Those that have been following me for a while will know that I am a big advocate for motivating and engaging your employees all year around.  One of the things I get asked about on a regular basis is the place of rewards and/or bonuses as a motivator.

However, as we move into December and as Christmas approaches this is often the time of year when almost every employer is looking how to deliver a reward for their people. In this article I want to share some things to serve as food for thought.

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Christmas isn’t the same for everyone

Wherever you look in stores or on T.V. there is always a universally portrayed belief that Christmas is a joyful and magical time with lots of family get togethers. Indeed, isn’t there a desire for everyone to be happy and jovial and take part in fun festive activities.

But what if you are not feeling very happy, jovial or festive?

Consider for a moment those that have been recently bereaved and may be heading towards their first Christmas without that loved one. Or those that have a loved one that is terminally ill and are heading into December wondering if this will be the last Christmas they get to share with them.

Then what about those people who, for whatever reason, aren’t able to spend Christmas with people who are important in their lives, or maybe they have to spend time with people that they really would rather not do.

I appreciate that these things are not always talked about or immediately evident and that the circumstances I have just described are upsetting, but sadly these scenarios affect more people than we sometimes realise.

What I would like to suggest here is that you give people the chance to opt out of things like the Christmas Jumper day, and to spend quiet time, perhaps working from home, if they don’t feel comfortable getting into the spirit of things which leads me on nicely to something else that should be optional.

Christmas Parties

I am sure we have all been to the Christmas Party or Christmas Meal out as they are a regular fixture for many businesses and can be a lovely way to let your hair down as the year is ending.

But again I would like to share a couple of thoughts.

Most employers I know will take their teams out for a meal at a restaurant or more often to an organised dinner and disco type of party and pay for the food which is a lovely gesture. But, especially given the financial pressures this year, these can still prove to be expensive for your employee personally. For example, the drinks in these places are often not cheap, then there is the peer pressure of buying ‘rounds’ not to mention the taxi home, so it might be worth considering if you can offer some help with that too.

It is important also to remember that enforced social events and small talk is not for everyone and some people will find it more uncomfortable than others depending on their DiSC profile. So you will need to perhaps think about a seating plan for the table to make sure that similar types of people sit together.

Also, a gentle word of caution about alcohol, some non-drinkers get a bit uncomfortable around drunk people and more importantly I have heard of stories where employers have had a bit too much and have ‘sacked’ people in the midst of a disagreement so I would always suggest moderation.

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Secret Santa

Again, this is something that many firms do and it can be nice to receive a gift from an unknown colleague however this is something that also needs a little bit of thought.

Most firms have a set amount of money to spend and indeed often will limit the spending to £10 or similar which helps for those who are finding things a bit tight financially.

But a word of caution about the nature of the gifts.

Fun, jokey or festive gifts are a good way to get over the awkwardness of trying to think of a more thoughtful gift for someone that you don’t really know as well.  The challenge comes her though that what one person might find humorous and entertaining another might find awkward or embarrassing.

Or what if a non-drinker randomly is given an gift of alcohol?

I have even heard a HR person talk about an employer who had a situation where someone took offence at a gift and lodged a formal complaint for bullying, all from a gift that was chosen at random out of a santa sack.

With this perhaps the best way is to get people to draw names so that they know who they are buying for.

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What else could you do?

We are all different people and so are motivated by different things which means that it might be nice to give employees a choice of Christmas treat.

Things like a Christmas Hamper of food/essentials for Christmas dinner, or vouchers for a local supermarket. Or perhaps they can choose an extra afternoon off work to prepare or shop or go to visit loved ones.

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I am not saying don’t do any or all of the things that I mentioned, what I would ask is that whatever you choose to do that you  do it with a little extra thought and sensitivity.

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