How to show staff appreciation during the holidays

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has some great tips for appreciating your employees during the holidays.

“The upcoming holiday season is a wonderful but busy time of year,” the CFIB website says. “Employers should not miss the chance to celebrate the year’s achievements by recognizing the tremendous efforts of their employees.”

Here are a few of CFIB’s ideas for giving recognition to your staff during the holidays:

• Time off – Allow employees time off to attend holiday concerts or a half day for shopping.
• Flexible work schedules – Provide employees with the opportunity to move their schedules around.
• Banking hours – Allow employees to bank hours for use during the holidays, or a time of their choice at a later date.
• Staff/family luncheon – Plan a company luncheon to celebrate the season and build team morale in a “non-work” environment
• Gift certificates – Consider providing gift certificates to a local, independent business as recognition to employees during the festive season.
• Personalized notes – If resources don’t allow for the options above, just saying “Thank you” in a personalized note of appreciation can go a long way in letting your employees know how much you appreciate their hard work throughout the year.

“CFIB surveys indicate flexibility in the workplace results in better relationships with employees, higher employee job satisfaction, higher employee retention, fewer work absences, and increased productivity,” the website says.

For more business tips and reports, visit www.cfib-fcei.ca.