Elite Rewards outlined retirement recognition options for employers in guidance published on August 4, 2023, including gift certificates, experiences and recipient choice through its rewards platform. Its suggestions combined personal messages and time with colleagues with gifts connected to the retiree's interests.

Gift certificates for a preferred shop, a spa visit or a holiday were among the options. The company also suggested a framed workplace photograph or a scrapbook documenting the employee’s career through pictures, articles and messages.

For shared celebrations, the guide described parties and lunches that could involve colleagues, friends and family, as well as a smaller one-to-one meal. It advised employers to choose an approach the retiree would appreciate.

Other examples included a charitable donation in the retiree’s name or planting a commemorative tree. Handwritten thanks formed a separate recommendation, allowing colleagues to describe the employee’s contribution in their own words.

Elite Rewards also noted that its rewards platform offered recipients gift and colour choices and a wish-list feature. The article provided retirement recognition ideas rather than reporting a new platform launch or a particular employer’s programme.