Easy Tips to Help Your Employees Get Through the Holidays

It’s that of the year again! Lavish meals, holiday parties, Black Friday deals, and secret Santa gifts may seemingly make work less of a drudge. But, holidays only add to the stress. A survey commissioned by Joy Organics found that nearly 88% of employees find holidays the most stressful time of the year, with some people experiencing burnout as early as November.

As employers, it is not enough you understand their stress. Research by HR.com found that 52% of employees are actively looking for employment opportunities because their employers aren’t helping enough for their mental and physical well-being.

Here are a few things you can do to help your employees during the holiday season

We Americans have always had an unhealthy relationship with work – a lack of work-life balance causes work-related stress in nearly 70% of American employees. The pandemic has only worsened the situation. While the COVID-induced work from home increased workday by two hours globally, our workday has risen by over 3 hours in the US. Our obsession with appearing to be hardworking has even made us forego paid leave altogether – in 2017, approximately 52% of Americans reported having unused vacation time.

Workaholism is blamed for several health issues, including burnout, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, cardiovascular diseases, insomnia, and even causing relationships to break down.

Encourage employees to cut down on work by discouraging work-related conversations after office hours. Do not call, text, or send work-related emails to employees after work hours unless it is indispensable. You can also respect the needs of their family and physical well-being by offering free health checkups, paid leaves on special days like birthdays and anniversaries, and even introducing workplace yoga programs.

Create a culture of respect and understanding at work. As a healthcare recruiter, I know how difficult it has been to fill vacancies in the healthcare sector. Our clients have understood the value of their employees and realized that all the high-tech equipment in the world is useless without skilled staff. Since it is easier to make people stay than find a new team to replace them, shouldn’t you find ways to make them last?

Consider revamping your retention strategy to include mentorship programs, offer competitive compensation, support employees through stress management programs, and encourage positive communication across the team.

Does your staff regularly work beyond the regular office hours? In my line of work, it is not unusual for healthcare workers to work long hours. But good employers put together a strategy to stop this from happening regularly so that they don’t feel undervalued.

When this happens, people are motivated to look for better alternatives. This means that those left open are forced to pick up the slack and work extra shifts. Sooner or later, they too will start looking for jobs, causing the circle to continue.

Do you put too many responsibilities on people? Do you make sure they are adequately compensated? Do you keep notes to ensure that people aren’t regularly assigned extra shifts? Do you offer flexible working hours, work-from-home options, etc.?

If you think your company can benefit from a new retention strategy, we can help. At PX3, we’ll find ways to find an exact fit for your requirements. Call now to schedule a free consultation.