Celebrate your staff this Christmas!

Christmas is always a joyous time of year for many, a chance to spend time with family and friends, but first, there’s always the office Christmas party.

The office Christmas party can be the highlight of the year for many employees, with a free meal and a chance to catch up with co-workers after the pre-Christmas uphill slog to ensure everything is wrapped up before you close for the holidays. However, it is worth remembering that the Christmas party does have more benefits for your staff than just being a festive treat. Here’s why you should invest in festivities:

Team building: This annual work party provides a great opportunity for employees across departments to get to know each other outside your office walls. Relationships are affected by day-to-day activities so the chance for staff to engage in informal, relaxed conversations outside of the normal ‘office chat’ can lead to stronger levels of friendship and trust, in turn contributing to building a more cohesive team.

Rewarding staff: It’s not always the case that a business is in the position to provide every member of staff with a bonus or gift. A Christmas party is a great way to show employees that their hard work and everything they have done to support the business over the last year has not gone unnoticed and is truly appreciated… a few well-chosen beverages can also do the trick!

Avoid the winter slump: In the winter months, it is common to see a natural slump in motivation due to the longer and darker days, but by providing staff something to look forward to in the form of a Christmas gathering, works wonders in giving staff that little extra push to get past the winter slump and put the buzz back into your office!

Celebrate: Of course, the most important reason to hold a Christmas party is for everyone to have a good time and let off some steam! The party can be a place to connect with your employees, reward individual successes, celebrate company growth and toast to anything else you think will be suitable! Having fun with your staff improves loyalty. After all, engaged and happy staff are naturally going to act as advocates for your brand.

With there being clear benefits to providing your staff with a Christmas party, it’s no surprise that studies also prove that a lack of festive celebrations has a negative effect on morale and the feeling of being appreciated. Other than looking like a Scrooge, you may find employees question how financially secure the business is, which could have a negative impact on overall workplace performance.

Just remember, Christmas parties don’t have to involve costly nights out or trips away when budget is tight. Having a few drinks after work or having a simple lunch out can reinforce how much the business values staff contribution. The gesture will go a long way with your workforce.  Merry Christmas!