6 HR Tips to Keep Your Team Happy and Motivated During the Holidays

The end of the year—and the holiday season that comes with it—can be one of the busiest times of the year for any workplace. Teams are wrapping up projects, taking time off, and managing personal and family commitments—all while trying to stay present at work.

For HR staff and managers, this often means more PTO requests, shifting schedules, and extra coordination to keep things running smoothly. The good news: With thoughtful communication and support, you can maintain productivity without losing the spirit of the season.

Here are six practical HR tips and employee engagement ideas to help you support your team, strengthen morale, and close out the year on a positive note.

Holiday celebrations can boost morale and bring your team closer together—but they should also reflect the differences in how employees celebrate this time of year. A little intentionality when planning can go a long way toward making everyone feel seen and respected.

Why It Matters

The holidays mean different things to different people. Your workforce may include individuals who observe religious holidays, those who celebrate cultural traditions, and others who may not participate in seasonal festivities at all. When your planned events reflect the diversity of your team, it sends a clear message that everyone belongs.

What To Do

Plan end-of-year celebrations that reflect your team’s diversity, rather than focusing on a single tradition. Keep participation optional, language welcoming and inclusive, and activities varied.

Try This With Your Team

• Host a “Share Your Tradition” event: Teammates can share their favorite foods, music, or customs—whether in person, virtually, or in a Slack or Teams thread.
• Organize a Year-End Gratitude Celebration: Focus on wins, appreciation, and future goals, whether professional or personal (such as running a first 5K).
• Create a Holiday and Cultural Observance Calendar: This is a visual reminder and recognition of important dates that are meaningful to all team members.
• Add a charitable component: Invite employees to vote on a cause they can support together.

How G&A Can Support Your Team

As your HR partner, G&A can assist by providing DEI resources and guidance and best practices to help your celebrations feel thoughtful, respectful, and welcoming.

G&A Tip: While planning your event, send a quick, anonymous survey to employees asking, “What holiday activities or traditions are meaningful to you?” A little input helps the celebration feel more inclusive.

End of year is a popular time for employees to take PTO—and for good reason. Time away gives them meaningful time with family and friends during the holidays. It also helps employees recharge. Setting clear expectations early ensures that everyone can enjoy their break while keeping workloads balanced and business operations running smoothly.

Why It Matters

Time off during the holidays is essential for employee well-being, but without proactive planning to ensure coverage, it can lead to staffing gaps and increased workloads. That can result in frustration and burnout. With the right balance of communication and flexibility, your team can fully enjoy their time away and return refreshed for the year ahead.

What To Do

Share your paid time off (PTO) policies and request deadlines before the holiday season is underway. Prioritize fairness in approvals and encourage open communication across teams to ensure all responsibilities are covered. Clear, consistent processes set the stage for a smoother season and a happier team.

Try This With Your Team

• Maintain a shared PTO calendar: Give managers and team members clear visibility into upcoming absences, so they can plan coverage and adjust workloads accordingly.
• Encourage cross-training: Empower colleagues to step in for each other and ensure continuity when fellow employees are out of office.
• Offer floating holidays: Provide flexibility for employees to observe personal or cultural traditions beyond the standard holiday schedule.
• Conduct quick coverage check-ins: Confirm responsibilities and handoffs ahead of scheduled time off to prevent last-minute gaps.

How G&A Can Support Your Team

A professional employer organization (PEO), like G&A, can help automate PTO tracking, simplify approvals, support compliance with labor laws, and advise on fair time-off policies. These tools and insights reduce stress and save time—giving everyone a little more breathing room during the busiest season.

G&A Tip: Combine PTO reminders with a quick, year-end update on remaining benefits. Employees are more likely to act when all key deadlines are in one message.

As the holiday season approaches and the year comes to a close, it’s important to pause and acknowledge your team’s effort and dedication. Whether they hit big milestones, supported colleagues behind the scenes, or simply kept things running smoothly, showing genuine appreciation helps employees feel valued and motivated heading into the new year.

Why It Matters

Recognition is one of the simplest—and most powerful ways—to strengthen engagement and retention. Employees who feel seen and celebrated are more connected to their work, their team, and your organization’s success.

What To Do

Meaningful recognition doesn’t have to be costly. The key is to make it specific, genuine, and tailored to each individual. Small gestures, done consistently, can have a lasting impact—and the more personal the acknowledgment, the more meaning it holds.

Try This With Your Team

• Create a “12 Days of Appreciation” series: Share daily shoutouts to employees or teams who made a difference this year.
• Send handwritten thank-you notes or custom e-cards: A simple, heartfelt message from leadership can go a long way in making employees feel appreciated.
• Give early-release Fridays: Offering an early start to the weekend shows you value your team’s time and well-being.
• Host a Team Awards Ceremony: Include playful categories like “Spreadsheet Wizard” or “Connector Award” to recognize all types of contributions.

How G&A Can Support Your Team

G&A Partners can provide guidance on building thoughtful recognition programs that reflect your culture and values. Our HR experts can also recommend affordable ways to show appreciation throughout the year.

