Holidays and the Workplace

Happy Holidays!

It’s that time of the year again. Decorations, gifts, food, time off, lots and lots of holiday treats, and of course, friends and family. What does this mean for the workplace? For some, it means stress, but work shouldn’t be adding to it.

Here are a few things to think about during the holiday season:

1. Time-off requests. With more people working remotely, the opportunity for flexibility is great and yet as a business, you still need the work to get done. Even with the added flexibility remote work allows, it’s important to encourage people to take some time away. Just be sure to plan ahead for it. Make sure you have a solid process for time-off requests so that employees are aware of when they need to have their requests turned in. If you’re willing to allow flexible hours during the holiday time, make sure you have established clear expectations about what this looks like. Want to take it a step further? Many companies offer extra days off around the holidays so employees have to take less paid time off and have some extra time to relax and reset. 
2. Be inclusive. Many companies offer floating holidays for more flexibility around different holidays that employees may celebrate.
3. Gift giving. Many employees feel pressured to take part in gift-giving during the holidays. This can add stress to an already stressful time of year and with more remote employees, it isn’t always feasible. Rather than gift-giving between employees, which can leave some feeling left out, consider inviting employees to share their favorite holiday recipe or treat. Or just a favorite recipe that isn’t holiday related. This allows those that do not want to participate to do just that, while still allowing others to share their holiday cheer.
4. Holiday parties. Many companies have some sort of holiday party, but during this pandemic, these events have been greatly minimized. However, it doesn’t mean you have to ditch your party altogether. Consider having a virtual party and include different group activities such as virtual Pictionary or trivia. Take time to share customer appreciation. Send a gift box of swag in advance of the meeting. Just a little creativity and it can still be a fun and inclusive event no matter where the work is being performed.

It’s also a good idea to make events voluntary. Not everyone will want to participate and that’s ok. That’s why it’s also a good idea to think about making sure your events are inclusive and offer people different ways to experience this time of year if they choose to participate. Don’t forget the most important part of the holidays, HAVE FUN!