Bringing the Holiday Spirit into the Workplace

If you are a business owner, what do you do for your employees when the Christmas and holiday season roll around? Every employee out there is having to deal with all that comes with the Christmas and holiday season, while still working. It can be hectic…and that is one reason why many people dread seeing the holidays roll around. They know they are going to be spreading themselves thin. So, as a business, what can you do to help employees really enjoy the Christmas and holiday season? Here are some ideas that you may want to incorporate into your new Christmas traditions!

Providing Meaningful Year-End Bonuses and Gifts

  1. Christmas bonuses are always a popular option to give to your employees during the Christmas and holiday season. You can base this bonus on the performance of the company as a whole or as an individual. You will find employees greatly appreciate this bonus during this time of the year. However, instead of waiting up until the end of Christmas, give this to employees around Black Friday or Cyber Monday so they can use this for shopping.
  2. Gift cards are also a great option to give employees. However, be sure that you are giving a gift card that they can use. There is no point in giving them a restaurant gift card to a location that is over two hours away, chances are they will never use it. For this reason, many business owners have opted to give Visa gift cards in various amounts so they can be used wherever the employees want.
  3. Give mental health vacation days during the Christmas and holiday seasons so employees can take that time when they need it. You will find that mental health days can help reduce stress, and it makes employees happy knowing they can take the time that they need, when they need it.
  4. Alternate your business hours around the holidays. Chances are unless you have a store that is all about Christmas shopping, is that you can close a bit earlier on the days leading up to the holidays. This will give your employees even more time to enjoy their Christmas and holiday season and all the planning that goes into it.
  5. Have a Christmas party at the office, and make this fun. Let everyone bring in a dish that they love or have this catered for the employees. Let them take whatever time they need to enjoy their coworkers and some delicious food. You will find that this is a great way to show your appreciation of the employees, and help to boost morale.
  6. Try to be a bit more understanding during the Christmas and holiday season towards your employees. Tensions are often high during this time of the year as people are dealing with their own personal Christmas preparation and the business too. So, be the boss that they can turn to when they need to take time off, or they need extra help with something. Being understanding will go a long way in dealing with this stressful season.