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4 Ways Make the Holidays at Work Fun For Everyone This Year
The holidays mean something different for everyone, whether that be putting up a Christmas tree, hosting a huge seasonal feast or spending quiet time with loved ones.
No matter how you celebrate, holiday traditions are essential for keeping families close during the coldest part of the year. The same goes for companies!
Your office team is sort of like its own little family, and nothing builds positive morale during the winter season like a unique holiday tradition to call your own. This year, instead of stumbling over appropriate season’s greetings and festivities, focus on spreading holiday spirit with inclusive celebrations that get everyone feeling cheery.
Here are a few tried and true ways to ensure that everyone has fun celebrating the holiday season at your work this year:
1. Host a Holiday-Themed Office Potluck
Celebrating the holidays in a diverse office may seem a bit intimidating, as you don’t want anyone to feel excluded from the festivities. This year, ensure that everyone gets in on the holiday spirit with a holiday-themed office potluck lunch or dinner!
Because your team may have many different ideas of what it means to celebrate the holidays, a potluck is the perfect way to celebrate several diverse traditions in one place. Ask each employee to bring in their favourite holiday meal. This could be anything from homemade Christmas biscuits to latkes to vegan stuffing.
This way, not only will everyone have something they are happy to eat, but they will also have a chance to learn a little more about their teammates! Pass the food, share the stories, and have fun celebrating each unique holiday tradition.
Get in on the fun by starting a new office holiday tradition that everyone can appreciate. These scrumptious shortbread biscuits can be printed with your logo in edible frosting. Choose from any size, design or colour, but don’t expect them to last long once you put them on the potluck table!
2. Give Your Gifts to the Community This Year
For many, the holiday season means celebrating the age-old tradition of gift-giving. While we’re all for that, buying gifts for coworkers can often lead to more anxiety than excitement. This year, instead of hosting a Secret Santa or White Elephant gift exchange, ask your team to give back to your community.
Giving back during the holiday season comes in many forms. You can arrange a team volunteering day, in which everyone in your office gets together to volunteer at a soup kitchen or hospital to give back. Or you can ask everyone to put their usual gift funds toward a donation to a non-profit charity of their choice.
The most fun, however, may just be the office gift drive. Ask your team to do their usual holiday shopping, but this time for people in need. Choose a foundation to donate your gifts to, such as a local homeless shelter or a children’s hospital, and set up a box in your office to collect all of the goodies.
A little goes a long way during the holiday season, and giving something meaningful to someone who really needs it always feels better than getting Michael in HR yet another mug! Make your own donation with this children’s holiday colouring drawstring bag or a generous Christmas Joy Hamper, sure to bring some holiday cheer to a family in need.
3. Don’t Forget Employee or Client Recognition Gifts
Even if you don’t ask employees to celebrate the gift-giving tradition for one another this year, it’s still a nice touch for you to show your appreciation for all the hard work they’ve done throughout the year with a small employee recognition gift.
Even the smallest of gifts can mean something to a hard-working employee if you take the time to personalise it for them. Opt for holiday cards, seasonal treats or small tokens to recognise each member of your team for their contribution to the company. This can still be applicable if many of your employees work remotely -- email them a small e-gift, such as a gift card or a fun experience in their neighborhood.
This is also the perfect time of the year to recognise a valued client who you hope to continue to do business with in the seasons to come. Like with your employees, a small personalised card or treat is perfect for spreading some extra holiday cheer.
These promotional candy cane cards are a thoughtful and delicious gift for anyone you want to say, “Thank you, and happy holidays!” to this year!
4. Throw a Family-Friendly Holiday Party
The annual holiday office party: Like gift giving ceremonies, this event is anxiously awaited by some, and anxiously dreaded by others. This year, however, it doesn’t have to be. Make your holiday party something to look forward to by everyone in your office by giving it the theme BYOF -- bring your own family!
Ditch the Christmas tree and boozy eggnog for an inclusive and fun event that all of your employees can get behind. After all, what does everyone in your office have in common if not for some sort of family? Encourage everyone to bring the people closest to them, whether that means a spouse, children or close friends. Even better, open this family event up to the furry members of everyone’s families, as long as you check for allergies first.
To make this party successful, schedule it on a night that doesn’t conflict with any religion or holiday tradition, and give it a unique theme, such as ugly sweaters or snowflake ball. Then all that’s left is to throw on some tunes and let the festivities begin!
No party is complete without an activity that party-goers actually want to take part in. Consider creating a gift wrapping section. Supply all the materials necessary, such as paper, scissors and tape -- such as this cute holiday-themed ribbon tape -- and provide ample room to get to work. This will keep kids busy, and will also help the adults feel less guilty about taking a night off to party!
The holiday season is upon us, and this year you have the chance to make it the most magical time of the year for everyone involved. Break out the twinkle lights, keep the treats plentiful and get ready for your best office winter yet!
You can check out all of the holiday-themed products we’ve highlighted here, as well as our wider range of promotional products for any occasion, at www.inspirepromotionalproducts.ie. Happy Holidays!
