This holiday season, give employees the gift of flexibility

• Key Insight: Learn how holiday demand is forcing employers to rethink flexibility beyond remote policies.
• What's at Stake: Stagnant flexibility risks burnout, elevated turnover, and talent flight during peak season.
• Supporting Data: 56% of workers report little to no ability to adjust hours, per Future Forum.
• Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

During the holiday season, flexibility becomes more than a perk; it's a need for employees juggling work, family obligations and year-end pressures.

Despite the overwhelming demand for more workplace flexibility, 56% of workers still say they have little to no ability to adjust their hours from a preset schedule, according to a survey from workplace insights platform Future Forum. The holidays only exacerbate employees' need for broader, more adjustable work options, and benefit leaders have an opportunity to ease the strain by refining the flexibility strategies they already have in place.

"Employees value flexibility in today's working practices — especially around the festive season," says Laura Barbour, the head of culture and communications at commercial print company MOO. "The next few months are often where employees need a greater work-life balance because they're juggling kids' events in schools, or they've got family coming around. Demand for benefits that support them are peaking around this time."  

Read more: MassMutual's benefits give working parents an extra holiday boost

Eighty-one percent of employees want flexibility in where they work, and 93% want flexibility in when they work, according to Future Forum. Building strategies that support both can be challenging for leaders, but not impossible, says Barbour. At MOO, for example, all hybrid employees get 20 "work-from-anywhere" days that don't count against PTO. Usage spikes in December and January, a trend the company fully expects and welcomes, Barbour notes.

Still, Barbour emphasizes that what works for one workforce won't work for all. Benefit leaders should be surveying their own employee populations to understand how their teams define flexibility, especially during high-stress periods like the holidays.

"You need to understand your workforce and what's important to them," Barbous says. "What communities do you employ? How diverse are their needs? What does flexibility look like for parents and carers? What do flexible benefits look like for employees who work in different countries? Leaders need to know how to deliver benefits that help them balance their home life and their work life."

Keep support going year-round

However, flexibility shouldn't just focus on when and where employees work — it should also ensure that the time they do spend in the office is meaningful and well-supported, Barbour says. At MOO, for instance, leaders pair their hybrid policies with intentional in-person touchpoints, from social gatherings such as holiday parties and mixers to structured one-on-one conversations between employees and managers. The goal is to create consistent, holistic experiences so employees feel supported in diverse ways year-round, not just during the holiday season. 

Read more: Benefits to beat seasonal depression to implement now

"We should be doing this to protect employees' well-being overall," Barbous says. "Create reasons for employees to want to go into the office and foster in-person connection. During festive periods, recognize the need for flexibility but also make sure to recognize the ethos of the season — which is to enjoy time spent together." 

The most important thing for leaders to remember is to make sure employees feel heard and appreciated, Barbour says. Failing to address employees' evolving needs could drive employee burnout up and lead to high levels of turnover if left unchecked. 

"These are the kinds of things people are prepared to leave a company for now," Barbour warns. "But the more flexibility you give, the better employees will feel and the more engaged they will be in the long run."