Six ways to boost office morale when your staff need it most

Here Jessica Edgson from digital marketing agency Rogerwilco shares six ways to boost office morale as 2017 begins to take its toll.

Free food

Everybody likes free food, even that one person who is always on diet. Whether it’s muffins for breakfast, pizza for lunch or doughnuts chilling at the coffee machine, free food puts people in a good mood. You should also encourage your staff to enjoy these things together and not immediately return to their desks. The more your employees interact, the more their team will feel like friends rather than people they’re forced to see every day in order to earn a paycheque.

Late mornings or early afternoons

If the workflow is light or you’ve just finished a particularly hectic project, let your staff come into work a little later one day or leave an hour or two early. They’ll appreciate the extra time off and probably be more productive during the hours they’re actually at their desks.

Days off for overtime

This doesn’t mean you should give everyone a day off every time they spend an extra hour or so at their desk. This also doesn’t mean people should be given time off because they can’t manage their time effectively. But if more work is coming in than usual and there are a few people who are stuck at work over the weekend and late at night, give them a day off when the workload lessens. This has the added benefit of preventing your hardest workers from burning out.

Friday afternoon drinks

Unless there’s a particularly stressful deadline looming, nobody really works on a Friday afternoon. They surf the web, take Buzzfeed quizzes and talk about their weekend plans. From around 3pm people are generally watching the clock and waiting until they can rush home to their couch. So, why not use this time to encourage your staff to spend time together in a relaxed environment. Bring out a few beers and some snacks and see what happens. You probably don’t need to worry about people getting out of hand because they’re still well aware they’re at the office.

Team bonding sessions

Teams thrive when they work well together. And in order to work well together, they need to learn how to best communicate with one another. Which is why team bonding sessions are a great idea. Every once in a while, give one of your teams the option of going out for a few hours. Let them choose an activity and hand them the company credit card (and a budget). You’ll be able to see the difference when they return.

Wellness activities

Whether it’s yoga on a Tuesday morning or shoulder massages on a Thursday afternoon, wellness activities offer your staff that moment of relaxation they so desperately need. You could also add a health day where someone comes to check the basics like blood pressure and a professional dietician gives a talk. Not only will your staff appreciate your investment in their wellness, you’ll find it reduces the amount of sick leave people take.

The year has only just begun but the stress is already starting to set in. So, spend some time brainstorming ways to boost morale and watch your productivity increase.