Boosting Employee Morale Through The Holidays

Introduction

The holidays are a great time to connect with your employees and show them that you care. You can boost morale by making sure everyone has an opportunity to take vacation, reminding them of the importance they play in your business’s success, and more:

Encourage employees to take vacation time.

• Encourage employees to take vacation time.

Vacation time is an important part of employee engagement, as it helps employees recharge and reenergize their batteries. Additionally, it’s also a good way for employers and employees alike to acknowledge that working hard doesn’t mean you can’t also enjoy life outside of work! So if you want your team feeling motivated throughout the holidays–and throughout 2018–encouraging them to take some time off when possible will be key.

• Be clear about expectations before an employee leaves on vacation.

If you know ahead of time when an employee will be out on vacation (or even if you don’t), make sure that everyone else does as well so there aren’t any surprises when they return from their trip!

Make sure everyone has a flexible schedule.

• Flexible schedules can help employees feel more in control of their work life balance. If you have an employee who works from home, or works non-traditional hours, they may feel that they don’t have enough time to spend with family and friends during the holidays.
• Flexible schedules can help prevent burnout by allowing employees to take breaks when needed and not be tied down to a strict schedule that doesn’t allow any flexibility whatsoever. This can also apply to those who do not want to work on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve because it’s important for them personally or spiritually–giving them the option will make them feel valued as an employee instead of being forced into doing something against their beliefs/religion/culture (etc.) just because “it’s what everyone else does”.
• Flexible schedules tend towards making people happier overall because they allow individuals more freedom over how they spend their days off so long as deadlines are met by deadline date(s).

Remind employees of the importance they play in the business’s success.

The holidays are a time to celebrate with family, friends and colleagues. It’s also a great opportunity to recognize your employees for all they do to make your business successful.

One way to accomplish this is by reminding them of the importance they play in the success of your organization. As you’re preparing for the holidays and thinking about ways to show appreciation for your employees’ hard work during this busy time of year, consider these tips:

• Make sure there are no surprises on bonuses or raises that could cause morale issues later on (if any). Before giving out any raises or bonuses at Christmas time–or any other time during the year–make sure you have enough budgeted funds available so there aren’t last-minute surprises when payroll comes around again!
• Consider having one-on-one conversations with each employee where both parties talk about what went well during 2018 as well as areas where improvement could still happen going forward into 2019 (and beyond).

Let employees share company successes with family and friends.

• Let employees share company successes with family and friends.
• Help employees share the good news with family and friends.
• Encourage employees to share the good news with family and friends

Provide a safe space for employees to talk about what matters to them outside of work hours.

Create a safe space for employees to talk about what matters to them outside of work hours.

The holidays are a time when everyone wants to feel like they belong, so being able to openly discuss their feelings with colleagues and bosses is important. Encourage your team members to share what’s on their mind, even if it isn’t related directly to work or the company. You’ll be surprised at how much this can help improve morale!

Be open to feedback, suggestions and ideas from your staff.

• Be open to feedback, suggestions and ideas from your staff.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.
• Don’t take it personally when an employee gives you constructive criticism or comments on something you’ve done wrong.
• Likewise, don’t be afraid of giving it back if necessary!

Take time each week to recognize an employee for doing something great, even if it’s something small. What makes a great leader?

A great leader is someone who recognizes the contributions of their team members, even if they are small.

For example, let’s say an employee comes into work on a Saturday to help out with an important project. It’s not required work and it wasn’t part of his normal schedule, so he did it because he wants to help you succeed. You could thank him in person or over email by saying something like: “Thanks for coming in this weekend! Your hard work really made a difference.”

Or let’s say an employee consistently does good work and always seems happy at work (even when things get busy). These types of employees deserve recognition too! Maybe you could give them a gift card as a reward for being such great teammates? Letting people know how much we appreciate them will make them feel appreciated and valued by us as leaders which makes our whole team more productive because we’re all working together under positive conditions where everyone feels good about themselves and each other

Conclusion

Take all the time you need to plan your next holiday party or company event, but don’t forget that it’s the little things that mean the most. Your staff will appreciate being recognized for their hard work and dedication, even if it’s just a quick thank-you note or email from you. The holidays are supposed to be about giving thanks for all of our blessings in life–including those who make them possible!