How to Give Back to Your Employees During the Holidays

While it’s only natural to spread some cheer around the holidays, it is critical to remember that this can be a stressful time of year for your employees. 

Many staff members will be attempting to navigate holiday obligations while feeling the stress of work, remote schooling, and social distancing. Moreover, people take vacations around the holidays, and these can leave big gaps in staffing. Considering all that, don’t be shocked if the holidays lead to decreases in productivity and worker engagement. 

Showing appreciation to your staff members can be a powerful ally during this time of year, and any goodwill you generate can last long after New Year’s Day. Below are a few suggestions on how you can effectively show appreciation to your staff during the holidays. 

Help Them Relax 

Dealing with the demands of the holidays can be hard work. One recent survey found more than 60 percent of employees feel more stress during the holidays as a result of money concerns, family obligations, busies work schedules, and travel demands. 

As a company leader, you can brighten up the day of your employees by helping with things like paying for a gift-wrapping service or personal care services. Allow your staff members to (safely) socialize more than they normally would. 

Show Some Flexibility 

If your employees are commuting to work, winter weather only makes it more complicated. Furthermore, the holiday season often has people torn between several different commitments. Allowing your employees to work remotely or flex their schedules can go quite some distance to alleviating stress, and staff members will be more capable of focusing on job duties if they are better able to adapt to holiday challenges. With many workplaces now embracing remote work and flexibility, you may want to consider making this a year-round thing. 

Do Some ‘Good Work’ 

Creating a business culture of volunteerism can lead to numerous benefits with respect to worker morale and brand awareness in the local community. Volunteer work is especially powerful around the holidays, with some people finding it hard to remember the true purpose of the season: caring and generosity. 

Ask your employees for their input on volunteer work for the holidays, and you’re much more likely to increase buy-in from your staff. 

Encourage Peer-to-Peer Recognition 

Workers want to feel valued by their co-workers, as well as by their supervisors. According to research from Gallup, staff members who feel sufficiently acknowledged around the holidays are less likely to quit during the subsequent year, compared to those who don’t feel properly recognized.   

The holidays offer many unique opportunities for your employee to recognize one another. For instance, your company could use gift cards to sponsor a Secret Santa program. Given the complexities associated with social distancing requirements, be sure to provide logistical support for any peer-to-peer recognition program. 

We Can Support Your Company This Holiday Season 

At Career Concepts, we’ve been working hard all year long to help our clients meet the unique challenges presented by COVID-19. Please contact us today to find out how we can help your company during this most unique holiday season.