December marks the close of one year and the impending transition to a new one. With that comes a festive, celebratory spirit for many, whether at work or home. It also presents the perfect time to bring employees good tidings of recognition and gratitude. Use these campaign recommendations to help employees make the most of the end of the year!
Share These End of Year Reminders for Employees
- Take advantage of FSA funds and remind employees of any deadlines or grace periods for using remaining funds.
- Submit FSA receipts to get reimbursed for FSA-approved purchases.
- Review their W-4 and make any changes to their withholding (note: per IRS, remind employees before December 1).
- Update contact information in your portal or database in the event they’ve had a change of address to ensure timely delivery of their W-2.
Try These Employee Engagement Ideas
- Encourage leadership to send notes of thanks to employees for their contributions to the company throughout the past year.
- Provide opportunities to connect, whether that’s with an in-person holiday party, a virtual ugly sweater get-together or simply asking employees to share their holiday traditions and highlighting those throughout the month.
- Offer ways to give back to the community by setting up a company-wide volunteer day with a local nonprofit, giving employees time to support their favorite charity or highlighting your company’s annual giving fund.
- Send employees a token of appreciation that could be as small as postcard to their home letting them know they are valued to a gift card as a thanks or even a self-care package.
Keep These Considerations in Mind
Make the Season Sparkle with DEI
Employees celebrate the holidays differently. So, instead of simply being neutral to it all, HR teams can lean into the differences that make your workforce unique. Empower employees to share their individual traditions. If you’re not sure where to start, consider conducting a poll or leveraging your DEI Employee Resource Group for ideas.
Encourage Employees to Rest and Reset
Encourage employees to take a well-deserved break. It’ll help curb any feelings of burnout and help employees rest and reset so they can come back in the new year ready to hit the ground running. Consider that some employees find themselves in a spot where they’ve had to use up all their PTO. In those cases, extending an extra day or two can go a long way in showing appreciation.
Don’t Forget to Take Time for You
Yes, dear HR teams, it’s also important for you to take time for you. The last few months of the year involve open enrollment, filing deadlines, evaluations, goal-setting and more. Don’t forget that self-care extends to you, too.
