Yes, it’s that time of year. For many of us, it’s time for the great holiday hiatus…that stretch of cold, bleak months with nary a holiday in sight. Or at least none that many of us are paid to stay home for.
Yes, I know, some of you fortunate few do get off for the likes of Martin Luther King Day or Presidents’ Day. And some of you even get a paid spring break.
But for the majority of us working folks, it’s a long dry spell until Memorial Day rolls around. And that’s especially tough right after so many short weeks and half days during November and December.
So how do you keep employees happy and productive when they see a lack of three-day weekends in their future? Here are few ideas to consider to keep employee morale afloat until May:
- No holidays on the calendar? Make some. Okay, maybe you can’t afford to shut the doors so everyone can have the same day off, but how about offering a floating holiday to be taken between February and May? Let employees make their own paid holiday, if you normally pay for holidays off. That will spread out the impact on your business, keeping staffing and morale high
(If you don’t usually pay for holidays, this first one is probably not a good idea — few people can afford another day without pay these days. )
- Designate some workdays as “At Work Holidays.” Yes, everyone has to be there, and work has to get done, but throw in some decorations, a stack of pizzas for lunch and maybe even a dress-up theme like Island Day or Circus day. It’s a not as good as a day off, but it’s better than an ordinary work day!
- Use paid time off as an incentive or award. Yes, gift cards and such are wonderful, but when asked, most employees list time off with pay as the number one reward they want. So in this dry season, give ’em what they want. Reward outstanding performance, exceptional achievement or above-and-beyond dedication with an extra paid day off. The cost is low, but the value to employees and company morale is high.
Now it’s your turn. Be creative. Find ways to give employees a break during these months with no break.
Just make sure whatever program you set up is documented in your employee handbook, and that all employees who usually receive paid time off are eligible. (It would be considered discrimination if managers could play, but full-time hourly employees could not, for example.)
Oh, and if you’re one of those with a paid spring break, I don’t want to hear about it. Really! Fingers in my ears. La-la-la-la….
