Christmas is a very busy time for most industries and usually means more people sat in the office for longer periods of time, rushing to complete any work or deadlines before finishing for the Christmas break. Christmas is also the time of the year where there are plenty of different bugs and illnesses going round, even without the coronavirus pandemic, so making sure that you are doing everything you can to keep your employees happy and healthy is vital this year. 

Encourage employees to get some fresh air

Being sat in an office all day is no good for anyone and with the shorter days in the winter, access to sunlight and fresh air is at a minimum. A lot of people suffer from vitamin D deficiency in the winter due to a lack of natural sunlight, even without realising it, and this can lead to feelings of fatigue, irritability, headaches and general low moods. Try to encourage your employees to get out for a walk during the day, even if it is just to take a phone call or have a walking meeting to grab a coffee, especially if they commute in, as they’ll likely be leaving for work and getting home in the dark. 

Include some festive fitness into the workplace 

Why not do something festive and fun for your employees with a festive fitness class! You could do “desk dancing” where you learn about the different exercises you can do at a desk or even a power ballads yoga session – something fun and lighthearted to get everyone talking! Not only is this a great way for your employees to burn some calories, but it’s also a great team-building activity. 

Avoid office germs

The sudden drop in temperature means that sniffs and sneezes are much more common and likely to spread around the office. Mix this with containing the spread of coronavirus and keeping your office and workplace clean and free from germs is a pretty big task. Try to reduce the risk of germs spreading by ensuring everyone is washing their hands or sanitising regularly, allowing some fresh air flow into the office and locating any “high-touch” points around the office. 

Places such as handrails, door handles, light switches and buttons are some of the most frequently touched areas in the office, so ensure these are being disinfected at least every hour. You should also be following government guidelines on social distancing and mask-wearing, too. If your office is particularly busy, you might also want to consider hiring a specialist cleaning business to come in every weekend and give the workplace a thorough deep cleaning ready for the new week.