- Balancing work and holiday obligations (32%)
- Taking time off and returning to heavier workloads (23%)
- Having a smaller staff than usual because of time off (18%)
- Buying gifts for co-workers and contacts (11%)
- Attending holiday office parties (8%)
- Higher year-end bonuses (37%)
- More flexible work schedules during the holidays (32%)
- More paid vacation during the holidays (17%)
- Telling your workers to list priorities for the day before leaving work. Advise them to keep a separate list for off-the-job to-dos.
- Telling your staff to ask for help if they have too much work. Their supervisor might consider solutions such as adjusting deadlines or delegating.
- Asking employees what you can do to help reduce their stress. Ask if they would like to postpone the company party until January. If you are hosting a pot luck lunch, ask if people would rather have pizza brought in, so no one has to cook.
- Perhaps you can give everyone one hour a week to go online and shop, so they don’t feel like they have to sneak screen time to get a deal on gifts.
- People are often extending themselves at this time of year, so make sure you are going out of your way to notice their good work and say thank you. Also, be aware of anyone that may need an extra word of encouragement or some additional support, like employees who have lost a loved one this year or those with little or no family in the area. Making sure they know you care can go a long way in retaining employees.
- Encouraging time off. Urge people to take advantage of that with a vacation day or a half-day Friday to do their holiday shopping, decorate their house, get their baking done, or just relax and enjoy the season. They will likely come back in a better frame of mind and be more productive.
- Providing extra shifts for people to earn holiday money.
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