This year, businesses around the world came to a halt. The global pandemic caused a lot of problems both for the health of the general population and for business owners who could not continue to operate in these uncertain times. Now that things are starting to ease slightly, businesses are getting back to normal and staff are getting back to work.
So, is it up to business owners to reward their staff in light of current events? Sometimes, recognition can go a long way so we have put together some tips on how you can reward your staff.
Continuing to Work from Home
Have your team been working from home over the past few months? Many business owners across the UK have seen the benefits of allowing their team to work from home and are now considering offering this as a new way of working. While working from home isn’t for everyone, many will see this offer as a reward for their continued effort throughout the pandemic. On top of that, it will make things easier when it comes to childcare and reducing commutes. If you can’t offer a system of working from home full time, you could even allow your staff to work from home a few days per week.
Adjusting Your Employee Benefits
Another great way to reward your team in light of current events is to adjust the employee benefits that you are currently offering. Many of our lives have changed and so we don’t necessarily need the same things that we did before. On top of that, some staff members might have new requirements such as childcare so you could benefit from offering allowances for that. There are some great employee benefits platforms that you should consider using. It might be worth asking your team what they require and adapting the benefits to suit these requirements.
Sending Hampers
One of the common ways that employers reward their staff is by hosting team days out or parties. However, with restrictions not quite lifted for parties just yet, there are other ways that rewards can be given that will lift the spirits of everyone involved. Why not forgo the office party and instead send out hampers to your team? This way, you can have a virtual party on Zoom and eat or drink whatever is inside the hamper. This is a new way of socialising and it can work as a reward.
Thank Them
Finally, if you really want to reward your team for the work that they have been doing throughout the pandemic, a simple “thank you” can go a long way. Sure, they will probably expect something on top of this, but recognition can be very valuable. Most of your team will already know how well they have been working over the past few months but if you are able to recognise their work, they will certainly appreciate it. It is also worth noting that some of your team members could have had it very tough over the months, so compassion is very important.
Use These Tips
Everyone has been through a lot over the past few months and it is far from over. If you think that your staff have been working hard despite the situation, you should try to reward them in whatever way you can. Rewards don’t always have to be expensive; you can also thank your staff or send some simple hampers out to them.
When you do reward your team, they will appreciate the thought. Hopefully, everything can get back to normal as soon as possible.
