The holidays tend to be a very busy time for people as they buy gifts for friends and family, travel to see loved ones, show up at holiday concerts for their kids, participate in cookie exchanges and host holiday meals. Not to mention the extra crowds at the stores at this time of year. When you combine personal obligations with end-of-year projects and deadlines, it’s easy to see why so many workers end up feeling burnt out. Holiday burnout happens when people are spent physically, mentally and emotionally but still have a mountain of work or organizing to get done.
When employees experience holiday burnout, not only are they likely to be unhappy, but they also become less productive and can start making mistakes. The worst part is that a few burnt out employees can bring down the mood and the productivity of the whole organization.
Here are some tips to help your employees avoid holiday burnout so they come back in January ready to take on a new year.
How to help your employees avoid holiday burnout
Identify priority projects
Take a look at the work to be done before the end of the year and prioritize what needs to be done now. If there are projects that can wait until January 2nd go ahead and move them on the calendar in order to ease your employees’ workload during this busy season.
Streamline the process
Look for ways to streamline or simplify how work is done in order to save time. Are there extra steps being taken that are making it take longer to complete a task? Now might be the time to ease up on those non-essential requirements.
Offer flexible schedules
Look for ways to offer your employees more flexibility during the holiday season. Can your staff rotate working from home? Can you offer flexible start times? The option to work through lunch so they can get home sooner? Allowing employees to leave work a bit early to see their kid’s holiday concert or to prepare a large family meal will also surely be appreciated. You may find that your employees are so much happier with the increased flexibility that you want to offer it throughout the year. Afterall, happy employees are more loyal and productive.
Bring in holiday treats
Even if you don’t normally supply tea, coffee, hot chocolate and treats to your employees, this is a great time of year to do so. A warm drink and a treat make everyone feel better and your employees will appreciate the gesture.
Thank your employees
Take the time to write personal thank-you cards to each of your employees for working hard all year. Thank them for their commitment to the company and let them know you are looking forward to a great year ahead with them on your team. If it’s in the budget, include a gift or a gift card for each employee. A holiday bonus check is another way to show appreciation.
Keep work/life boundaries in place
At this time of year, it’s especially important for employers to keep work/life boundaries in mind when communicating with employees. Do not send messages to employees after work hours and do not expect them to come into work early or stay late without paying them for their time or compensating them in some other way.
Employer burnout is real too, especially among small business owners. If you need help with HR support, we’ve got you covered through HR outsourcing! When you partner with Makai HR you can get on with the business you are trying to grow while we take care of your employee needs from 401(k) plans to payroll, taxes, health insurance/benefits, and worker’s compensation. You also gain peace of mind that you are in compliance with all of Hawaii’s employer laws (if you’ve ever looked you know that the list is very long). When choosing a PEO to partner with, there are many things to consider including cost, services and technology solutions.
With the cost of doing business in Hawaii at record highs, we know how important it is to keep labor costs in line with revenue. Our plans are priced competitively and include value-added services like time-in/time-out systems. Our three tiers of PEO service plans are tailored to the size of your business and specific needs. We offer a 100% paperless solution which means that your employees can manage their needs through a computer, tablet or phone. We can truly improve your employees work benefits while freeing you up to run your business.
What are you waiting for? Companies who partner with a PEO benefit from 7-9% faster growth, 10-14% lower employee turnover; and they are 50% less likely to go out of business. Contact us today to get started!