Bringing The Christmas Spirit Into A Productive Workplace

Christmas can be a tiring and stressful time for employees, whether it's preparing for excitable children, last minute shopping or ensuring there’s enough money in the bank to enjoy the festive season, you need to help relax them!

Not just for staff morale, but also for productivity rates and ensuring that you get the most out of those last weeks and days before the festive season (and potential Christmas shutdown period).

Here, we have compiled some of the most common ways to help ease your team’s stress levels, as well as ensuring that when they’re at their desk, they’re doing their best!

4 Ways To Keep The Workplace Festive This Christmas

1. It’s time to party…!

Start as simple as putting a few quid aside to decorate the offices, even if it's as simple as hanging a few strings of tinsel and banners!

Of course, if its suitable for your company and in line with typical company activities, arrange a Christmas party for those that want it.

Prepare well in advance and allow your employees a fair chance to make time for it in their already busy festive schedules.

Ensure the following:

• Remember that health and safety are important and most Christmas decorations are flammable, be careful about using extra power sockets for fairy lights and placing paper and tinsel near heaters.
• Issue a friendly reminder that the Christmas party is still a work event and attendees are still expected to act in a professional manner, meaning that they stay in line with the employee policies as they represent the company.
• Consider that when you hold your party it wouldn’t interfere the next morning with staff who might have a “bad head”.

2. Make allowances with time

If, like a lot of companies, yours is due to slow down in terms of workloads, use this time to show your appreciation to staff by being a little lenient with requests for time off or flexi-time. Although you’re under no obligation to accept requests for time off, it’s a perfect time to shut up shop early on a Friday afternoon, to encourage staff to go Christmas shopping or pick the children up from school, if work has slowed anyway.

Why not announce that there will be one extra holiday available or half day, for those who wish to take it before Christmas? It’s a brilliant boost for staff morale!

Of course, implement a sensible winter rule regarding travel to work — if your staff can’t make it because of bad weather, consider giving them the option to work from home, if its impossible for them to get in. Be aware that Christmas is a high-stress time for most families — including your employees!

3. Offer a financial incentive

Money talks. If the option is there to offer Christmas bonuses then you’ll have smiles all around, if not, why not offer a small token of appreciation in the form of high street vouchers? Even £10 can go a long way in those Boxing Day sales!

Praise the hard work of the last 12 months that employees have put in, but be clear on your bonus policy — if there isn’t going to be one, ensure this is communicated — so you don’t ruffle feathers!

4. Play fair

Although most companies offer early finishes and leniency towards employees with children, be careful to play fair, not only among parents looking for time off but to those without children.

Additionally, be fair in offering bonuses, if you are doing so, then base it on performance, not a generic sum given to all. Bonuses are supposed to be rewards for high performance, so it’d be wrong to give those not bringing in the £££ the same as others.

Ask your employees in a November staff meeting or mailshot, what they want as a reward? Would they rather a Christmas party or a bonus? Do they fancy the bonus or guaranteed time off? Where you’re able to do so, be flexible about how you treat your whole staff.

Originally published at www.thriveability.co.uk.