It’s well known that the third Monday every January is dubbed ‘Blue Monday’, so what can businesses do to boost morale in the workplace and help employees to get through the post-Christmas slump? Here are a few ideas that will give you an opportunity to raise a few smiles and distract workers from the post-holiday blues. Create a fun event At a time when everyone in the office is feeling low, what better way to cheer them up than with a team event they can look forward to? Such as:
- Have a ‘dress-down’ day
- Take everyone out for a drink after work
- Treat them to a staff lunch at a local restaurant.
The main thing to remember is to try to make it something everyone wants to be a part of, and it will give staff something to look forward to in January. Encourage staff to take lunch and breaks Good food practice makes a big difference to your staff’s working day:
- Maintaining a healthy diet is good for general health
- Eating at regular intervals will help with combating stress and depression
- Encourage regular breaks
Make sure your employees feel comfortable taking breaks to keep moods lifted. During the dark winter months employees rarely see the sun, so it’s great to encourage them to get outside and enjoy the little bit of sunshine we do have! Recognise good work Staff can feel demotivated at the best of times – especially if they’re feeling overworked and their achievements are going unnoticed. It’s important that employers recognise a good job being done when they see it; even just a ‘thank you’ won’t go amiss. If you’re aware that some of your staff are consistently doing a good job but you haven’t told them so, Blue Monday is a great time to do it as it’ll help them to feel more positive and motivated. Keep happiness levels up throughout the year If you want to look beyond Blue Monday and boost morale on a more permanent basis. There are plenty of other things you can implement to ensure your employees benefit in the longer term:
- Think about reviewing the company perks to see if you can offer anything extra to thank them for their continued hard work
- Create a committee for staff to get involved with all things social – a great way to encourage team interaction
It's important, however, to watch out for employees who appear to have a consistently low mood. Try having a one-to-one with them to make sure everything is ok, because there might be more going on than the winter blues.
