5 Important Holidays Your Office Needs to Celebrate and Why

Configura CEO Johan Lyreborn raises a toasts to the company’s employees. Photo Courtesy: Configura

There are a few benefits to working in an office environment. You know where your desk is every day, you know the people you work with, there is air conditioning, and you get to celebrate holidays throughout the year. Many offices take advantage of the holidays to bring the employees together, add a bit of fun and in some cases, let loose. This is an important part of the office paradigm that needs to be included. There are a few occasions that offer the company more benefit than others.

Here is a list of 5 of the most important holidays to celebrate and why:

1. New Year’s Day

All around the world, New Year’s Day is celebrated in one way or the other. Many businesses are closed and everyone rings in the New Year with their family and friends. For businesses, celebrating New Year’s is a great opportunity to let your employees know what the New Year has in store for the company.

By arranging a mandatory office party for New Year’s, you can gather everyone in the same room, enjoy each other’s company and take advantage of the gathering to share the company’s plans. You can set goals, address areas that need improvement, and offer accolades to those who are doing well. Getting your staff excited about the upcoming business year will help increase productivity and spark improvement.

2. Valentine’s Day

When you mention Valentine’s Day, you often think of hearts and flowers. It is not uncommon for businesses to think of appreciation. Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to just cater to the lovers. It is a great time to show employee appreciation in a festive way. Leaving chocolates and candies at their desks, decorating the office in hearts with tips and process changes, and holding a drawing for larger prizes are common ways to build morale and show your employees that they are valued.

Building morale is an important part of management. It improves productivity, performance, creativity, and quality of work. An employee that feels valued will take fewer days off, will go the extra mile for the company, and will pay higher attention to detail. We all want to feel appreciated in our workplace and Valentine’s Day offers a great chance to show that.

3. The 4th of July / Canada Day / Your Country’s Independence Day

For US businesses, the 4th of July is often a day off. However, celebrating the holiday throughout the week can offer a company the chance to give their employees an increase in patriotic pride as well as offer the chance to give a company update. If you held a New Year’s party and set goals for the year, an office barbecue is a great chance to give a mid-year update.

In today’s uncertain economic climate, our spirits are lifted during our Independence Day. Take advantage of this rise in pride and share your current company status as well as set goals for the remainder of the year. Offering the normal festivities associated with the 4th of July will set your staff at ease and give a sense of comfort even though they are at the office.

4. Thanksgiving

Even though an image of turkey pops in your head when you think of Thanksgiving, the holiday is truly about giving thanks. This is another chance to show your appreciation and offer a casual party with all of the holiday favorites. You can cater a large spread or, as many companies do, plan a potluck.

Creating a casual Thanksgiving dinner party will help bridge the gap between your staff’s personal and professional life. This will allow you to lower their walls and offer thanks for all of their hard work. Let them know how they are doing, how much you appreciate them, and who stands out above all others. Give thanks to everyone involved with making your business a success.

5. Christmas

The last holiday of the year is celebrated all across the world. Christmas is a time for giving and sharing. For your office party, you can give small gifts of appreciation or hold a secret Santa among your staff. Everyone should enjoy giving as much as receiving. Get into the holiday spirit with office decorations, soft Christmas music playing in the background and festive activities that gets your staff involved.

For management, Christmas is a great time to recap the year. All of the changes throughout the year, large projects that have been completed, and extra earnings should be rehashed with your staff to show their work was not unnoticed. There are many jobs that feel redundant and your staff can easily lose focus on what they are working towards. Recapping the year is a great way to show what their work achieved for the company.

When a company thinks of holidays, it is not uncommon to think of days off and vacation time being used. However, every celebration offers the chance to increase morale, inform your staff of the company’s goals and bring everyone together as a productive unit. This year, plan the holidays to show your appreciation and keep your staff working toward a common goal.

Lisa Winters is an avid business blogger. If you are planning this year’s holiday office parties, visit www.santasquarters.com to find cool artificial wreaths and garlands to decorate the office.