5 Holiday benefits and perks to thank employees

Bonuses

Probably the most traditional way employers show their appreciation this time of year is by rewarding employees with bonuses for a year of work well done. While bonus levels and prevalence have diminished since the recession began, this year shows an uptick. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 40% of employers plan to give their employees holiday bonuses this year, up from 33% in 2010. Among this group, 73% are expecting to give the same amount as last year. Fourteen percent intend to provide a greater bonus than last year, while 13% plan to provide a smaller bonus. Some employers are getting creative with these financial rewards and have opted for passing out gift cards or lottery tickets instead of holiday bonuses.

Holiday parties with pizzazz

Holiday and end-of-year parties help promote unity among employees and bolster morale during the typically stressful season. In fact, more employers are getting into the festive spirit this year than last, as the Society for Human Resource Management finds 68% of employers will hold a cumulative soirée in 2011, up from 61% in 2009 and 2010.

Parties dont need to cost a fortune; employees will relish a simple celebration if its thoughtful and everyone can participate. Postcardmania.com hosts an ugly Christmas sweater contest in the office. The tackiest sweater wins a gift basket and employees have a chance to unwind together with a glass of eggnog.

Shopping free time

CareerBuilder estimates in a recent survey that 50% of American workers plan to spend time holiday shopping online at work this season. Instead of fighting employees, set aside time each week in the month of December to give employees the opportunity to shop online for holiday gifts.

Alternately, some employees prefer visiting physical stores to shopping behind a computer screen. Employers could give them a half-day off to do their holiday shopping. Some employers may even opt for a flexible work arrangement that lasts through the end of the year, where employees can arrive and leave two hours early in order to do some holiday shopping before going home for the evening.

Unique gifts

If you decide to give material gifts to workers, why not give them something they will actually use? Forget company pens and t-shirts, by choosing to give practical gifts, employees will feel like you understand their needs. A few years ago, a district manager for a Chicago insurance company bought each of his agents a toll transponder for their cars with $40 in pre-paid tolls. This perk was especially relevant to employees insurance agents who typically spend a long time in the car.

Employers have also been known to give gifts that cost the company nothing at all. Some employees receive work/life coupons in lieu of a bonus from their places of work that permit them an additional paid day off or a three-hour paid lunch, for example.

Applaud your people and promote a positive office culture

Find the true meaning of the Holidays by bringing your employees together to celebrate what theyve accomplished together professionally, as well as on a personal level. Fibrebond, a manufacturer of concrete structures based in Louisiana, publishes a corporate yearbook during the holidays in which employees share photos, recipes and stories.

The holidays can be an emotionally and financially difficult time for some employees, so its important to make sure HR has given the phone number and website of the employee assistance program and informed employees about EAP services.