With holiday season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to remind employees of how grateful you are for their hard work, encourage teambuilding and celebrate making it through what probably has been a tough year. Although you may not have the budget you might like for lavish holiday parties, gifts or bonuses this year, it doesn't mean you have to be Scrooge.

While many holiday workplace celebrations or gifts likely will be scaled back this year due to the economy, there are plenty of morale-boosting gestures you can offer your workers that won't break the bank.

Offer onsite gift wrapping

This is a great way to reduce employee stress around the holidays and make the workplace festive. You even can make it "green" by providing environmentally friendly paper. Reserve a conference room and let employees drop off their unwrapped gifts during a specified period of time. You can outsource the wrapping to a concierge service. Play holiday music and provide snacks for employees to munch on.

Employees are called to pick up their gifts when they have been wrapped. This service can be provided one day or several days this month. One suggestion: Limit the number of gifts each employee can bring per day so your wrappers don't get overwhelmed.

One HR manager who offered this program told me, "The gift wrap program was such a hit last year ... Employees couldn't stop talking about it. It was great for morale and really contributed to our culture of being a great place to work."

Host a dessert party

Bring in a chocolate fountain or a crepe station, and serve coffee and cocoa. Or, to keep it really low-cost, have employees bring in dishes to share. However, remember to offer some sugar-free treats and healthy options for diabetics and dieters!

After working with one of my clients last year to organize a similar gathering for employees, the HR director passed on this e-mail from a happy employee: "It was like any typical day - I was rushed to get out the door and had a thousand things on my mind. But when I stepped foot in the office building and saw a holiday elf distributing free coffee and holiday treats, it put a smile on my face instantly. Sometimes it's the little gestures that make the biggest difference. Thanks for making my day."

Sponsor a charity collection

Select a charity, like Toys for Tots or a local shelter or food bank, and have employees bring in donations. Ask employees for suggestions; one may already be personally involved in a charity that you can help or might know of a local family in need to whom you can donate holiday gifts or meals. Or, schedule a work day for employees to volunteer their time at a local charity and make sure key personnel attend, including the executive team.

Open your home

For smaller businesses or departments, have the CEO or department manager host a team get-together at his or her home. People really appreciate this personal touch. Include games and small gifts for each guest. If possible, make it a family event by inviting spouses and children.

Promote healthy holiday ideas

Yes, it's a bit contradictory to the above suggestion of a dessert party. But, due to stress and hectic schedules, many people overeat and/or skip workouts during the holidays. Encourage healthy ways to enjoy the holidays by posting information with suggestions for stress management, time management, healthy holiday gift ideas, enjoying holiday parties without over-indulging, alcohol awareness and healthy ideas for the family.