Many people love the fall and winter seasons, but scheduling can be hectic. With a high concentration of holidays in these seasons, your employees can get excited- and you might, too!
Efficiency might slow down during the holidays as people come in and out of the office for either religious, family, or personal reasons, but that doesn’t mean you can’t foster an excellent work environment for your employees during the holiday season.
Sometimes, you should take certain considerations for your employees during the holidays. Here are some of the best things you can do to put your employees in the holiday spirit!
Gifts
The holiday season is also known as the season of giving.If your employees are okay with it and do not have any religious objections, giving small gifts is an excellent way to show your employees that you care about them this holiday season.
Of course, you don’t want to spend too much money on gifts. Gift-giving can get expensive quickly if you have a certain number of employees.
Luckily, there are plenty of inexpensive gifts that you can give your employees that they will appreciate.
However, you should consider your employee’s beliefs when giving gifts, religious or otherwise. Some of your employees might love a gift but not appreciate certain kinds.
If you do your due diligence, this should not be an issue. Keep your gifts small and simple, and you will not face any challenges!
Food
Food is a simple and beloved gift that you can get anybody during this holiday season.If you can navigate your kitchen with ease, your employees will love a fresh-baked desert. Consider baking some pumpkin bread or a batch of cookies for your employees to enjoy.
If you can’t cook or bake, there’s no issue! You can easily find delicious, seasonal treats at your local bakery.
When buying food as a gift, consider any religious or dietary restrictions that your employees may have. You don’t want to exclude anybody, either. Consider purchasing or baking kosher, halal, gluten-free treats.
Decorations
Many holiday decorations are religiously-affiliated, so it can be a challenge to find some for each of your employees.However, if you want to give your employees a more personal gift, decorations can be well worth the time you spend searching for them.
If you want to avoid any religious affiliations whatsoever, consider buying branded decorations with the name and logo of your law firm.
Along with following the gift-giving spirit of the holidays, you can promote company culture and brand loyalty by giving your employees branded gifts.
Holiday Spirit
Most people like to get festive to some degree. No matter what seasonal holiday they celebrate, your employees may want to decorate their workspaces with holiday decor or show off their holiday spirit with accessories.If you want to encourage your employees during these holiday seasons, consider encouraging a festive atmosphere. Put up a variety of appropriate, culturally-sensitive holiday decorations and allow your employees to accessorize appropriately.
Many offices like to hold ‘ugly sweater days’, which are friendly to many cultures and religions. However, as a law firm, this may not be the right move- what would your clients think?
If you have a day with no client appointments or conference meetings, consider scheduling a surprise ugly sweater day to help celebrate the season!
Fun Seasonal Activities
One of the best things about the holiday season is the number of activities associated with fall and winter.To encourage a festive environment, you could dedicate some time to decorating your office. Play some seasonally-appropriate music and spend some time giving your workspace the Hallmark makeover it deserves.
Seasonal activities are an excellent way to give any workplace some company cheer.
Holiday Parties
Many workplaces have embraced the tradition of holiday parties. After hours, or just before the office closes, employees will don their holiday garb and partake in socialization, games, and food.Holiday parties are popular, but there are some things to consider before you stage one at your law practice.
What Should You Do About Alcohol?
Alcohol is popular at holiday parties, but its presence brings a potential risk.Alcohol is known for loosening people up, and while a drink or two can help ensure a fun atmosphere, too much can be a danger to everybody involved- and as their employer, you may be responsible.
Consider limiting alcoholic options to beer and wine and enforce a drink limit. Also make sure to offer non-alcoholic alternatives, such as mocktails.
Enforce Your Expectations
Some people are naturally rowdy with no alcohol required. Their work personas may be different than their home personas.You should make it abundantly clear that you expect people to display appropriate behavior during the holiday party, though outright professional behavior may be overkill.
Bonuses
Your employees might go above and beyond, but let’s face it; they’re here to make a living. They wouldn’t do the job that they do if you didn’t pay them.A bonus is an excellent way to show your employees that you appreciate them during the holidays.
A bonus doesn’t need to be significant- after all, it’s a bonus- but a little bit of extra money can go a long way to help cover your employee’s holiday expenses.
Time Off
You may think of your employees as a secondary family, but it’s important to remember that they have lives at home.One of the best gifts you could give your employees is time off to spend with their family for the holidays, no matter what religion they follow or the traditions they celebrate.
You don’t need to give your employees large swathes of time off work, but a day or two for celebrations and family feasts will go a long way.
A LawWorks Membership
The best gift you could give anybody is convenience and quality, and what says quality more than a membership to LawWorks?With a LawWorks membership, you get access to a strong and friendly community of lawyers and resources to help solve your every need.
Give yourself the gift of convenience this holiday season. Become a LawWorks member today!