Tess Taylor 
One of the toughest tasks that every company faces during holiday season is putting together a schedule that makes everyone happy, whilst also ensuring that enough employees are available each day. Flexible holiday hours are often the most effective way of striking that delicate balance, so let’s take a look at the benefits such a schedule delivers.
Your Employees Feel the Love
Many companies are willing to offer a number of employee benefits throughout the year, only to tighten the screws when the holidays arrive. It’s not really an attempt at being frugal, and is usually just an attempt to keep as many people happy as possible.
Companies that offer flexible holiday hours to their employees are making it very clear just how much they appreciate their people. It also shows that they care about the lives of their employees inside the office, and out. In fact, a study indicates that flexible scheduling is a top 10 most wanted benefit by today’s workforce.
Employees Become Willing to Work Harder
Once employees know that they have a flexible holiday schedule at their disposal, they will repay the favor by working harder. They will want to ensure that their work is done to the best of their ability and delivered in a timely fashion.
They will also push harder to make sure that they get all the work done before the office closes for the weekend or holiday vacation. No-one likes the idea of an unfinished project left dangling and unfinished for an extended period of time, as the goal is to have a fresh start once the holiday season ends.
You are Rewarded with Loyalty
Employees always remember when a company does something good for them, and a flexible holiday schedule is usually rewarded with employee loyalty. When employees are happy, they tend to work harder and stick around, which means you don’t have to worry about dealing with a lot of turnovers.
Less “Sick Days”
One of the biggest benefits of having a flexible holiday schedule is that your absentee numbers will take a dip. Employees won’t feel the need to call out so that they can focus on their holiday preparations. With a flexible schedule, there is plenty of time to take care of all the things that need to be done for the holiday season without it affecting their work.
A Drop in Employee Stress Levels
It’s easy to become distracted and stressed about all that needs to be done when you are stuck at work all day. A flexible holiday schedule takes away much of that stress, as employees are better able to balance home and work life.
Flexible holiday hours deliver an immediate impact, as morale is automatically improved the moment you make the announcement. Your reward as a manager will be a group of employees that are happy and willing to roll up their sleeves and work hard.
