Employers Give their Employees the Gift of Time Off

Mid-December empties many workplaces each year as employees take paid leave to visit family and prepare for year-end festivities and travel. This year, workplaces are expected to be even bleaker due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While most companies will close on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and perhaps a few more days in between, some employers plan to expand their time off policies this year due to the pandemic. They say they know how hard their employees have been working - both in the home office and on-site - and want to make sure employees take extra time away from work demands to relax. Other employers are offering a range of new perks to support their employees during this difficult time and recognize their achievements.

Here are five ways employers can approach the 2020 holiday season to ensure employees stay healthy and happy in the new year:

Provide more time off

Before the pandemic, many workplaces offered limited PTO. To ensure employees get much-needed time off from work, some companies, like Thrive Internet Marketing Agency in Arlington, Texas, have implemented discretionary time off that is available when needed.

Everyone has the right to take personal leave when the appropriate circumstances arise. We need to give everyone autonomy, and the thing about autonomy is that when employees are given that trust, they use it wisely and appropriately.

So no one abuses the system. Not just for those who are sick or have family members with COVID-19, everyone is allowed to take [PTO] for a variety of reasons, as long as they complete their tasks before taking their leave.

In addition, some companies are granting more days off in December.

Recognize signs of burnout

Employees are working an average of 48.5 minutes more per day this year, leading to less rest and widespread burnout, according to a study by Harvard Business School and New York University Stern School of Business.

Work closely with HR managers to make sure they are aware of the signs of burnout and stress. That way, you could "encourage their team members to take time off, even if it's just a 'me day,' and also use your EAP [Employee Assistance Program] and other tools and resources.

Some companies act quickly by offering time off as soon as burnout looms. You can emphasize to your employees that they may not be able to go somewhere exotic, but taking time away from work is valuable.

Encourage employees to take advantage of time off

Even if employers don't see signs of burnout among employees this vacation season, they should encourage employees to take vacation days and get away from work.

You need to understand the importance of employees balancing their work and personal lives. Find employees, especially those who work remotely, are working more hours than usual and they no longer have the time to decompress during the normal commute from the office to home. They now log off in one room and go straight to the next room to take care of personal life.

Make sure employees stay safe

Because employees who work on-site may travel during the holidays, employers take safety measures to keep everyone safe. Keep your employees informed of the governor's daily updates and travel advisories. If an employee travels to a COVID-19 hotspot over the holidays and expects to return immediately to work in person with clients, his or her leave request will likely not be approved.

This decision does not affect employees who can go into quarantine for two weeks after their leave ends and fulfill their work requirements remotely.

Send employees gifts and host events

For the holidays,you can sends your employees either a gourmet gift basket or a gift certificate to a grocery store that employees can use to buy ingredients for some of their favorite traditional dishes.

You can also simply send each employee home a chocolate package that includes a Christmas card. For more gift ideas, see Gift Ideas for Your Employees.

You can organize fun events throughout the year and plans to offer more during the holidays. To promote your company culture, you can offer your employees the opportunity to participate in virtual games, contests and events where employees from all locations can engage together and win prizes. It doesn't have to be big, even a simple bingo, pumpkin carving or a home office decorating contest would be effective.

While gifts are great, the best gift may be extra time off.