The holiday season is well underway, and it's well known that this is the busiest and most hectic time of the year. In fact, 88% of Americans* report feeling anxious around the holidays as a result of juggling obligations at home and at work.
The good news is that work is evolving, making it harder to distinguish between our personal and professional lives as professionals now have more work-life flexibility and balance than ever before. How, though, does this fit into our crammed holiday schedules? The days of skipping a Saturday night for your office party or faking a lunch meeting to go holiday shopping are done. Here are some things you can do to make the holidays work best for you as work during the holidays is changing.
Christmas Shuffle: Ask More, Sneak Less
More than half of working adults complete their Christmas to-do lists at work, including sending holiday cards, doing online shopping, and planning a holiday menu. This practise is not new. Working from home periodically or taking a day off during the holidays can both significantly speed up to-do list completion. Don't be afraid to ASK, ASK, ASK and position yourself for holiday success because approximately 80% of professionals have never had a request for a holiday turned down. Holiday Saturday Night Parties Are Gone: The Focus Is Moving to Work Hours
Even while the office Christmas party is a wonderful chance to socialise with coworkers, professionals may feel overburdened by the number of office holiday parties; more than half have more than one to go, and only 25% even want to attend the main work party. The days of black tie festivities on the Saturday before Christmas are also history, as many businesses now throw informal events during business hours or allow staff members to volunteer in their communities. Whether you're throwing a team holiday party or attending one, tap into what we know working people desire and plan celebrations around the office hours.
Disconnecting is acceptable (Seriously!)
The holidays can be the ideal time to disconnect and reenergize. Yet, many professionals (53%) are stopping by the office numerous times every day while the holidays are in session. Despite the fact that some people utilise an out-of-office message, many claim that it doesn't enable them to truly disconnect. The answer? Work with your team to make sure that when everyone is away from the office while you are on vacation, at least one of you will be on call. In this manner, you can actually unplug when given the all-clear. Create an OOO response to begin with, and be sure to go by your own rules and be clear about your accessibility. If you must check in, arrange a specific time each day and stick to it. It is undeniably simpler to maintain balance and flexibility throughout the holidays in the workplace of today. So if you discover that your current workplace isn't giving you enough work-life balance, the new year is just around the corner and would be a fantastic opportunity to start looking for a job. On JobCurators, you'll discover a variety of careers, including the ideal one for you.
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Methodology: From November 22 to November 28, 2019, Censuswide surveyed 2,000 American working professionals for JobCurators.
88% of Americans report feeling stressed out during the holidays (One Poll, December 2018)