The holiday season is stressful enough at home. Planning on how to best celebrate at work just adds to that anxiety. Here’s what some of your peers had to say when asked for their top gift and party ideas.
Time check. Add an extra day to the holiday vacation your staff normally receives. They can use it to spend more time with friends and family around Christmas or New Year’s breaks. Some of your employees probably place more value in time spent with loved ones than they do in year-end bonuses.
Give to receive. Select a needy family in your community and ask staff to donate money, food or holiday gifts to help their cause. I’ve heard of staff at a surgical hospital that receives two holiday bonuses: one for themselves and one to use to buy gifts for underprivileged families.
Happy feet. A surgical manager told me he bought slippers for his nurses. He figured they‘re on the move most of the day and needed to pamper their feet while resting at home. (He said he decided against buying electronic foot massagers out of fear for what his wife would say when she saw the credit card bill.)
Party hearty. One center throws a large holiday party for staff and their families, complete with a DJ spinning tunes and a visit from Santa. Another facility took the holiday party concept to another level, throwing a casino-themed celebration for staff and their families. Guests were given play money when they arrived; after building a bankroll they could bid on prizes at the end of the night.
Home cooking. If you have the time and motivation, bake bread or cookies, or make candy for your staff. Perhaps you can coordinate with other managers at your facility to divide the workload.
Show them the money. Physicians at a facility I work with distribute year-end bonuses based on the center’s profits and productivity, allocating amounts according to each employee’s seniority, employment status and daily responsibilities. Physicians distribute the bonus checks during Thanksgiving week so staff enjoy an extra financial boost heading into the holiday season. This year they doubled the bonus amount to reward staff for acing the facility’s accreditation survey. Another facility manager told me she gives her staff credit card gift cards so they can choose the perfect gift for themselves. She says it’s an unimaginative idea, but one that’s well received.
Hallmark moments. Give greeting cards to each member of your staff, suggests an OR manager, who has composed up to 200 cards during a single holiday season. She’s sure to include personal notes in each card so her staff knows she appreciates them as people first and employees second.
Include everyone. The holiday season is a joyous time, but don’t ignore the potential for offending those with religious beliefs different than your own. "The greatest gift we can give employees and patients is respect for divergent beliefs," says one administrator. Another surgical leader suggests that you hold a winter observance, complete with thank-you gifts for employees, instead of a Christmas party, which could send the wrong signal to non-Christian staff members.
However you label your year-end parties and decide to celebrate, remember to give thanks for your hard-working and dedicated staff. They are the gifts that you can enjoy every day of the year. Happy holidays!
—Ann Geier, RN, MS, CNOR, CASC, is vice president of operations with ASCOA in Hanover, Mass.
