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about them . If they are still working remotely , a socially distanced gathering is a possibility .
3 Give everyone a day off in December . Yes , people are getting an extra vacation day , but it ’ s easier than an additional expenditure because no extra money is being spent . Call it a shopping day or something similar . They can use it for whatever they want . Not only will your employees appreciate it , but they ’ ll also be more relaxed and more focused at work if they get an additional break , especially during the stressful holiday period .
4 If parking is an issue , give the employees the managers ’ spots for a month . Of course , if you have more employees than managers , it can ’ t be an even swap , but let the employees cycle through the prime parking spots .
5 Many businesses still have employees working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic , but that doesn ’ t always mean great flexibility . Give them real flexibility , because that makes employees happier , and happier employees are an asset for any business .
6 Ask your employees what will make their lives better . It could be a mentoring program . It could be they prefer four 10-hour days ( but beware , this could lead to overtime pay in California if the employees aren ’ t exempt ). It could be simply providing coffee in the break room . Give them parameters , and get ideas .
7 Get rid of an arduous task . Every business has unnecessary tasks that people do because it ’ s always been done . Ask your employees to identify tasks that are no longer necessary . Evaluate what you can truly eliminate , and let everyone know that this is a big year-end reward . No more test procedure specification reports !
8 Have managers take on an onerous task . For December , every
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manager has to do the most-hated task of their employees . Sure , your management team will hate you , but the rest of your employees will love you . ( This may or may not be practical depending on the task , but it can mean the world to your employees .)
9 Give your employees the opportunity to learn new skills . This may be seen as a burden to some workers , so make sure it ’ s on a volunteer basis . But whether it ’ s through a large online course ( free or low cost ) or cross-training , it can be an inexpensive way to reward employees — and help your business . Just say thank you . A sincere thanks to your employees can go a long way . They know this year was difficult financially . It probably won ’ t be a surprise to any of them that there are no year-end bonuses or fancy parties . A sincere thank you may be enough .
There are many other ideas out there , and your best source is your employees . If you ask what reward they want , they will tell you , so take it seriously .
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If you are going to focus on thanking them for their hard work , please be sincere and treat them like you are truly grateful . Don ’ t fall into the trap of thinking they should be grateful to still have jobs . They probably are , but , remember , if they all left , you wouldn ’ t have a business . So be grateful they work for you .
Good riddance to 2020 , and may 2021 be better for everyone .
Suzanne Lucas spent 10 years in corporate human resources , where she hired , fired , managed the numbers and doublechecked with the lawyers . On Twitter @ RealEvilHRLady . Send questions to evilhrlady @ gmail . com .
What are you planning to do this year to let your employees know how much you appreciate them ?
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20 comstocksmag . com | November 2020 |