How you can celebrate Christmas in a Covid secure way

Christmas parties and work get togethers are a great opportunity to reward your staff and keep the team motivated, and in any ordinary year would now be in full swing. However, things are a little different this year, so how can you keep motivation and engagement up in your teams in times of social distancing.

• Go virtual – move the party online and use video calls (Zoom, Microsoft Teams etc) to connect with your team. This could be as simple and low key as just having a call over a few drinks, to a little more structured where games and quizzes could be arranged, to going all out, and using one of the many companies that have sprung up that offer virtual Christmas party packages.
• Move the date – instead of celebrating now, you would just move the date of the get together to next year when things have hopefully returned a little more to normal. This could give everyone something to look forward to and could also be used to help thank your employees for everything they have done to get through 2020.
• Christmas gifts – instead of arranging an event, you could reward your staff with a gift, however big or small you are able to provide. This could help show your employees how much you appreciate them and could help make their Christmas that bit more special. However, if you are wanting to send gifts to your employers, you need to ensure that you adhere to any tax implications that may arise.
• Christmas competitions – this could range from quizzes to decorate your own desk competitions. This could be something that allows employees the chance to relax for a few minutes and be able to celebrate. This can give a bit of healthy competition in the workplace, all whilst maintaining social distancing. Giving your employees this helps to show that you trust that they are working hard (so will have done their work!) and help keep them motivated.
• Christmas cards – a personal message to employees to say thank for their hard work over the year can go a long way and make them feel appreciated, and a bonus to you, it doesn’t have to break the bank.

There is no right or wrong way for this, and whatever you choose may well be different from previous years, but it should still help to get your team motivated and such performing at their best. However, if you do have any issues with motivation or performance in your team, then we are always here to help. You can contact us by email on catherine@almc.co.uk oy by phone on 0117 970 2755.