A Survival Guide for Businesses Operating During the Holiday Season
For many of us, Christmas marks the beginning of a season of rest and relaxation, a time to relax and spend time with loved ones. However, this is not the case for everyone. Many workers, especially those in retail, tourism, healthcare, or emergency services, experience Christmas as one of the busiest times of the year. As a result, these employees need extra support at that time to ensure that their morale remains high and their productivity does not decrease. In this article, we’ll explore a number of ways you can help employees who have to spend Christmas at work.
5 Tips to Improve Using Christmas at Work
1. Beware of Hard Work
Employees who work on Christmas are forced to sacrifice precious time that could be spent relaxing or enjoying quality time with their families. Leaders and employers need to recognize this difficult task in order to ensure a positive workplace. You can reward employees for their dedication in a variety of ways, the most common being monetary benefits, such as bonuses and overtime pay. However, non-monetary prizes are also appreciated. This includes small gifts, vouchers, and words of thanks, privately or publicly.
2. Create a Festive Atmosphere
Spending Christmas at work doesn’t automatically mean you can’t feel the holiday spirit. Take the opportunity to decorate the halls to make the environment of your employees happy and cheerful. Hang lights and decorations, and maybe have the staff decorate the Christmas tree together to promote a sense of community. If possible, allow employees to wear festive clothing, such as Christmas jumpers and other items. These small actions can have a big impact on employee morale and make this difficult time easier to pass.
3. Be Flexible Where Possible
Although this may sound challenging, giving employees some flexibility during Christmas is necessary. Even if they have to work during the holidays, employees still need time to buy Christmas presents, attend their children’s school plays, or prepare dinner. Try to adjust employees’ schedules to help them enjoy the holidays while fulfilling their work responsibilities by rotating shifts or allowing work from home. You can also offer extra time off that employees can use after the holiday rush is over.
4. Support Mental and Physical Health
The holiday season is tough, especially if you don’t get time off from work. Employees will be stressed at that time, which is why it is important to prioritize their mental and physical health. This can be achieved by encouraging them to take frequent breaks during long shifts to rest and eat snacks. Speaking of snacks, provide healthy options, too, to help prevent employees from indulging in sugary desserts. Most importantly, be sure about the expected work to help everyone feel more prepared and thus reduce the risk of burnout.
5. Encourage Team Collaboration
The challenges of working during the Christmas holidays can be endured with a strong sense of community in your organization. As the saying goes, a problem shared is a problem solved. To encourage and develop this spirit of camaraderie, consider organizing group activities, such as Secret Santa or a Christmas-themed competition. You can also set company-wide goals related to sales or revenue that employees can work toward and celebrate together. Holiday gatherings are also very popular in businesses, allowing employees to connect with colleagues outside of work.
Tips for Christmas Workers
So far, we’ve discussed what leaders can do to support employees who work on holidays. But what can employees do to get through the busiest time of the year? Let’s look at some basic tips that will help employees navigate Christmas better at work.
Contact Your Needs
Sometimes, the workload becomes too heavy during the holidays, putting the needs of the staff aside. It is important not to let this happen and to communicate your boundaries as clearly as possible. If you need a specific day off or extra support for a task, talk to your manager immediately so a solution can be found. With patience and a positive attitude, all problems can be solved, and the holiday season will be easier to pass.
Practice Self-Care
Businesses will talk about protecting your mental health, but if you don’t take action yourself, the risk of burnout will be real. Prioritize healthy habits during and outside of work, focusing on eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and getting even a few minutes of rest. Take advantage of your work break to decompress instead of worrying about your chores or your Christmas shopping list. This way, you will have a clear head to wrap up work commitments and get back to the festivities.
Reschedule the Festivals
What happens if there is no way to celebrate the day of? There is no rule against celebrating Christmas on another day if that works better for your schedule. What matters is spending quality time with the people you love, not what the calendar on the wall says. Another way to help you through this stressful time is to plan a post-holiday trip. Take your holiday break in January or February and enjoy some relaxing time away from work after the Christmas crowds have returned home.
The conclusion
Working at Christmas can be especially challenging, but if leaders and employees practice understanding and appreciating each other, everything can go smoothly and end up being fun. Leaders must focus on paying attention to the needs of their employees and taking appropriate steps to meet them while maintaining strong productivity levels. On the other hand, employees should set their own boundaries, practice self-care, and maintain a positive and open attitude. By following these steps, the holiday season can be a great experience despite the increased workload.
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