Published: 21st December 2022
The clocks going back mean that daylight starts earlier. Unfortunately, mornings are still getting darker, and evenings are starting earlier. There are still pleasant days but overall, the weather is cold, wet and windy. It’s also likely to stay that way for a while.
All that means that it’s time to focus on creating warmth and cheer indoors, including at work. With that in mind, here are four ways to get your employees in the festive spirit.
Employees generally appreciate flexibility, but it often takes on a whole new level of importance in the colder months. There are two main reasons for this.
Firstly, these are the months when people are most likely to get sick. This means it’s the time when your employees are most likely to have their lives disrupted by other people getting ill. For example, they may find themselves without childcare at short notice.
Secondly, they are the months when there is the highest likelihood of problems with transport. Again, these can crop up at very short notice and be very disruptive.
This is exactly the time of year when people most appreciate hot drinks and food. At a minimum, ensure that your employees can always make themselves tea or coffee whenever they want. Ideally, you’ll pep up your usual offering with a few seasonal specials. This could be as simple as buying some flavoured coffee syrups or some hot chocolate.
Likewise, make it as easy as you can for your staff to access hot food. At the very least, make sure that they can get hot food at lunchtime without a massive queue. If possible, provide some hot snacks from time to time. That doesn’t necessarily mean traditional festive treats. It can also mean healthier options like hot breakfast food.
Many people in the UK (and worldwide) experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD). In fact, it’s probably even more widespread than official statistics suggest. There are probably quite a few people who have the condition but just shrug it off as the winter blues.
SAD is strongly linked to the absence of sunlight. You can’t bring the sun into the workplace, but you can use lightbulbs that replicate daylight. If you can’t change all your lightbulbs, try to change the ones in the areas employees use most often. At least try to have daylight bulbs in the break areas so employees can use these areas to recharge.
Your work schedule will determine if it’s practical to take people away from regular work for fun activities. If it’s not, try to schedule them at lunchtime. Since people will be on break, you will not be able to force them to attend. You can, however, do your best to encourage them. Offering food and drink can help here.
You may choose just to have fun events but there can be a place for more serious events too. For example, you could host events related to self-care and wellness with an emphasis on staying mentally and physically healthy over the cold months.
If you’re looking to make your workplace a festive haven, feel free to browse our stock of vending machines and other products today on our website. Contact us today about our stock via email on sales@cemavending.co.uk or give us a call on 01157 845 845 and we’ll do everything we can to help.
