Parties vs Rewards: What Is the Best Staff Christmas Gift?

The annual company Christmas party is a chance to kick back, socialise with colleagues and celebrate all the hard-won achievements of the previous year. And with the rise of remote working making in-person gatherings all the more infrequent, you would expect workers across the country to be counting down the days to their work Christmas parties.

However, recent polls suggest that an office party may not be the staff Christmas gift that employees have on their wish lists this year. One survey by recruitment firm Walters People UK shows that almost half of employees skipped their office Christmas party last year, while 59% of workplaces are choosing to scale back or cancel celebrations due to the associated costs.

Luckily, there’s an increasingly popular alternative to Christmas parties that can help companies minimise expenses while better aligning with what employees actually want. In this article, we’re breaking down the many reasons why festive corporate gifts and experience days might just be the boost that your seasonal celebrations need.

Get in touch today to learn more about how Red Letter Days Corporate can help to reward your employees year-round with personalised gifts and experience vouchers.

The Case for Cancelling your Staff Christmas Party

For many years, office Christmas parties were viewed as an indispensable part of professional life — etched into employee calendars for months in advance, creating mounting pressure for employers to produce a bigger and better celebration each year. However difficult it might be to believe, attitudes towards conventional Christmas parties are shifting, and a great deal of today’s workers would rather focus their festive energy elsewhere.

The statistics support the need for an overhaul on how businesses approach staff Christmas gifts and celebrations. One recent survey found that only 9% of employees expressed interest in attending their work Christmas party, while close to 40% of workers surveyed said they would prefer a gift card or voucher. If that doesn’t convince you that office parties might have had their day as the festive corporate gifts of choice, here are more interesting statistics that capture the feeling of today’s workforce:

Creative Staff Christmas Gift Ideas to Replace Your Christmas Party

The absence of a work Christmas party might seem like a scary prospect, but take comfort in the fact that there are plenty of creative alternatives out there. What’s more, many of these innovative approaches are more popular with employees than any form of traditional celebration.

The most recent findings from Gallup’s workplace survey clearly indicate that employee recognition and rewards must be honest, authentic and individualised in order to have their desired effect. With that said, here are some of our favourite staff Christmas gifts and experience days that will bring a fresh touch to your corporate festivities this year.

Experience Gifts

Of the proportion of employees who still express an appetite for a Christmas party in their workplace, 66% cite team bonding and inter-worker relationship building as their primary incentives. Rather than the complementary food and refreshments that are often thought to be the main motivators for Christmas party attendees, surveys continue to indicate that team building and camaraderie are what employees are really craving. Aside from improving employee experience and morale by giving your workers what they want, organising fun team building days is a proven method of boosting productivity, workplace dynamics and enhancing your company culture.

When organising a team building day to serve as a staff Christmas gift, it’s important to consider the type of event that will best benefit both your employees and your business. If you’re seeking to forge relationships and encourage collaboration, large group activities like cook-offs, escape rooms and indoor climbing experiences are all perfect options. If you’d rather organise team building days on a smaller scale, why not treat a lucky team or group of employees to a luxurious dining or afternoon tea experience?

Whatever option you end up going for, team building activities can be a hugely beneficial and budget-friendly alternative to corporate Christmas parties.

Gift Cards and Vouchers

When it comes to Christmas gift ideas for employees, few have found consistent success quite like gift cards and vouchers. Aside from giving your staff members more control over how they choose to use their gift, vouchers and gift cards provide a far more affordable option than office Christmas parties. Approximately 78% of employees report feeling higher levels of motivation and engagement when they receive gift cards as recognition from their employers. With that said, it’s important to ensure that the vouchers you buy are tailored to the interests and personalities of the employees receiving them.

Luckily, the wide variety of corporate gift cards available today ensures that you can always find the perfect option to suit your employees. We provide an extensive range of experience gift vouchers that are sure to align with even the most eccentric personalities in your company, including everything from hotel choice vouchers to variously-priced gift cards which can be used across our entire range of experience gifts. Or, why not embrace the giving season with a Christmas Stocking Choice Voucher that can be used flexibly on a variety of unforgettable experiences.

While the same goes for all festive corporate gifts, it’s important to gauge employee opinions before settling on gift cards as replacements for your office Christmas party.

Personalised Gifts

Whether it’s a traditional office party or something more novel, treating your employees to some form of festive gift is a widely-observed element of today’s corporate culture. However, it’s important to give careful consideration to the gifts you choose. New studies have shown that while 75% of workers hope to receive a gift from their company this holiday season, almost 70% report receiving a gift that they neither wanted nor used in the past. Providing personalised staff Christmas gifts that appeal to the interests of your employees is a great way to avoid disappointment when the giving season comes around.

We all know that the best gifts communicate authenticity and a genuine interest in the recipient, but finding meaningful gifts can be tricky in busy corporate settings. This is why keeping your finger on the pulse of the personalities within your business is so important, and can save you a lot of trouble when the giving season comes around. Experience gifts that are personalised to the interests of individual employees are always successful staff Christmas gifts, catering to everyone from the office adventurer to the attraction-touring history buffs.

Whatever gift you end up choosing, including a handwritten card with a personalised message is a thoughtful finishing touch that will make your employees feel genuinely appreciated and valued.

Health and Wellness Gifts

It’s no secret that employees today can experience a considerable amount of work-related stress, but it’s often overlooked that these symptoms tend to worsen over the holiday period. According to data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 64% of people affected by mental illness experience heightened symptoms in the run up to Christmas, with 37% of office and admin workers reporting elevated levels of anxiety during the season. With feelings of stress and anxiety reaching their annual peak, Christmas is the perfect time to reward your employees with gifts that revolve around their health and wellbeing.

A wellbeing experience gift might just be the well-earned dose of pampering that many of your employees could benefit from. From deep tissue massages to deluxe spa days, mindfulness retreats and nature-based yoga classes — we offer a variety of health and wellness-focused experiences gifts that give your hardworking staff the time they need to relax and unwind. There are plenty of other ways to promote employee wellness during the holidays, and many don’t even involve leaving the office. Personalised wellness hampers, sleep kits and free memberships to online wellness platforms all serve as innovative alternatives to corporate Christmas parties.

Embrace the Giving Season with Staff Christmas Gifts from Red Letter Days Corporate

However you choose to spread cheer throughout the year, treating your staff to festive corporate gifts is crucial for keeping your workforce happy, engaged and motivated.

We spend an average of one-third of our lives at work, so it’s incredibly important to enjoy that time in an environment that makes us feel appreciated and valued. Putting genuine, meaningful effort into your staff Christmas gifts will make your employees feel rewarded and recognised — boosting employee morale, engagement and loyalty in the process.

Get in touch with our friendly team today to learn more about how Red Letter Days Corporate can help you to develop and retain meaningful satisfaction among your employees.

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