This year holiday parties are taking a backseat to the pandemic, so how do employers help their employees celebrate the holidays? Some may argue that it is even more important to celebrate your team’s accomplishments this year as they have navigated through unknown territory. Here are some ideas that you can do to celebrate this unusual year!
Gifts/Gift Cards – many companies are bypassing the holiday party or luncheon and determining the cost per person they typically spend. They then give gifts or gift cards in that amount to each employee! Some holiday gift ideas include a special meal delivered to your employee’s home, games and puzzles, and culinary gifts – popcorn, candy, cookies, etc.
Cash and days off are always a crowd pleaser! Be creative in giving additional time off – add an extra day off around the holidays or find ways to give employees a little extra cash to celebrate.
A virtual “Zoom” holiday party – while many of us are “zoomed” out, some are hosting virtual parties with their team this year. Be sure to include some fun at your virtual party, ideas include:
- Zoom caroling. Email songs/lyrics in advance! Some employees may even play instruments!
- Zoom holiday competitions! An ugly Christmas sweater contest, gift wrapping contest, a homemade unique/or ugly holiday mask contest, the ideas are endless!!
- Zoom Karaoke – check out this link on how to throw a zoom karaoke party – https://www.wired.com/story/zoom-karaoke-party/
- Virtual games – this is a great article, 11 fun games to play on zoom https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/g32098665/best-games-to-play-on-zoom/
- Trivia questions – just google zoom trivia questions [sports, Thanksgiving, history, etc.] and you will have free questions at your fingertips!
- Zoom gift exchange – Assign a number to every person participating in the order in which they get on the zoom call! Then, one by one, in order, each person can take an existing opened gift or open a new one. The host will assemble all of the gifts and do as each person requests – to keep an existing gift or have the host open something new. At the end, the host sends gifts to each participant. These could be done as gift cards or other electronic gifts to make it easy to share.
- Zoom classes – this is an opportunity to learn something! The instructor will teach something to the attendees like how to make a snowball martini, wreath making, cookie decorating or how to create a holiday charcuterie board. Glow Events in San Francisco offers many options – https://glowevents.com/virtual-events/.
Whatever you decide to do this year, be sure to thank your team for their hard work! Remaining focused on delivering results during this unprecedented time is a victory in itself. If your employees feel appreciated by the organization, you will reap the benefits of an engaged and committed team in 2021. Happy Holidays and STAY SAFE!