How to Reward Employees for the Christmas Holidays (Aside from Cash Bonuses)
Year end holiday reward-giving activities are something many employees look forward to once the gift-giving season commences. High performing employees in particular anticipate the chance to be recognized for the valuable contribution they’ve made to the companies they work for. Holiday festivities are not complete without giving these hard-workers the recognition they deserve. Gone are the days where year-end perks were once considered as an optional bonus: many employer-sponsored gifts are now considered as part and parcel of every company’s annual celebration.
Spread some holiday cheer at your workplace and reward your worker-bees for a job well done with some of these Christmas season gift suggestions:
1. Give practical gifts
Steer away from novelty items that will more than likely end up adding to the clutter once the new year comes around. Give something that might not seem exciting at first, but will definitely be appreciated by those employees who need them the most. Gifts that fall into this category include, but are not limited to: one month pre-paid tolls for employees who frequently do field work, a “work/life” coupon that entitles the employee to a three hour lunch, free parking, two week unlimited coffee for night shift workers, free one year car insurance, free dental appointment for an employee’s relative.
2. Give extra time off
Let your employees fulfill their social and gift-giving obligations during the holidays without feeling worn-out from having to juggle work and Christmas-related errands. Give them the option to have a half-day workday to go shopping by allowing them to leave earlier or later than usual. Help them avoid traffic allowing for more work-at-home days, which would also allow them to do online shopping while spending time with their loved ones. Extra time off is also a chance to spend quality time with their families.
3. Office party
Most companies set aside a budget for these year end festivities because employees have come to expect a holiday, Christmas-themed party to cap off the year. These parties don’t need to be extravagant, but should be meaningful enough for employees to feel appreciated and recognized for the hard work they’ve done to contribute to the company’s success. Office parties help boost employee morale and promote unity among employees as well. Let this be a chance to celebrate your employee’s accomplishments together and raise the glass for a job well done.
4. Publicly recognize worker’s accomplishments
It feels good to be an important and valued part of a company. Let other people in the organization know who these good workers are. If you have a company newsletter, you can include a special section that will feature a particular employee and run a story about their accomplishments and even a personality profile. You can also hold an employee program where co-workers nominate and vote for a Most Valuable Employee award, and give recognition during the holiday party.
With these simple non-monetary rewards programs, you will help promote loyal and happy workers in your company. This way, you’re more likely to keep motivated workers whose new year’s resolutions will not include a line in their list that says, “find new job”.
