Holiday Joy: Advent Calendar for Employee Well-Being
Welcome to December, where the magic of the holidays is ready to infuse your workplace with cheer! Step into our advent calendar designed to sprinkle daily doses of joy into your work life. Unveil 24 surprises specially crafted to uplift your team and employee well-being.
Glistening Christmas lights, the aroma of gingerbread cookies, and a joyful atmosphere— the holiday season is in the air. But it is not just about wrapping presents and decorating the Christmas tree at home. It is also the perfect moment to boost employee well-being in the workplace. However, while many employees feel the festive joy, the mailbox is full, phones are ringing nonstop, and many are finishing their last tasks for 2023.
In pursuing that magical holiday enthusiasm, it is crucial to recognize that workloads and expectations remain steadfast amid the celebrations. Statistics indicate that nearly 30-40% of employees experience a decline in productivity in mid-December. What if some Christmas magic could be the key to enhancing employee well-being at work?
You might also like: 23 Things You Should Do in HR in 2023
The Benefits of Employee Well-being in the Workplace
From Generation Z to the silver workforce, well-being is more than a Christmas gift. HR departments and leaders must prioritize this area continuously. When employees feel valued and engaged, it can contribute to cultivating a company culture characterized by high performance, what is known as a high-performance environment.
The benefits of a happy staff may vary depending on your company, but motivation and workplace well-being are on every employee’s wish list. We have taken on Santa’s role and crafted an advent calendar with a sprinkle of Christmas magic that can help strengthen well-being and motivation in the workplace.
In our advent calendar, we give you 24 exciting tips, challenges, and more that not only bring the festive spirit but also serve as an opportunity to enhance employee well-being.
How do you conduct a pulse survey at work? Do it easily with HR-ON’s pulse feature, which you can find in HR-ON Staff. Design your very own pulse survey specific to your company and staff. Get your price of HR-ON Staff within 2 minutes.
Does Well-being Play a Role in Strategic Employer Branding?
Yes, good workplace well-being has many advantages. Not only can you internally work on creating a good and healthy work environment, but you can also reap the benefits and use it with employer branding, where you can showcase your company to potential applicants.
And how can employee well-being contribute to strengthening your employer branding? While you decorate the office and spread the holiday spirit, it is an ideal opportunity to showcase the company’s values and culture externally. An active and positive work environment can be a powerful magnet for applicants and create a positive association for current and future employees with the company.
Workplace well-being and happy employees are not due to Christmas. Still, the holiday spirit and season can provide an opportunity for extra effort and an excellent way to end the year—both from a business and an employee perspective.
And how can you achieve that?
An Advent Calendar for Employee Well-being, Branding, and Motivation
Every day until Christmas Eve, we present 24 ways to leverage the holiday season to enhance employee well-being, branding, and motivation, from Christmas activities promoting better workplace well-being to pulse surveys providing real insight into your employees’ feelings.
If you are an HR-ON Staff user, these may become even more exciting, as you can directly implement some of these tips into the HR system.
- December 1st 🥇
Which department will be crowned Christmas decorating champion? Kick off the month with holiday decorations and share the winners on the company’s social media page or through an Engagement in HR-ON Staff.
- December 2nd 📚
Ready to enjoy the weekend? Get our two book recommendations about leadership, well-being, and development: “Does Your Brand Care: Building a Better World. The C A R E-principles” by Isabel Verstraete and “Feelability” by Imran Rashid.
- December 3rd 🤔
Can you guess the Christmas character?
I lead the way through the night, my nose a glowing light,
Guiding sleighs without a fright, shining ever so bright,
Santa’s friend, by his side, in darkness I ignite,
In the foggy haze, I’m the guide, can you guess me right?
- December 4th 📊
Create a pulse survey with the question: “Do you feel extra stressed at work during the holiday month?”
- December 5th ✍️
Place a box by the Christmas tree where employees can write feedback on employee well-being on notes throughout December. This allows for sharing what works and what does not in the company.
- December 6th 🎶
Ready for some Christmas tunes? Here are our top three: “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” “Last Christmas,” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”
- December 7th 🎁
Have your employees not ordered their Christmas presents yet? Send out an engagement with the following text:
Dear (employee’s name),The elves are busy juggling gifts, but they are sending us an important tip: “Order your Christmas presents now so we don’t end up wrapping them at the last minute!”Let us create some elf magic by staying ahead! 🎅🌟
Season’s greetings from (sender’s name)
- December 8th ☕
Kick off the weekend at the workplace with a hot cocoa station. All you need are cocoa powder, milk, marshmallows, and candy canes.
