Thanking temporary staff at Christmas

As the holiday season approaches, many companies struggle with how to show their appreciation for their temporary staff. Unlike permanent employees, who may receive bonuses or other perks, temporary staff often feel overlooked during this time of year. It can be difficult to find the right way to say thank you to temporary staff at Christmas, but it's important to remember that they are an integral part of your team and deserve recognition for their hard work and contributions.

Find a unique way to say thank you to all your staff who have adapted to huge amounts of change and shown tremendous resilience in the face of yet another difficult year.

Post-pandemic, there is a noticeable shift towards a kinder, more mindful society with people discussing wellbeing more openly and seeking to support others more overtly than has been perhaps seen before. Being kind goes a long way and so not carry this through to thoughtful and considerate festive celebrations? Kind gestures and giving gifts are a great way to help your staff feel appreciated and valued.

The impact of gratitude

Throughout this 2021 series of articles titled ‘The Happiness Project’, we have written extensively on the impact of happy employees in the workplace being more engaged in their work and delivering superior productivity.

A study into the science of gratitude reported that if an employer or manager showed their employees gratitude, 81% of people said they would work harder and 70% said they would feel better about themselves. Showing gratitude at work clearly impacts productivity levels and how team members feel about themselves, which will feed into their general happiness.

Being recognised for their good work helps employees to feel appreciated, so they achieve more. This in turn should lead to increased job satisfaction and therefore, employees remaining with the company for longer.

When a company depends heavily on the performance of its employees to be successful, saying thank you is a very simple way to improve your productivity. By showing your gratitude for a job well done, you are essentially boosting moral, and improving your worker’s mental health. Employees who are mentally healthy are more likely to engage in physical activity, and those who are physically healthy are less likely to take time off work.

The domino effect of gratitude in the workplace will not only improve your employee’s wellbeing and engagement, but it will most likely make you and your team leaders feel good too. Whether you are on the giving or receiving end, the effect can be just as profound.

Gratitude has been described as the “social glue” that fortifies relationships and serves as the backbone of our society. Therefore, establishing a culture of gratitude can create a positive working environment where your teams feel bonded together and appreciative of each other.

How to say thank you at Christmas

The traditional way to say “thank you” to your employees is an annual Christmas party. However, these types of gatherings are not permitted with the new COVID-19 prevention rules. Instead of a party, help your employees to feel uplifted and show your gratitude by giving well thought out thank you gifts.

Everyone is different when it comes to gifts, try to think of everyone as an individual instead of one-size-fits-all. You could give staff an extra day of paid leave, book a team building away-day when COVID-19 permits, give gift vouchers or hold a virtual wine tasting or cocktail-making class.

You could break the tradition of sending wasteful Christmas cards and be more eco-friendly by making a charitable donation to a cause your team is passionate about. Alternatively, ask the management team to make a thank you video for all the staff. Try translating your message into multiple languages, so that everyone feels included

Saying thank you in a personal and thoughtful way will help your temporary workers to feel they are valued and appreciated, helping them to be engaged and work with purpose, which in turn will increase their productivity and happiness at work.

References

1. Panagopoulos, Costas (2011). Character Virtue Development, Gratitude. [Internet] Accessed December 2021. https://www.templeton.org/discoveries/science-of-gratitude