Santa may not have this on his list, but you may see more distracted and even depressed employees in the coming months. Here’s how to handle it.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year … for some. But the holidays can make it tougher to manage many employees.
From a serious uptick in online shopping and extra-long lunch hours to withdrawn employees dreading the holiday cheer, you have a host of seasonal-specific problems to tackle.
While there’s still a couple of months before the first turkeys hit the table, now’s the time to form a plan to handle anything the season does to your staffers.
Cut ’em a little slack. Researchers have found that allowing a few minutes a day of non-work-related online activity actually boosts productivity. So if you see folks ordering slippers for Great Aunt Mildred, you might let it go. Of course, if it gets out of hand, know when to draw the line and speak up.
Don’t force the issue. Betty may hardly be able to wait to break out her cornucopia earrings and blinking reindeer sweater. Not everyone may feel the same. So be careful about dragging resistant staffers into group celebrations.
Try to help someone else. The season of giving offers a great opportunity to do some volunteering. Maybe your department can help organize a toy drive for kids or a book drive for the elderly. Perhaps you can offer your bookkeeping services to a local school. Getting employees involved in the community can get everyone feeling good about themselves, no matter how they feel about the holidays.
Celebrate a common goal. Remember to save a little of that celebrating spirit for February when those last W-2s and 1099s go out the door. That’s something that every staffer will be happy to raise a glass of sparkling cider to.