Similar to the previous gift idea, we think that a document sleeve is yet another item that can help people working from home declutter their workspace. 

Having a nice and clean workspace can help those who work remotely to remain focused and efficient.

Moreover, we particularly like this desktop document sleeve because it can be used in many different ways and can be carried around easily. 

For example, one might want to put tech gadgets, like an iPad, a charger, an adapter, or a webcam cover in there and carry their stuff to work when offices are open again. 

As simple as that!

Price range:  $12 – $18

Item #3: Headphones

A pair of headphones is always useful, especially for those who need to jump on video calls often or participate in webinars, online sessions, and so on and so forth. 

A headset, like the one shown above, that’s of high quality and helps minimize distractions, can be particularly helpful for people who live in shared flats or live with their families and kids. 

To cut a long story short, instead of giving your employees a pair of earplugs to help them stay focused, we suggest that a pair of killer headphones that they can use for many years to come would work brilliantly.

Price range: $40 – $70

Item #4: Desktop White Board

Remaining focused when working from home with home gifts like the ones we covered a little further up is one thing; remaining imaginative and productive is another. 

For that reason, we’re presenting you with a swag idea that can help employees brainstorm and use the creative part of their brains, even if they’re not physically in the same space with their fellow employees. 

A desktop white board is a fantastic little item that can be used for brainstorming, doodling, sketching, and keeping notes. 

A rather big problem for people working from home is that they work in isolation and don’t have the opportunity to exchange ideas with their co-workers as much. 

However, we think that an item like this – that can also be used when remote teams might be having video calls to discuss their ideas – can help boost productivity and creativity. 

There’s really nothing better than this!

Price range: $25 – $35

Item #5: Coloring Book

It might seem a bit odd to include a coloring book in a work from home gift guide. 

YET, we absolutely think that helping your employees remain calm, happy, and creative can improve their productivity and resilience in such a challenging time. 

Coloring books, both for kids and adults, can have such a positive impact on a person’s mood since they help them remain focused while letting their minds wander,reducing pressure and stress. 

In other words, a coloring book is an amazing alternative to a fidget cube or another anti-stress toy that might make someone feel bored after a period of using it. 

Price range: $4 – $6

Item #6: Cheese Board Set

Preparing and sharing work at home kits for remote teams is not just about giving them all they might need to work efficiently. 

It’s also about helping them relax and enjoy their time at home for as long as coronavirus-related restrictions apply. 

That’s why a beautiful cheese board, like the one we’re showing you here, might just be  the perfect gift in terms of helping your employees make their free time at home special and fun. 

Price range: $25 – $40

Item #7: Yoga Mat

Remaining active in terms of doing workout and exercising regularly is a must when it comes to working from home. 

Working out helps us maintain a better posture as well as minimizing back and neck pains that are caused by sitting at your desk for too long. 

Giving your remote teams something as simple as a yoga mat might give them a reason to workout and feel more motivated. 

Author’s Tip: It’d be great if you could include a desk yoga guide that can help those spending a large number of hours in front of a screen have a better body posture.

Price range: $20 – $35

Item #8: Blanket 

As we’re reaching towards the end of our list, we’re presenting you with a gift idea that’s cozy and thoughtful. 

That is – a blanket. 

Knowing that your company cares about you can be truly beneficial for remote workers in terms of how relaxed and motivated they feel. 

That’s why such a home kit accessory makes a great gift, even if it’s not directly linked to one’s work routine. 

It makes employees feel that they’re loved and appreciated, feelings that can make a huge difference in terms of how well people feel about working from home. 

Price range: $20 – $30

Item #9: DIY Cocktail Kit

The second to last working from home idea we have for you is a DIY cocktail kit. 

First of all, a gift like this is cool and fun. 

Like other items we discussed a little further up, it can help remote workers make their routine at home more exciting and unique. 

In terms of maintaining the sense of community for remote teams, it’d be a really nice idea to organize happy hour evenings where everyone can prepare their own drink and have informal virtual conversations with each other. 

Author’s Tip: You could consider adding a set of quality drinkware to accompany the DIY cocktail set. 

Price range:  $23 – $38

Item #10: Goodies Bag

The final gift idea is a goodie bag. 

In other words, a goodies and snacks combo set that will put a smile on your employees’ faces. 

Why?

Because everyone loves getting delicious snacks and treats for free. 

The options are many and diverse in terms of the snacks you can include in such a goodie swag bag. 

Our advice would be to also make sure to include healthy snacks, like dried fruits and nuts, that employees can eat while working. 

Price range: $25 – $110

Your Options When It Comes to Work at Home Kits for Your Employees

After having discussed some thoughtful gift ideas companies can send over to their employees’ houses to help make their work routine easier, as well as help them relax and remain creative, we’re going to give you a few gift kit ideas. 

These, instead of being single items, include a variety of items, including the ones we’ve already discussed. 

Option #1: Home Office Starter Kit

The first option we have for you is a working from home starter kit. 

This first option would be ideal for your new hires who’ve just started working from home. 

Additionally, a home office starter kit might be a great opportunity for you to give your employees a number of items you think are necessary to boost their morale and productivity. 

