It’s about to be that time of year again – when everyone starts thinking about what to get others for the holidays as well as what they might be getting in return. For business owners, successfully managing employees often amounts to a gesture of gift-giving to everyone on the payroll. If you’re running a company and unsure of what to get your workers, consider the following popular ideas:
Food and Dining
Offering food and dining gift certificates to employees is a simple but effective way to show your appreciation for their hard work and dedication. The best turkey gift certificates are those which can be redeemed for any brand of frozen or fresh turkey. The same logic can be applied to restaurants by choosing gift cards which are good for a variety of dining establishments. This gives employees the option to choose where they want to use it.
Amazon gift cards
Just about everyone has an Amazon account these days, so another easy option for end-of-year employee gifts would be Amazon gift cards. Employees can use the cards for whatever they wish, whether it’s stocking up on house supplies, using it to buy last-minute gifts for their own friends and loved ones, or buying themselves something special.
Extra paid day off
Who doesn’t love a paid day off from work? Employers can let everyone off an extra day during the holidays, preferably a day before or after a government holiday, or let workers hold onto the option for a later date. Either choice is sure to be appreciated by your employees. Just make sure to lay out some ground rules for notifying the office of their absence in the event they opt for a day off down the road. If going with the same day off for everyone option, employers can schedule the date to be minimally disruptive to the productivity of the company.
Cash bonus
The traditional end-of-year gift for employees is a cash bonus. Many corporate cultures prefer their employees to work towards an extra lump sum of cash near the holidays as a prime motivator throughout the year, but other companies don’t wish to encourage such transactional behavior. Still, for those who are too busy to stop and think of a more specialized alternative, cash bonuses are an attractive option, even after the tax implications are taken into account.
Individual gifts and bonuses
If an employer has the time and the means, individualized gifts for employees is a great way to show appreciation at the personal level. It also allows employers to reward workers more on their individual merit than on team-wide performance metrics. Of course, employers will need to take into consideration the fact that workers will likely share with each other the details of what they received. This could create unnecessary distractions.
Conclusion
With the holidays approaching, business owners are likely to start thinking about what to get their employees. Top options range from delicious food to cold hard cash. By giving employees end-of-year tokens of appreciation, employers are signaling their recognition of a worker’s value. With this in mind, it’s important to provide an appropriate gift. Doing so ensures further dedication and hard work from employees, giving employers a great incentive for keeping this holiday tradition alive.
