14 Dec How to Celebrate the Holidays in the Workplace
By: Megan Jones
It is the holiday season and a wonderful time to celebrate your employees and contributions they have provided throughout the year. I have written two articles on great gift or event ideas if you need any assistance helping treat your employees. However, today I want to remind us all of the importance of our colleagues, managers and staff. In addition, here are some fun ways to celebrate the holidays in the workplace!
Why is it Important to Celebrate Your Staff?
It is important to celebrate your staff because it is a reminder that you appreciate all their efforts. In my opinion this extends both ways. Managers show appreciation to employees and employees show appreciation for their manager. It is a great way to show that you see the dedication that went into this year and that the work that was accomplished truly takes a village.
If you are looking for a tangible way to show your appreciation. Consider writing or sending an automated card. If you take this route, I always like to personalize to that person by adding a specific attribute that the person did to help the team. However, if you have a rather large team, a blanket statement of your gratitude can go a long way as well.
If you are looking to spend a little more you can always add $5 coffee gift card or a small piece of candy. Other gestures, can be treating your team to lunch or getting personalized mugs. See the articles below where I have provided gift guides and fun ideas on how to treat the team!
All in all, showing your appreciation is a great morale booster and way to let your team know you care!
How to Celebrate the Holidays in the Workplace
If you do choose to celebrate the holidays in the workplace, ensure that you are inclusive to all denominations. The goal is to bring everyone together and make them feel accepted and appreciated. From there, here are some fun ideas to make your celebration special.
Have a Holiday Lunch
You can do a potluck or treat your team to lunch if the budget provides. If you are looking to be extra conscious, you can have employees create a slide with their favorite holiday dish and its recipe instead of doing a potluck. Then at the end of the gathering the PowerPoint can be shared and everyone in the team will have a new set of holiday recipes to try.
White Elephant
The holidays can be expensive and buying a gift for many of your co-workers or managers can add up quick. A quick fix is to do a white elephant and set the dollar amount. This way, everyone gets a gift but you don’t have to spend a lot to participate.
If your team is virtual, you can still participate! You can have everyone purchase a gift and then send it in to the organizer. From there, the organizer can randomize the gifts with an online software. Each employee can then pick a virtual gift, open it, and read what the gift they received is. Then the next person goes in traditional white elephant fashion. At the end, each person can mail the gift they bought to its recipient! Consider checking out Confetti to help your virtual white elephant go more smoothly!
Play a Game!
Holiday parties are great for mixing and mingling however, in my experience employees get excited to participate in a group activity. Consider doing a holiday sweater competition, a holiday trivia or jeopardy and hand out prizes or certificates to the winning team! If you are looking to do this virtually, check out Weve.
There are plenty of ways to celebrate regardless of if you are virtual or in person. Moreover, a small gesture goes a long way in showing your appreciation!
We hope you find these ideas helpful and can incorporate them into your next workplace holiday function!
