Regardless of whether it’s an all-expenses paid excursion to a fancy restaurant or a more corporate affair, Christmas dos are no longer the only means of seasonal incentivisation. With increasing pressure on employers to deliver a reward to the workforce, bosses can struggle with achieving the balance between providing something that’s fair to your staff, while also not breaking the bank.
While end-of-year incentives isn’t necessarily a given, it’s important to ensure that if you do offer them, you get them right. Poorly-planned seasonal rewards can lead to around a third of them being wasted. As is the case with your own Christmas shopping – don’t leave it to the last minute!
There are some things you can do to reward your staff for a job well done this year that will cost next to nothing. Depending on how they fit in with your office structure, why not consider:
- Flexible working. Allow people to leave early or come in late if they’ve made plans to see family and friends or beat the rush with a spot of Christmas shopping. A little leeway goes a long way!
- Take the pressure off the staff dress code. Allow people to dress down and wear a comfy hoody or a pair of Uggs to the office to really feel comfortable over the Christmas period.
- Make it fun! There’s no better way to let your hair down on a Friday afternoon than a round of office bingo, festive quizzes or – if you can bear it – a bit of karaoke!
- Have a mini Christmas do. Book an extended lunch break into the company diary and make sure everyone downs tools for some mince pies, mulled wine and a Christmas sing-song. A few quid can go a long way in these scenarios, or ask people to bring in their favourite dishes!
Gift cards can be an excellent way of saying thanks for a job well done, but it’s not always easy to provide something that ticks the box for everyone. Newly-qualified Susan in accounts won’t have the same interests as Gareth, the facilities manager, so finding something that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from is paramount. One thing that will hit the spot with everyone is travel.
Whether it’s to be spent on a girls’ weekend away in the Canary Islands or is being put towards a trip of a lifetime exploring India, flexibility is the core of our Inspire Travel Card.
Operating in the same way as a gift card, the Inspire Travel Card can be topped up with a nominal amount, which could go towards flights or be used to reduce the cost of a well-earned staycation at a fabulous UK hotel. With access to flights, hotels and experiences from over 250 of our travel partners, we challenge you to find one Scrooge in your team who can’t find something they’d appreciate credit towards!
It’s also an opportunity to keep the Christmas spirit rolling on into January, when mood is often at its lowest point in the year. Offering your workforce something to look forward to will go some way towards improving staff retention, alongside shaking off the January blues after the feel-good factor of Christmas wears off!
