Getting around a tight budget to engage employees this holiday season
Most people might think September is premature to be thinking about the annual Christmas party, but anyone who has had to organise an all-staff end-of-year celebration knows it’s never too early to start planning. But with COVID-19 severely limiting our ability to gather, eat, drink and hit the dance floor together, the challenge this year isn’t getting a venue or caterer booked in on time but answering the questions of whether, when or how to celebrate.
With employee morale and operational budgets running thin, the traditional office Christmas party or end-of-year bonus might not be an option, but you can still end the year with a bang by providing your people with a gift that keeps on giving throughout the festive season — and beyond.
While nothing pulls at my heart strings more than seeing my two girls light up on Christmas day, I do get a similar satisfaction when I’ve been able to give my employees a gift that is both memorable and impactful.
And with so many HR leaders looking for creative ways to thank and support employees after a challenging year, now is a perfect opportunity to organise a benefits and recognition program that you can launch in time for Christmas.
Introducing the Virtual Wellbeing Hamper to make your Christmas merry
I’m excited to announce that Reward Gateway is offering companies a virtual wellbeing hamper for a limited time. This is an opportunity to amplify employees’ salaries and boost morale and productivity, all while positively reinforcing your employer brand and company culture, for a low-cost, 3-in-1 investment that will drive growth all year round. Here's a little more about what's included in your hamper:
Boost employees’ financial wellbeing
An annual bonus might be out of the picture, but you can stretch disposable income with exclusive discounts at hundreds of retailers. Reward Gateway’s SmartSpending™ employee benefits solution will have a balance of everyday savings on things like groceries and petrol as well as big-ticket items like computers and home goods.
At a time when household budgets are under more strain than ever before, imagine how your people will feel if you can lighten the load by providing your people the opportunity to save on their Christmas gifts, food, alcohol, and even a local getaway over the summer holidays.
Enhance physical, nutritional and mental wellbeing
The blur between work and home life makes it all the more difficult to manage stress and develop healthy habits, but don’t have to move the earth to create a holistic wellbeing strategy. You can start by providing a dedicated employee wellbeing centre with hundreds of resources to improve employees wellbeing — from on-demand access to healthy recipes, mindfulness sessions and exercise videos, to financial education and tools to complement your employee discounts offering.
Cultivate celebration and connection
Recognising contribution, progress and impact not only boosts morale, it can help create a culture of gratitude and growth. Use our peer-to-peer employee recognition program to provide everyday opportunities to connect and communicate, and empower employees to celebrate and be recognised every day with both monetary and non-monetary peer-to-peer recognition and reward.
Make this year one to remember - for all the right reasons
There is nothing quite like the joy and excitement on the face of someone who’s just opened the best gift. It’s one reason I’ll pull out all the stops when it comes to getting our seafood lunch on the table or making sure the presents are ready under the tree.
Launching your program just in time for Christmas gives you the opportunity to build excitement with your people. We can support you and help create buzz with a thorough communications plan, teaser campaigns and emails, and help you promote your program just in time for your end-of-year celebrations. 
Start planning this end-of-year bundle now, by talking to Reward Gateway to find out more about this year’s offer and sharing your employee engagement needs. We’ll prepare a range of options to suit your people and your HR goals.
Ready to get started on building your hamper? Get in touch with the team today:
