With the working year winding down, here are our tips for a stress-free office closedown…
The festive season is here, and that means offices are starting to close down for the year. Avoid any last-minute stresses by following these simple steps for an easy end of year.
Decide on your office holiday policy
It’s best to have a fixed office holiday policy. Will you close the office officially over Christmas, or let staff take time off as part of their allowance? There are advantages to closing the office completely. It helps to eliminate the typical scramble for employees to book off days that don’t clash, and gives everyone a much-needed break to recharge.
Reward your employees for hard work
By the end of the year, everyone’s a little frazzled. Tensions can run high and work quality can dwindle. Planning a few fun activities can help to keep spirits high. By giving employees an outlet for festive energy, you can avoid the usual slump in productivity.
Plan in advance
There’s nothing worse than rushing to get everything finished on time. By planning well in advance for the inevitable gap in production, you can avoid some of the problems that happen when you’re pressed for time. Leave some time well before Christmas for new year planning. By getting the team to come up with creative ideas when they’re still feeling fresh, you might avoid the mental fugue that can occur.
Communicate with clients
By giving your clients a heads up that you’ll be closing the office, you avoid some typical holiday communication issues. Make sure you tell them your policy on emergency contact, so everyone can get in touch if necessary. If they do need to get in touch, spread responsibility for being the point of contact out over the team. Set firm restrictions on contact hours, too, just to make it clearer for both your employees and clients.
Encourage rest and relaxation
The most important thing you can do for your workforce is to allow them to rest and relax during the holiday period. The new year’s onslaught can be stressful, and making sure everyone decompresses is important. It can be tempting for employees to work over the holiday to get everything finished, but this can actually be detrimental to productivity. Make sure you’ve giving everyone enough time to refresh their minds, ready for the new year.
Image credits: Press Association
