Remember when you were a kid and you’d get a break at school to collect candy on Halloween, or get together and sing songs for the holidays? That little diversion and fun activity in the middle of the day gave everyone something to look forward to and a nice break in the routine. 

The same is true of celebrating holidays at work. Your team will appreciate the chance to step away from their work stations and have a little fun. 

Here are five reasons why celebrating holidays at work is a great idea for your company and how it can help your team bond. 

• It can create a fun environment for working together. Some companies will have cookie parties or competitions around the end-of-the-year holidays, or will host team decorating contests to see who can best demonstrate their holiday spirit. It’s a fun diversion that can help your creative thinkers show off their skills and provide some levity to the office. Plus, who doesn’t like a little treat? 

• Breaks are a good thing. The ability to step away from work, in the middle of the day, at the end of the week or in the middle of a stressful time, can help make everything else a little better. Your employees need to let off a little steam and have a little fun, especially as the year-end demands start to pile up. Giving them a chance to sit with their colleagues and friends and enjoy a snack or do something outside their ordinary tasks helps them come back to work refreshed and with a little less stress than they had before. 

• It’s a great way to recognize the diversity of your team. If your company has workers from a variety of backgrounds and practices, holiday commemorations can help your team learn more about the world and different cultures. Encourage people to bring in food from their culture, or share a story or tradition that matters to them and their family. They can explain the significance of the holiday and why it means so much to them while making the world a more interesting place. 

• It’s a chance to bring people together. If your company has adopted remote work options for some employees, a holiday party or activity is a chance to invite those employees back into the office for a fun get-together. Coming in for a party is a lot more fun than coming in for a meeting! Your on-site employees will be happy to see their friends as well. It’s a great way to build camaraderie among people who don’t get to see each other often and will build a level of excitement throughout the company for the whole day. 

• It’s an easy way to boost morale. Companies that don’t take breaks, don’t offer fun little activities, don’t acknowledge holidays other than the occasional day off from work, will have employees who feel like they’re not seen and valued as people. Your team spends more time at work than with their friends and families. The occasional lunch, or cookie party, or decorating contest, or other celebration, reminds them that there’s fun in the world and that work can be a good time, not just a series of tasks and deadlines that contribute to their stress. Places that acknowledge holidays tend to have better worker retention, less turnover and their employees are happier. 

The end of the year is a stressful time. Why not help make that stress more manageable by working in small holiday celebrations from now until the calendar flips to 2023? It could make a world of difference for your team. 

For more tips on creating a worker-friendly environment, or to find great people to add to your team, contact Davis Staffing. Our team is ready to help you find people with the skills and experience you need to make next year even more successful. Contact Davis Staffing today and find more reasons to celebrate!