Ho ho … huh?

Dust down your Christmas To Do list and crack on with organising cards, a lunch or party or whatever celebrations you usually have in December …. oh wait. Maybe not.

Everyone’s scattered all over the place and you only see their faces on Zoom. Let’s just get to Christmas and forget about the whole thing. Right?

Wrong. It’s been a tough year for everyone, whether their jobs are safe or not – people have struggled with all the restrictions, and some have had problems with other people in their households.

And through all 2020’s twists and turns, they’ve carried on working. So that means you really should make an effort. It’s a chance to spread a little joy and love, as well as showing your company is a decent place to work.

Here are a couple of ideas:

1. Cards: simple. Buy some packs, write some messages and stick them in the post.
2. Vouchers: pick an amount, choose a shop or supermarket (there are better options than just Amazon including local firms) and send vouchers by email. People can use them to buy things they want – including Christmas gifts, if December’s financially challenging.
3. A hamper: as above but try not to get bogged down with overthinking the contents. Again, you can support local people like Team Domenica with this option.
4. A gift: either the same thing for everyone or, if you’re a small team and know people well, then more personal presents.
5. A video call: it’s a way to see other people’s smiling faces at the end of a tough year. And if you’ve arranged to send them anything from Options 1-4, they can open the package during the call. It gives them something to do instead of staring at faces on a screen and hopefully it’ll make them happy.

There’s some helpful advice here too (just ignore the bit about parties) about working in December.

It’s been a tough year, but Christmas and a much-needed holiday is coming. Now stop reading, spend an hour arranging a festive treat for your people and put a smile on their faces.

By Brian