G&A Tip: Recognition doesn’t have to come at year-end—build it into your regular meetings or internal communications. Frequent, sincere appreciation throughout the year creates a culture where people feel valued every day, not just in December.

The holidays are an ideal time to bring people together in ways that feel fun, inclusive, and low-pressure. Whether your team is on-site, remote, or hybrid, shared experiences remind employees that they’re part of something bigger.

Why It Matters

Team-building activities during the holidays help deepen connections. They strengthen relationships, boost morale, and create shared memories that carry into the new year. And when employees feel connected and appreciated, collaboration and engagement naturally increase.

What To Do

Plan a mix of fun, lighthearted activities that include everyone—without adding stress to already full calendars. Whether they’re remote, hybrid, or in-office, the goal is to give your team a chance unwind, connect and have fun together in a way that feels authentic to your culture.

Try This With Your Team

Below are some team engagement ideas for both in-person and virtual settings:

In-person holiday team-building activities

• Host a holiday-themed volunteer day or charity drive: Partner with a local nonprofit or community cause that resonates with your team.
• Organize a festive scavenger hunt: Use holiday clues or company trivia for a fun, collaborative challenge.
• Hold a friendly competition: Plan an ugly sweater competition, office décor faceoff, or holiday trivia showdown.
• Plan creative group projects: Decorate workspaces, make ornaments, or assemble care packages for a local shelter.

Virtual holiday team-building activities

• Host virtual holiday trivia or bingo: Use an online meeting platform to bring everyone together for a fun, relaxed event.
• Set up an online secret gift exchange: Utilize digital platforms and mail or email surprises to swap gifts amongst team members.
• Plan a virtual game or craft workshop: Bring in an instructor—or a team member—to lead an interactive session that gets everyone laughing, creating, and connecting.
• Organize a collaborative digital project: Build a shared playlist, photo montage, or holiday slideshow featuring your team’s favorite memories.

How G&A Can Support Your Team

G&A can provide best practices and ideas for successful events that connect your team and increase engagement.

G&A Tip: Keep events optional and low-pressure—people connect best when participation feels like an opportunity, not an obligation.

The holidays can be both joyful and hectic. Between wrapping up projects, managing family commitments, and navigating financial pressures, it’s easy for stress levels to rise. Supporting your team’s mental health during this time helps them stay balanced and feel cared for—both inside and outside of work.

Why It Matters

When employers support emotional well-being, employees are more focused, resilient, and engaged. A culture that normalizes mental health conversations fosters trust and helps prevent burnout, which benefits both your people and your organization.

What To Do

Make sure your employees know where to find help when they need it—and make support resources easily accessible. Encourage realistic workloads, flexible scheduling, and opportunities for people to recharge—small actions that can make a big difference.

Try This With Your Team

• Designate no-meeting days, quiet focus hours, or Wellness Wednesdays: Give employees uninterrupted time to help reduce distractions and allow for deeper work or time for rest.
• Promote your mental health benefits: Remind staff about employee assistance program (EAP) benefits and counseling or telemedicine options.
• Model healthy boundaries: Encourage leaders to take time off, end the workday on time, and set the example that balance matters.
• Offer small but impactful stress relievers: Meditation or mindfulness apps, midday stretch breaks, or outdoor walks can help people reset during the day.

How G&A Can Support Your Team

G&A Partners can help you raise awareness of mental health resources—including EAP programs—and ensure employees understand how to access and use their benefits. Our team can also help track engagement and utilization trends—so your well-being initiatives have meaningful impact.

G&A Tip: Send out a short, anonymous “holiday stress check” survey. Ask how team members are feeling and what support they need. Then share one change you’ll make from the feedback.

The close of the year is the perfect time to take stock—what went well, what can improve, and how your team can align around future goals. Involving employees in that discussion not only provides valuable insights but also reinforces a culture of shared accountability.

Why It Matters

When employees help shape the path forward, they feel more invested in both the process and the outcomes. That sense of shared ownership strengthens engagement and supports a smoother start to the year ahead.

What To Do

Create open channels for feedback and ensure your team knows their voice matters. Use this time to gather ideas, reflect on lessons learned, and highlight priorities for the coming year. Even small, open conversations can spark motivation and uncover opportunities for improvement.

Try This With Your Team

• Host a Year-in-Review event: Celebrate milestones and recognize big and small contributions while discussing what the team learned.
• Send a brief feedback survey: Ask employees what worked well, what could be improved, and what ideas they have for the year ahead.
• Preview what’s to come in the new year: To build alignment and transparency, share updated benefits, team goals, initiatives, or new professional growth opportunities.

How G&A Can Support Your Team

A professional employer organization (PEO) can help with strategic HR planning—from updating policies and benefits to workforce planning and talent retention strategies. With expert guidance and planning tools, you can start the new year organized and focused.

G&A Tip: Capture ideas in real time. Don’t let good feedback disappear in the January rush. Document team insights and assign ownership for follow-up.