Your work-from-home survival kit might include:

• Desk lamp
• Microfiber cloth to clean laptop screens
• Wireless mouse
• Laptop stand
• Bluetooth speaker
• Docking station
• Wireless headset
• Wifi smart plug
• Desk organizer
• Goodies bag

To mention a few possibilities. 

Either way, a starter kit is one that includes less premium and more essential items that are usually directly related to an employee’s work routine and working from home reality.

Ideal for: Small companies and bigger companies’ new hires

Option #2: Health and Wellness Standard Kit

The second work at home kit for employees is the health and wellness standard kit. 

Even though it’s been almost a year since most companies moved to a remote working environment, many people are still having a difficult time keeping up with the working at home routine. 

Having access to health and wellness items, sessions, and support is not granted to everyone.

The list of items you can use in such a pack is long. 

These are only some ideas to get your started: 

• Face roller
• Hand sanitizer
• Hand soap
• Face mask
• Body lotion
• Diffuser
• Essential oils
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm
• Yoga mat
• Resistance bands
• Fitness tracker
• Reusable tumbler
• Reusable water bottle
• Candles
• Fitness sling bag

As you can see, there’s a truly wide range of options in terms of the tangible objects you can include in a wellness swag pack. 

However, we think it’s also important to provide your employees with mental health and wellness support by hosting online sessions and other activities. 

Ideal for: All types of companies

Option #3: Premium Swag Pack for Remote Workers 

The final option we think bigger companies can consider for their remote employees is a premium swag pack. 

A premium swag pack might consist of premium swag items and other products that can primarily elevate the way people work from home while also helping them remain productive. 

For example, your company could give employees a tech kit that includes all premium tech products, some of which were also covered in the first kit option we went through a little further up. 

On the other hand, you might want to go a bit extra and give your employees a number of smart home products that will definitely improve their productivity. 

A few ideas would be:

• Quality organizers for their standing desk
• Ergonomic keyboard
• Cushion for their office chair
• Coffee maker
• Work lamp
• Adjustable laptop stand
• Padfolio
• Stylus pen
• Notebook and pen gift set
• Computer backpack
• Desktop document sleeve

Of course, these are only some of the gifts you could include in a premium branded gift set you want to build for your remote workers. 

Ideal for: Corporations

What to Pay Attention to During the Buying Process

If you’re about to invest in a work at home kit for your employees, there are a few things you should know so you can make the most out of the process, as well as make sure the swag packs you’re creating successfully represent you and your brand.

Let’s dive into four tips we definitely want you to know during the buying process. 

Tip #1: Have a budget

The first thing you need to do is to have a budget. 

This might sound a bit too obvious, but having a budget and a solid procurement strategy for everything you do, including creating and distributing swag packs for your business is key.

Having a budget will allow you to save both time and money when you get to choose your swag and it’ll also give you a clear idea of your swag needs. 

Moving on.

Tip #2: Take your employees’ opinions into account

The second thing you should do when creating work at home gifts for employees is to ask your employees what they need or want to get from you. 

If they say they need a “do not disturb” sign with the company logo on it, they must mean it and you should try to take it into account. 

Of course that shouldn’t mean that you can’t also include items that you want or your experience has shown are necessary. 

It simply means that you can make imaginative and thoughtful combinations of a variety of objects, including the ones you definitely want to include, alongside the ones your employees have suggested. 

Let’s get to the next tip we have for you. 

Tip #3: Decide on the items you’re going to include in your swag packs

This tip is firmly connected to the previous one. 

Deciding on the items you’re going to give away might sound like an easy task but, although it can indeed be easy, especially if you have a trusted and experienced vendor,  it can also be time consuming. 

In this case, our advice would be to go for the items that will truly be useful for your employees as well as helping them to perform better and remain productive. 

Author’s Tip: Visit our Swag Pack Builder, check out all branded options, and choose depending on your needs while keeping in mind your employees’ wishes.

Moving forward to our final tip. 

Tip #4: Maintain your brand identity

Last but not least, no matter which one of the swag options you’re going for, always remember to maintain and promote your brand identity. 

Maintaining your brand identity is not so much about brand promotion in this case. 

However, it can be really important in terms of creating and maintaining a sense of community and keeping teams connected even if they’re not working in the same physical space. 

Having high-quality, branded items for your company might make your employees feel that the company is there for them, keeps them connected and, even though their work routine is different, there are some things that have remained the same. 

Let’s close this guide with a few final thoughts.

Now Over to You

There you have it. 

You now know pretty much everything there is to know about work from home survival kits for your remote employees. 

Of course, this doesn’t apply only to fully remote companies.

2020 — and all the unfortunate events that followed the outbreak — fundamentally changed the way businesses work. 

This means that, even if you’re not a remote-first company, you still may have to give that option to your employees so that they’re free to choose what works best for them.

In that context, learning all the things included in this guide is important. 

If you need any help choosing the right survival kits for your employees, you can leave us a message in the form below. 

With almost three decades of experience in the field of swag boxes and promotional products, we’ll guide you through the whole process so you can be sure that your work at home kits will resonate with your team. 

Thanks for reading!

Featured image by Mikey Harris on Unsplash