By: Mike Michalowicz, a Special to Overdrive

When it comes to rewarding your employees, cash is king—but only for a few hours. Money is not a long-term motivator. Sure, employees love a check—who doesn’t?—but finding ways to engage with them rather than pay them off will result in more loyal, harder working employees.

Here are 10 ways to say, “I appreciate you and all your hard work,” without breaking your budget.

1. Flexible Hours. Let your team work when they want to work. The flexibility can be worth a lot more than cash. Maybe they won’t need daycare services for their child, for example, if they can make their own schedule.

2. A Thank You Note. Saying thanks about something specific may be the ultimate reward. If you do it selectively yet authentically, a thank you note may be pinned above your employee’s desk for years.

3. Pizza Party. Lunch with colleagues is fun, breaks up the routine and keeps employees in the office. It’s an all-around win for anyone who likes to eat.

4. Guess the Baby. Reward your team with a break from work by having a “guess the baby” event. Have everyone bring in their baby photo, then have everyone guess who’s who.

5. The Boss’s Office. Swap desks with your employee for a day, as a reward. They still do their work of course, but with their feet up on the desk (and yours in the cubicle).

6. Primo Parking. This is an old-school reward that has been around forever … because it works. It’s a great form of public recognition.

7. Flip Flop Day. Casual Friday has turned into casual every day. Change things up by allowing flip flops as a fun way of recognizing success.

8. Day Off Pass. An extra day off from work always helps, and is even better when employees can pick the day and get paid to boot.

9. Tour Time. Take your employees for a tour of one of your vendors or suppliers’ facilities. It’s a cool way to learn more about who you work with, and can be as fun as a field trip was in grade school days.

10. Presidential Seal. Create a formal letter recognizing your employee’s achievement. Sign it and use the company’s seal to give the letter something extra. If you really want to do it right, frame it too.