- December 9th 🎬
Relax on the couch with classic Christmas movies like “Home Alone,” “The Grinch,” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
- December 10th 🤔
Can you guess the Christmas character?
With a carrot nose and clothes quite neat,
In the garden, I stand amidst winter’s sleet,
A hat on my head, I’m here, oh so merry,
But when the sun shines, I’m feeling quite wary.
- December 11th 📊
Create a pulse survey with the question: “Do you feel included in the Christmas celebration at the workplace?”
- December 12th 🧘
Remember to do your stretching exercises:
“Jingle Bell Roll” neck stretch: Sit upright and gently roll your head in a circular motion, as if drawing a circle with your nose. While rolling, you can make “jingle bell” sounds.
“Santa’s Sleigh Arm Circles” shoulder stretch: Make circular movements with your arms as if steering Santa’s sleigh.
- December 13th❄️
Enhance the festive spirit with a jolly twist! Join in for a Christmas Sweater Day at work.
- December 14 th 🧑🎄
Ho ho ho! Send out an engagement to your employees, asking them to bring a Santa hat on December 22nd.
- December 15th 🌟
Time for Christmas bingo employee-edition! Print our bingo card here and get a full house first.
- December 16th 📚
Here are two book recommendations that can inspire you to develop your workplace: “The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace” by Ron Friedman and “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters” by Priya Parker.
- December 17th 🤔
Can you guess the Christmas character?
With green fur and a nose, a bit absurd,
I don’t grasp Christmas cheer, it’s quite blurred,
Gifts and songs don’t bring me near,
Who am I, avoiding the festive atmosphere?
- December 18th 📊
Create a pulse survey with the question: “Have you noticed any positive shifts in the work atmosphere due to the holiday season?”
- December 19th 🧘
Remember to do your stretching exercises:
“Reindeer Shoulder Shrugs” shoulder stretch: Imagine you are a reindeer pulling a sleigh; raise your shoulders towards your ears and perform slow, controlled shoulder shrugs up and down.
“Elf Ear-to-Shoulder” stretch: Imagine you are an elf, stretching your ears to listen to Christmas songs or secret holiday wishes. Sit upright and lean one ear towards your shoulder, then switch to the other ear.
- December 20th 🎤
Ready for a “never have I ever” with your colleagues? Share your experiences with each other.
Never have I ever: Sung Christmas carols loudly in the office to spread holiday cheer.
- December 21st 📹
Create an engagement with a video holiday greeting and send it out. You could, for instance, wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and share what you are looking forward to in 2024.
- December 22nd 📸
It is time for a Christmas photo. Take a group picture with the entire staff – preferably wearing Santa hats. You can also share this online to wish your acquaintances a Merry Christmas.
- December 23rd 🤔
Can you guess the Christmas character?
In a red coat, I’m seen with gifts held so dear,
Spreading joy and delight in this festive cheer,
When the Christmas bells fade, their cheerful refrain,
My form disappears like a magical chain.
- December 24th🎄
We have reached the final day with a special gift for you. Keep up the great work with employee well-being in the new year with our well-being calendar for 2024. You can download the calendar from December 24th to December 27th.
Each day provides an opportunity to gather, reflect, and work on employee well-being. It is also an excellent chance to share some of the company’s solutions for the calendar on social media, allowing potential applicants to gain insight into what the company is like as a workplace
FAQ: Employee Well-being
What is employee well-being?
Employee well-being refers to overall satisfaction, well-being, and emotional health. It encompasses both the physical and mental aspects of the work environment.
Why is employee well-being important?
Employee well-being directly impacts employees’ productivity, engagement, and ability to deliver quality work. It can also affect employees’ absenteeism and loyalty to the company.
What can a company do to promote employee well-being?
A company can promote well-being by providing a healthy work environment, supporting work-life balance, offering opportunities for development and growth, and fostering an open and supportive communication culture.
How do I find ideas to improve employee well-being?
You can gather ideas by seeking employee feedback, examining successful practices in other companies, and staying updated on the latest research about workplace well-being.
