How to combat burnout and fatigue amongst remote workers this winter...
After another testing pandemic year, companies and their workforces have risen to the challenge of switching to remote working practices. Cutting commute time, working in your pyjamas and baking bread between zooms may sound ideal, but the research paints a gloomier picture. Employee fatigue and burnout are at an all time high and are expected to coincide unhelpfully with an epic flu season this Christmas. For old timers and newbies alike, the prolonged time away from the office has led to feelings of isolation and exclusion from company culture. So how can we show appreciation for our teams and lift morale?
“The most consistent complaint I hear from people in my workshops and 1:1 sessions is a lack of acknowledgement of the extra effort people have had to make and the impact that stress has on them.”
Katie Philips - Burnout Expert, Natural HR
So what gifts and messages of appreciation should you be giving to staff? The key to making employees feel appreciated is personalisation. Bonuses or generic gift cards simply won’t have the desired effect. Instead a fun present with a thoughtful note from a member of the leadership team will convey that extra efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
“There’s a real trend towards more personalised gift experiences, tailored to a company’s employees”
Miranda Graesser, John Lewis Corporate Gifting
As the corporate world is starting to catch up with individuals’ endeavours to tackle climate change, gifting is a key area to ensure you’re aligned with your employees. Tinsel, party hats and single use plastic tat is a sure way to alienate the team. Instead, give gifts that stand up to green scrutiny and reflect your values.
I’ve been given enough gift cards and engraved fountain pens by companies over the years to know that these do absolutely nothing to bond a team or boost morale. Wine, however, has always been a reliably welcome way to treat the team. Pivoting your wine gifts around a tasting meet up (online or IRL) also helps foster a bonded atmosphere. Needless to say, your gifting strategy must also accommodate those who don’t drink alcohol and making this option just as exciting as the boozy option is key.
Companies that send bottles of wine and Christmas gifts don’t exactly move the needle on innovation. That’s where cans come in. Wine brands like Vinca have slashed their carbon emissions by serving their organic wine in aluminium cans which means drastically less space and weight being shipped around the world compared to glass bottles. Even the labels are printed on paper made with grape skins usually discarded in the wine making process. It’s also a fun and memorable way to shake up the format that your staff will actually enjoy and talk about with each other. Fear not, the quality of wine definitely hasn’t been compromised. Vinca was founded when Jack Green quit his job of ten years travelling vineyards as a buyer. So it’s fair to say he knows good wine!
Vinca have a range of wine tasting and alcohol free gift options for you to choose from. All you do is pick the package, provide the personalised message and the recipients’ details. We’ll sort the rest.
Drop us an email on ciao@vincawine.com and we’ll take it from there…