Encouraging your employees to ‘switch off’ over Christmas

For some organisations, this time of year may represent a winding down period, whereas for others the constant rush of activity fails to show signs of settling down.

Regardless of the category your organisation falls into, one thing is for certain: managers and employees alike look to Christmas as a time to relax and rejuvenate ready for the New Year ahead.

But while this is the intended result for this holiday season, does it really reflect what occurs in reality? As with other key times of the year, including summer holidays, it becomes easy to fall into the trap of allowing work to creep into our personal lives and not taking the time we need to recharge our batteries. As employers, however, you should be the ones encouraging employees to take time away from work, for both the good of their health and to maintain levels of productivity at work.

While modern advancements such as smartphones and tablets have revolutionised the workplace, they can also cause problems for employers attempting to effectively manage employee wellbeing due to their accessibility.

Below are a few tips on helping encourage your workforce to ‘switch off’ this Christmas and enjoy the festive period.

Manage workloads

The first step of prevention is to prioritise projects and work schedules in order to address what tasks need to be completed before the Christmas break and which projects can be tasked for the New Year. It‘s important not to be overly ambitious in trying to get things done, as not only could it result in employee burnout, but it could also lead to a sub-standard finished product, reflecting poorly on your organisation’s reputation.

Limit email access

Emails are another problem area which causes havoc for management and their employees. Whilst the odd email over the holiday period cannot always be avoided, any communication should be kept to a minimum, used only for crucial work-related matters. Annual leave at Christmas and during other times of the year shouldn’t be an extension of the workplace, so don’t make it that way by sending employees countless emails regarding topics that could probably be held off for at least a few days.

Promote wellness

In order for your employees to feel assured over the Christmas period, managers should lead by example and encourage team members to enjoy their festive break. Options include sending out internal communications with a positive message emphasising your stance on employee wellbeing, or creating and distributing posters across the workplace encouraging employees to enjoy their time off.

Enjoy the break

Think of the Christmas holiday as a tool to develop fresh and innovative ways of thinking. Taking time away from the workplace can serve as a cooling down period, allowing both employers and their employees to become inspired for forthcoming projects or to come back with their own ideas to pitch moving forward to help develop the business or improve upon existing operations. Even a short break will help employees and management to see things in a different light.

While no organisation ever comes to a complete halt, understanding the importance of enabling your employees and even the management team to have a much-needed break will help reduce the risk of stress levels increasing, health from depleting and as a consequence the business suffering from low productivity.

If you would like more information on any of the topics mentioned in this article, please contact Health Assured on:

0844 892 2493