Employees say ‘no’ to time off in favour of Christmas celebrations and gifts
Announcement posted by RedBalloon 27 Nov 2012
More evidence of increasing workplace satisfaction levels
27 November 2012: The message to employers this Christmas is loud, clear and perhaps a little surprising; your people want to be rewarded for a year’s hard work by celebrating together.
A survey1 conducted by workplace engagement experts redballoon.com.au found when given the option of a day off or an early mark at Christmas, the large majority of employees instead want some type of reward – either a group celebration or a gift.
RedBalloon asked how employees would like to mark year end at work, and only 17 per cent wanted to leave the office early. Almost half (45 per cent) want to do an activity with their colleagues and 19 per cent would opt for a fancy company meal.
According to RedBalloon Corporate General Manager Matt Geraghty “Christmas represents a great opportunity for employers to earn serious engagement points by showing their people a good time.”
“Perhaps the most encouraging message to come from this survey is that employees want to spend time together, and this is a wonderful omen for businesses looking to inspire and rally their people.”
This trend was also reflected in gifting, where only 13 per cent of respondents wanted time away from the office. More than half (58 per cent) would prefer an experience for themselves or to share with their friends or family. Hampers and corporate merchandise attracted only 17 per cent of the vote combined.
This is all despite only 25 per cent of respondents actually receiving a gift from their employer at Christmas. More than half (58 per cent) receive nothing at all, and for the other 17 per cent it depends on how the company has performed as to whether they are rewarded.
Add to this yesterday’s announcement by Leadership Management Australasia that found employees are the happiest they have been at any other point this century, and it paints a positive picture for employers.
“A day out of the office might be an easy way out, but putting the extra effort into something they will really appreciate will pay dividends well into the New Year,” Mr Geraghty said.
“Do the sums – if you were to give every employee time out of the office, how much would it cost your business in lost earnings and salaries?
“If you used those same funds to put on a celebration or to give each employee a meaningful gift, according to these findings you’d have a much happier bunch of people allowing you to start the New Year on an employee engagement high.”
The 2012 RedBalloon Reward and Recognition survey2 supports these recent findings, with only 11 per cent of respondents preferring time off work to other rewards, including experiences, cash and gift vouchers.
And again, the 2012 Truth about Team Building Events White Paper3 found that 82 per cent of employees want to participate in more workplace events.
“It seems to ring true that the company that plays together, stays together,” Mr Geraghty concluded.
Key findings
58% of employees do not receive a gift from their employer at Christmas, yet:
58% would like an experience for themselves or to share with their friends or family
Only 13% want time away from the office
0.3% want branded company merchandise – there’s a shock.
When asked what would make them happiest at work this Christmas party:
45% want the celebration to be an activity (eg sailing, cocktail making, lawn bowls)
19% want to go for a fancy meal
17% want an early mark
7% are keen for karaoke
63% of organisations put on a Christmas party; 10% might, depending on how the company has performed; 27% do not celebrate at all.
1 Online survey completed by 1855 respondents across Australia, 2 November - 20 November 2012
2 Online survey completed by 4,012 respondents in April 2012
3 Online survey conducted among RedBalloon corporate database in October 2011 with 108 respondents
- Ends -
For more information or to interview Matt Geraghty, please contact:
Lauren Ashton, RedBalloon PR and Communications Specialist – 02 8755 0034 / 0404 136 765 / lauren@redballoon.com.au
About RedBalloon
RedBalloon For Corporate provides exciting reward and recognition solutions, corporate gifts and sales incentives to ensure businesses keep their employees and customers motivated, rewarded and engaged. With a unique resource of over 3,000 amazing experiences in Australia and New Zealand RedBalloon specialises in creating attachments between employees and their employer. They also practice what they preach, having been awarded for innovative employee engagement practices and named in BRWs Best Places to four times.
A survey1 conducted by workplace engagement experts redballoon.com.au found when given the option of a day off or an early mark at Christmas, the large majority of employees instead want some type of reward – either a group celebration or a gift.
RedBalloon asked how employees would like to mark year end at work, and only 17 per cent wanted to leave the office early. Almost half (45 per cent) want to do an activity with their colleagues and 19 per cent would opt for a fancy company meal.
According to RedBalloon Corporate General Manager Matt Geraghty “Christmas represents a great opportunity for employers to earn serious engagement points by showing their people a good time.”
“Perhaps the most encouraging message to come from this survey is that employees want to spend time together, and this is a wonderful omen for businesses looking to inspire and rally their people.”
This trend was also reflected in gifting, where only 13 per cent of respondents wanted time away from the office. More than half (58 per cent) would prefer an experience for themselves or to share with their friends or family. Hampers and corporate merchandise attracted only 17 per cent of the vote combined.
This is all despite only 25 per cent of respondents actually receiving a gift from their employer at Christmas. More than half (58 per cent) receive nothing at all, and for the other 17 per cent it depends on how the company has performed as to whether they are rewarded.
Add to this yesterday’s announcement by Leadership Management Australasia that found employees are the happiest they have been at any other point this century, and it paints a positive picture for employers.
“A day out of the office might be an easy way out, but putting the extra effort into something they will really appreciate will pay dividends well into the New Year,” Mr Geraghty said.
“Do the sums – if you were to give every employee time out of the office, how much would it cost your business in lost earnings and salaries?
“If you used those same funds to put on a celebration or to give each employee a meaningful gift, according to these findings you’d have a much happier bunch of people allowing you to start the New Year on an employee engagement high.”
The 2012 RedBalloon Reward and Recognition survey2 supports these recent findings, with only 11 per cent of respondents preferring time off work to other rewards, including experiences, cash and gift vouchers.
And again, the 2012 Truth about Team Building Events White Paper3 found that 82 per cent of employees want to participate in more workplace events.
“It seems to ring true that the company that plays together, stays together,” Mr Geraghty concluded.
Key findings
58% of employees do not receive a gift from their employer at Christmas, yet:
58% would like an experience for themselves or to share with their friends or family
Only 13% want time away from the office
0.3% want branded company merchandise – there’s a shock.
When asked what would make them happiest at work this Christmas party:
45% want the celebration to be an activity (eg sailing, cocktail making, lawn bowls)
19% want to go for a fancy meal
17% want an early mark
7% are keen for karaoke
63% of organisations put on a Christmas party; 10% might, depending on how the company has performed; 27% do not celebrate at all.
1 Online survey completed by 1855 respondents across Australia, 2 November - 20 November 2012
2 Online survey completed by 4,012 respondents in April 2012
3 Online survey conducted among RedBalloon corporate database in October 2011 with 108 respondents
- Ends -
For more information or to interview Matt Geraghty, please contact:
Lauren Ashton, RedBalloon PR and Communications Specialist – 02 8755 0034 / 0404 136 765 / lauren@redballoon.com.au
About RedBalloon
RedBalloon For Corporate provides exciting reward and recognition solutions, corporate gifts and sales incentives to ensure businesses keep their employees and customers motivated, rewarded and engaged. With a unique resource of over 3,000 amazing experiences in Australia and New Zealand RedBalloon specialises in creating attachments between employees and their employer. They also practice what they preach, having been awarded for innovative employee engagement practices and named in BRWs Best Places to four times.