5 Ways to Make Returning to Work After a Holiday Easier
Last year this time, we wrote that return of the Czechs to post-holiday working life would be difficult. Believe me, it’s going to be even worse this year. There are several indicators pointing to this.
The economic outlook isn’t good. There are no changes planned in rewarding system for the employees. We spent more money during holiday than the last year because of higher costs. Rents are rising by leaps and bounds. Inflation hasn’t said its last word yet. Due to low layoffs, a collective quiet-quitting of people, chronically burned out by the social and economic situation, hover over the companies.
What to do about it? You’ll get the only chance – when people return to work after a holiday. It’s up to you what you do with it. Either you become another point in the collective depression or you can persuade the people that your company can be the safe place for them to work.
Where does the bad mood come from?
Bad mood. Work aversion. Pre-pissed off state. There’s been a lot of it everywhere for several months. Since we spend a third of our lives and half of waking hours at work every week, it logically becomes an emotional lightning conductor. We can discuss it, protest against it but that’s all we can do…Or not?
Let’s face it, there’s not exactly a shortage of the things a company can do to improve the lives of the employees. Actually, the company contributes to depressed mood. How?
They can‘t give a raise.
There’s no money left. That’s what we read in the media. And it’s true. The Czech Republic is stuck and the economy isn’t moving forward as it should. There’s no money for people’s growth. People don’t develop because nobody pays them. What to do about it? How about stating that there’s always enough money for talents and making it an important pillar within the company culture? Remind people what to do for career growth and be able to look for talents proactively.
They can‘t help.
Each employee has common everyday problems. Taking care about aging parents. A child who wasn’t accepted at kindergarten. The company can decide whether to help or place obstacles in their way. Would you concentrate on work if you were thinking about your child being the last one in the school club again? What’s more, it costs you a fortune. You’d probably think about changing job instead of working, wouldn’t you?
They can’t listen.
Every company struggling to survive – which is in the period of economic stagnation basically every company, at least in its mindset – deals with “ivory tower problems”. Profit slumps are more important than a toxic colleague, poorly communicated pressure on productivity or chronic inefficiency that could be solved by training the employees for a new system. There’s no need to remind that they’re communicating vessels. The big problems are built on the small ones and small problems are deepened by the big ones.
Of course, we could go on and on. However, HRIS people are fed up with solving big and complex challenges. So, let’s have another task. How to fight against big problems with quick-wins that can be prepared in an afternoon?
Five ways to make returning to work easy
Take a pencil or a pen and some paper. Close your eyes for a while and imagine your head cleansed by the wind blowing on the beach or the sunrays in the mountains. Positive energy and desire to change the things, draw a line and start a new chapter.
Now, imagine your colleagues. Write down five key things that will boost this mood during the week after the return and those that will ruin it. There are likely to be more of them in the second category while in the first one, there will be just few of them and still not very convincing ones, right? After all, there are a lot of things that could be done. Here are five proven steps to help.
Personal thanks to CEO / management
You get to your desk and there’s a letter – ideally with your name on it. A thank you from management and a welcome back after holiday. And what’s more – the letter refers to a small present (e.g. something sweet for children and adults for the first day of school) or a promise of change. For example, Friday’s online call with CEO, when crucial and open questions collected anonymously via Sli.do. will be answered.
Time: ⏱️⏱️⏱️
Effect: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Change Roadmap
The company is transforming. Again. You’ll hear repeatedly that it’s getting better. Though, there are about a million “buts”. You’re getting lost in it. You don’t know whether something has been changed during the holidays, whether the goals are being met and you’re getting the impression that you work hard with absolutely little chance of changing anything.
Sometimes all it takes is openness. It’s important to admit that certain amount of chaos is a part of any change and try to make as much order as possible. A roadmap, where the forthcoming changes will be updated in a humanised form and their positive impact on teams will be explained, is the best you can do. Remember Maslow – open future and security is what we all need.
Time: ⏱️⏱️⏱️⏱️⏱️
Effect: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Small issues matter
Because of big challenges, we don’t see the small ones. However, the big challenges aren’t important to any employee, especially if they’re miles away all week and do a lot of things for effect. The company must make it clear that it’ll tackle the small problems with the same spirit as the big ones.
How? Plan and launch an internal communication program focused on one thing – mapping joy and happiness in the company. Define job satisfaction as a primary goal and identify specific obstacles. You can use the survey model of HRIS or Google Form. Don’t be afraid to ask the colleagues to be volunteers within the change – you’ll see, a number of them will join over time.
Time: ⏱️⏱️⏱️⏱️
Effect: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vouchers of nearby businesses
Don’t you have the budget for big presents? Take matters into your own hands. In your area (or in the district town) there are plenty of businesses that are hunting for customers. Get in touch with them and arrange a September package full of exciting vouchers. You bring them customers who spend eight hours a day in their area and they can give you 50% off because their marketing costs are just as high as with a new customer.
You’ve never done it before. You’re in doubt whether it will work. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Just try it. The desire to barter is on the rise in any economically tight time.
Time: ⏱️⏱️⏱️⏱️⏱️
Effect: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Call for “team beers”
Don’t have the budget for another teambuilding? Then rely on meetings over a beer that will be a key source of immediate feedback for you. Let the team leaders book a September date in a pub completely out of formal company events. You’ll get a twofold feedback – you’ll see who likes their job so much that they want to join it with their free time – even if they have to pay for beer – and at the same time you can find out what people worry about (God forbid if you turn it against them).
Get booed off by the team leaders? No one coming? Then there’s something to think about.
Time: ⏱️
Effect: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
One-off activities don‘t /save it
Do you think that quick-wins won’t save it in the long term? You’re right, of course. Then why do we do it? Because we often talk about the dilemma to do “at least something” or nothing at all.
I believe that overthinking – i.e. the feeling that everything must be perfectly thought out and robust – is counterproductive in many cases. As long as you keep the basic principles- i.e. that everything you embark, you also finish and that communication is the holy grail for you.
The management will probably try to turn the situation on its head. You can count on that. However, won’t be discouraged. Let the letter from CEO be a letter from HR director. Start a smaller survey on your own. Even if it’s an HR activity, it’ll put the people in a good mood. Maybe, it’ll be more heartfelt.
