Winter’s a jolly time for outdoor activities if you don’t mind the cold temperatures.
But winter can also be a tough time for even your most engaged employees. The cold weather, lack of sunlight and shorter days can cause harm to both the body and mind. At its worse, some people may be dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that can mean trouble sleeping, loss of interest and even hopelessness, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
There are very few businesses that can shut down for the winter, though. Here are some things you can do to keep your employees engaged during what many think of as the most dreadful season.
1 – Change your processes
Yes, those processes so hard to perfect may make your workers feel like robots on an assembly line during the winter months. Engage with your employees and find out what they think might need a change.
The key is to stimulate discussion and get people out of autopilot mode. Test out new ideas. You don’t need to change your entire operation, but you might end up with a more efficient workflow.
2 – Gratitude never grows old
If you or you’re employees are feeling down or even sick, it’s easy to forget about gratitude. Winter is an excellent time to make sure you show appreciation for the work your employees do. And you can always take it a step further by making it a team or company-wide project by creating awards or some other form of recognition.
3 – Reward your employees
Bonuses and other forms of reward are always welcome. But winter is also a good time to reward employees with a different type of compensation.
For some, the winter commute can be downright dangerous. Even though you are paying someone to make it, they are still putting themselves at risk. Your commuters will feel rewarded if you help them pay for their commuting costs through commuter benefits.
With commuter benefits your employees can save up to 40 percent of their commuting costs on public transit, qualified parking and rideshare (Uber and Lyft) expenses by saving money tax-free in their paychecks. In return, you can save up to 7.65 percent on payroll taxes.
Engaged employees are more productive and profitable, while tending to be a positive influence on your whole team. Download our guide and learn the most efficient and smart strategies to foster engagement in the workplace.
