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When it comes to the Christmas period, many employers look for ways to treat their staff. It is an important time of year to show your employees that you care, that you are thankful for the year and that you appreciate their work throughout the season. This isn’t compulsory, of course, but considering offering a gift or reward of some kind is a morale boost to staff and encourages loyalty and workplace happiness.
You may not have the money to give each staff a cash bonus. With that in mind, here’s a few ideas for treating your staff this festive period:
- Extra leave – What staff really appreciate at this time of year is more time off. It can be really off-putting having to come back to work in between Christmas and New Year, so offering staff some time off in that week can be a real bonus. Productivity levels can be low in those few days anyway, especially in an office environment, so giving a day or two extra on top of staff annual leave may leave you in their good books for some time.
- Ongoing promises for the year ahead – You could also choose to promise rewards for the year ahead, encouraging staff to stay with you. This might include, for instance, letting staff come in casual clothing every Friday. Or maybe, you want to offer staff a free lunch every Monday. Another idea could be offering free snacks in the staff kitchen, like a fruit bowl each week. Fruitful Office, who deliver fruit baskets around the UK, say that these little perks have numerous benefits. Not only does it boost staff morale, productivity levels and general contentment at work from staff, but it also offers health benefits, like an increased immune system.
- A Christmas Party – Your staff might be arranging their own gatherings outside of work, but paying for your staff to go out for a lunch or dinner is a great way of showing staff that you appreciate them, as well as improving the connection between colleagues and strengthening the team. Monster comments on the importance of this, saying “General friendships with co-workers help work go smoothly and without socialising you won’t know anything about people other than what you see in the office…Needless to say, socialising outside of work hours is extremely important to your overall well-being, it lets you know who you can trust and those that you shouldn’t. Knowing who you can trust will help you make more sound decisions in the workplace about who you should and shouldn’t confide in.”
- A letter of thanks – Don’t forget the small things, either. A letter or email of thanks to your staff is important and costs nothing. Letting your staff know how you recognise their hard work is an important part of the Christmas season, and can be really appreciated, no matter what kind of organisation you are or how many staff you employ!
