Ah, Christmas. Isn’t it wonderful? The smell of mulled wine wafting out of inviting pubs. Chocolate becoming a food group for the whole month of December. And the seemingly endless stream of work and social gatherings. It’s a joyous time for most people. For working parents, though, December can feel like an uphill battle.
There are nativities to go to, and Christmas fairs and a multitude of other festive events and fancy dress fundraisers that your kids’ schools spring on you with a minute’s notice. There’s a stocking-load of other Christmas commitments too – presents to be bought and wrapped, food to be bought and turned into something presentable for guests – and of course, you have to fit in working somewhere. No wonder Christmas can feel an exciting but tense time in many households. By the time we’re down to “one more sleep”, we’re completely overwhelmed by the whole thing.
At Skin and Blister we believe in challenges not chores, so let’s focus on how we can improve things. There will always be a lot to do in December, and there’s a lot of joy to be had in the build up to Christmas too. But an easy way to make everything a bit less stressful as an employer is to give your staff the flexibility to fit their Christmas errands around their working hours. If your team aren’t distracted by the logistics of watching their child’s nativity at the same time as dialling into a work conference call, they’re going to feel far less stressed and much happier. Happy people generally work harder and more efficiently. If people can focus on deadlines and agile delivery rather than hours spent in the office, it’s a win-win for everyone.
This Christmas, give your team the freedom to juggle all of their work and personal responsibilities as and when it suits them. It may not be as exciting as a Fingerling dinosaur, but it will be the gift that keeps on giving.