How some employers deal with a drop in holiday productivity

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – If you notice a couple of empty seats around your office today, maybe your co-workers have come down with a case of the Black Friday flu — and the only cure is a dose of deals and discounts.

But it’s not just today. The whole holiday season can be a productivity killer in the workplace.

“If employers are being smart about it, they are looking at work-life balance. We are all ‘on’ 24/7 with access to people in the evenings via cellphone and tablet and Skype and everything like that,” says Ashleigh Brown, a regional VP with staffing agency Robert Half.

“Employers would do well to consider things like flexible schedules — maybe giving people the ability to take advantage of a sale at lunchtime by letting them come in earlier that day.”

Encouraging teamwork and the prioritizing of projects can also go a long way in allowing workers time for obligations outside of work.

“Things like getting together as a team and looking at the requirements of individuals over the coming months. December is brutal. Everyone has recitals, everyone has kids events, everyone has lunches and client functions,” Brown tells NEWS 1130.

“How do we, as a team cope, with that? Can we set a schedule internally that allows flexibility to come and go? We need to look at what is a priority as a group, as a team and as an organization. What are critical must-dos we need to get through for the month so that we can attention to families or fun events?”

She says this will help relieve pressure on internal staff, especially as many workplaces deal with “the grind” of year-end.

“The next three weeks are critical, so you have to make sure everyone is on the same page with what really needs to be done. Divide and conquer the tasks.”

Brown says employers should also respect and praise individuals for their contributions through the year-to-date and consider special holiday events like a Christmas party or even helping with a toy or food drive to help celebrate the season.

“There so much value in that — just the goodwill of the employees and the camaraderie and spirit of it. A lot of companies consider social responsibility as a key driver in bringing people to an organization.”

All of this together can keep morale and productivity up, as employees deal with the demands of December.

“It is just a super-busy time of year with a lot of distractions. That’s why it’s key to sit as a group and list even just three top priorities we need to get done. Boy, are we going to feel good as a group if we get that accomplished.”