18 November 2025 - 3 min read
As the year comes to a close, it can be tricky to keep employees engaged. With everyone looking forward to the holidays and the excitement of a fresh new year, it’s only natural for focus to drift. Between the warmth of hot cocoa and the sparkle of fairy lights, staying motivated at work can take a back seat.
The good news? With a little effort and holiday spirit, managers can keep employees motivated, productive, and connected right through to the end of the year. To help you out, we’ve put together 12 fun and simple ways to boost employee engagement this holiday season.
Each December, Save the Children hosts Christmas Jumper Day — a UK-wide festive fundraiser that helps provide food and support to children across the country. You can join with your whole organisation!
The idea is simple: donate £2 to Save the Children and wear your most cheerful, festive jumper at home or in the office. To make it even more fun, turn it into a friendly competition for the best or worst dressed jumper, or host an Ugly Christmas Jumper Day to bring out everyone’s holiday spirit and laughter.
It’s an easy, feel-good way to bring your team together while supporting a meaningful cause.
You know that warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you decorate for the holidays, whether it’s putting up a tree, a wreath, or a few twinkling lights?
Why not bring that feeling to the office and engage your employees by encouraging them to decorate their desks or surrounding office areas to spread a little holiday joy?
Even a few paper snowflakes or a slightly wonky snowman can lift spirits and get everyone smiling.
An end-of-year holiday party is a great way to boost employee morale and keep your team engaged, and it doesn’t have to be expensive.
It can be as simple as an afternoon in the office with finger foods (potluck, anyone?), soft drinks, and some festive music. It’s an easy, affordable way to bring people together and end the year on a high note.
If your organisation has the budget, you could plan something a little more special, such as a dinner at a restaurant or a private venue. Just make sure your team is comfortable with a larger gathering before you book.
After all, everyone deserves a chance to celebrate the year’s successes and enjoy some well-earned fun.
We all love a little appreciation and recognition, right?
That’s why it’s a great idea to organise a light-hearted end-of-year awards ceremony, either during your holiday party or at a festive-themed lunch. It’s a fun way to celebrate your team and create some laughs.
You can even get your entire team involved by creating a survey for who should be given which honour. Websites like SurveyMonkey, for instance, are free and simple to use. If you’re stuck on what light-hearted awards to give out, a few examples include:
For teams working in the office or in a hybrid setup, Secret Santa is a classic holiday favourite that never fails to bring some festive fun.
If you’re new to it, the idea is simple: each person draws a colleague’s name from a hat (or uses an online generator) and buys them a small gift, keeping their identity a secret until the exchange day.
Most teams pick names in early December and set a price limit of £10–£20 to keep things fair and lighthearted. Gifts are often funny, practical, or even a little sentimental — it’s all about spreading joy and creating moments of laughter.
Most employees enjoy a little friendly competition, especially when it benefits everyone.
That being said, holding a baking competition is always a welcome opportunity to keep employees engaged and a far cry from hangry. The prize could be an extended lunch or even a small voucher for a coffee shop or bakery, such as Greggs or Costa.
We say that’s a recipe for a sweet (or savoury) experience.
This one is simple, straightforward, and a nice thing to do.
Handing out holiday cards to each of your employees may be old fashioned and even a little cheesy, however, showing your gratitude during the festive season helps end the year on a high note - especially since employees often feel overlooked in their roles when it comes to recognition from their mid to senior leaders.
It’s often the little things that make the biggest difference.
This one might be tough to clear with upper management and HR, however, if you can make it work, we recommend implementing this incentive to your team as an award for a job well done.
For instance, if your sales or marketing team has hit or exceeded a set goal or target, then giving them a half-day off of their choosing (within reason) is a great way to show your appreciation.
If your organisation has a holiday budget to burn and you want your team to feel particularly spoiled over the holidays, sending through a few generic online vouchers (think Amazon or Etsy) is always favourable.
This allows employees to treat themselves to a little something on the company’s tab, helping them to feel like a valued part of the organisation.
For the competitive, or those who are always first in line to sign up for a pub quiz, a Christmas-themed holiday quiz is always a crowd pleaser! Really easy to pull together, questions can include themes like Christmas movies, traditions or music and is a great way for employees to bond, spend time together and have a bit of fun!
It’s also an ideal option for both in-office and remote workers since everyone having access to their PCs and laptops grants each employee the opportunity to take part in the experience. If you do decide to host your quiz in the office, why not make an afternoon of it and include some festive-themed drinks and snacks?! When it comes to timings, we recommend either during a lunch hour, or the last hour of the working day, for optimal employee participation!
Mental health is a major priority for HR teams and senior management alike and during the festive season, it's even more important for management to promote employee wellness, ensuring that the necessary health and wellbeing resources are known and available, both inside and out of the office.
For many, this time of year can be difficult, lonely or stressful and it's vital we take this into consideration, showing kindness and support where we can. For anyone struggling in or out of the workplace this Christmas, helpful contacts include:
Perhaps one of the best ways to engage your employees this holiday season is by hosting an end of the year meeting that focuses strictly on the positive moments and business results from the past 12 months.
By veering away on anything too heavy (i.e. redundancies, turnover, etc.), this meeting will act as a sort of celebration, one that will get employees ready and motivated for the New Year, knowing that their organisation is looking forward to a fresh start as much as they are.
Remember that engaging employees all year round is important, but it can be especially tricky during the winter months.
So, put your best foot forward and remain flexible and adaptable for your employees this season - believe us, they’ll thank you for it!
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