11/ 28/ 2005
by Steve Strauss
Q: Instead of throwing our traditional holiday party, I was thinking that we might find a better use for that money this year. But what should we do? Do you have any suggestions?
A: I know where you’re coming from. I once worked at a law firm that threw a nice holiday party every year, but didn’t decrease the hours we were required to bill that month to account for the time we would be at the party. Many of us ended up going back to the office after the party was over and working an extra two hours just to stay even. No, we were not happy campers.
So you’re definitely on the right track: There may be a different and better use of that money. Consider earmarking the holiday party money in more creative ways. For instance, one thing that has caught on recently instead of the holiday party is the holiday reward. Rewarding employees this time of year can achieve the same goodwill that a party can and has the added bonus of motivating employees. A small-business owner can do many different things to reward employees within the holiday spirit:
- Give employees time off or an extra paid day or two off. This allows them to go shopping, send off packages and handle all of the other tasks we have this time of year. Because we are all so busy around the holidays, free time is especially valuable and appreciated. Even if your business is busy that time of year, juggling schedules and hiring some part-time help can create the space to reward your best employees. They will be grateful all year long.
- Similarly, you can give employees a day off to do charitable work.
- To get into the spirit of giving, what about taking everyone to a local children’s hospital or retirement home where they can volunteer their time for half a day?
- Create a holiday suggestion box. The employee who makes the best suggestion for improving the business can, for instance, win a nice dinner for two, as well as the chance to have their improvement implemented.
- Write letters to your employees’ families. Tell a husband or wife how special their mate is, how valuable they are and how much they mean to your business. This creates goodwill all the way around.
- Rather than throwing a party for employees, consider throwing one for their children.
- Hire a massage therapist to visit your office for an afternoon.
- Create a package wrapping station: Leave wrapping paper, ribbon, tape, scissors and cards in the break room so that your staff can wrap their presents after doing some lunchtime shopping.
Finally, consider offering employees a flex-time holiday plan. Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Maybe Martin Luther King Day or Memorial Day is more important to some employees. So, at the beginning of the year, post a list of every possible holiday from Saint Patrick’s Day to Rosh Hashanah. Then, allow your staff to pick any 11 (which is the typical amount of holiday time in most workplaces).
We all get stuck in ruts, and the annual holiday party can be another one. But with some creative thinking, the holidays can be a time to bring everyone together and reward your staff for a job well done.
