Bah-Humbug: How to Keep Your Employees Happy over Christmas

No one likes to be stuck at work over the Christmas period. Whilst people in educational jobs break up for the Christmas holidays, most of us have to keep on working right up until the big day.

The Christmas period often means employees are less motivated than during the year. Whether it’s because they would rather be at home with their families or they’re distracted thinking about what they still need to buy, it’s normal to notice that staff morale has dropped.

As an employer, it’s your job to come up with ideas to keep your staff on track during the festive period. Luckily, we’re put together some handy tips to help you out.

Try to be Flexible

When it comes to allowing time off over the Christmas period, we think it’s a good idea to try and be more flexible than you probably are during the year. We don’t mean allowing everyone to take days off whenever they wish, but by allowing them to be more flexible with their holiday allocation, you’re more likely to have an office full of happy staff.

If possible, give your staff the option of shortened days on Christmas Eve. Some people might not want to lose the money – but others will appreciate the last minute shopping time.

Allow Employees to Celebrate the Season

Christmas is a celebration – you want your staff to be happy. If they can’t be out enjoying the Christmas period, allow them to bring Christmas into the office. There are lots of ways you can do this, such as giving them the opportunity to decorate their desks as they wish. This will go a long way – hold a contest for the most festive work space.

Other ways of celebrating Christmas could include arranging secret Santa in the office, getting employee input on the works Christmas party, and encouraging a ‘Christmas jumper’ day.

Set Goals

So your employees aren’t feeling motivated at the moment? We suggest that you give them something to motivate them. Set goals that will challenge your staff – you want to get their brains working effectively. Giving them something to focus on will encourage them to be more productive. We think it should be challenging enough to keep them busy, but not too hard that it does the opposite and discourages them.

Offer Incentives

Offering incentives will keep your employees motivated and productive. Regardless to your company’s policy on bonuses, you can offer your staff more fun and festive rewards when it comes to rewarding them for their hard work. Whether this is chocolate, gift cards, or just an afternoon off – incentives give your staff something to work towards. It’s a brilliant way to encourage productivity over a period where it’s at its lowest.

If you want to seriously motivate your employees this Christmas, why not consider having a complete revamp in the office.

Here at Officescape we offer high quality office refurbishment in London. Our design experts will be more than happy to help you transform your office into a motivational and productive place to work.

Just contact us on 01553 811833 or follow us over on Facebook and Twitter.