The office holiday party may not be a big feature this year, however if your business is planning a year-end function, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic it is best to follow specific protocols to ensure everyone keeps safe and healthy.
ManpowerGroup South Africa’s MD Lyndy van den Barselaar explains: “Ideally, businesses should forgo events that may act as super spreaders. For this reason and in the interests of everyone’s safety and health, year-end functions should perhaps be postponed until such a time when it is safe to do so. However, if businesses wish to continue with a function there are certain things that can be done to mitigate risks.”
* Everyone should act responsibly – It should go without saying that everyone should act responsibly, but we should remember that employees may be overwhelmed to be with colleagues that they may not have seen for months, or for the entire year. Managers should be aware of this and ensure that everyone still acts in the appropriate health-conscience manner. It is also worth considering that attendance at the year-end function be limited to only the employee and not be extended to the employee’s family.
* Adhere to health checks – As the business is hosting the function, responsibility would fall on the business to ensure that all health checks are done. Managers should check that all participants are not symptomatic and should further undertake to record the details of all participants including their temperatures. Hand sanitisers and face masks should be provided, and the use of these should be mandatory. It should be stressed to participants that attendance is not mandatory, and those that have comorbidity factors should consider not attending.
* Avoid enclosed areas – As a further consideration, thought should be given to a venue of the function that does not increase the risk of transmission. Avoid enclosed areas and consider venues that are in the open. Gatherings in parks and fields not only allows for movement of air (which decreases the risk for cross contamination) but will also allow for employees to recharge in nature. Research conducted by various universities and research studies conclude that spending time outdoors improved short-term memory, restores mental energy, relieves stress, improves concentration, and sharpens thinking and creativity.
* Share positive and negative experiences – During this time together, allow your team to reconnect and share their personal experiences with their colleagues. This allows for social and psychological connectivity between team members and aids with team building and team cohesion. While team members may be inclined to share their hardships which is natural, they should also be encouraged to discuss positive moments for the year. Sharing such information will allow everyone to realise that they are not alone in their challenges, and that even in such situations, personal and professional achievements are possible.
* Host virtual events – If physical functions are not possible, businesses should consider a virtual function, where the aim of the function is to allow employees to share their experiences and celebrate getting through one of the most challenging year’s in recent history. Allow employees to pick their own venue and to dial in to a team video call. Employees are then able to share their location and discuss why they chose it. The host then could allow for a virtual team building activity such as an online quiz.
“While most employees would probably want a physical event to reconnect with colleagues, we must accept that this may not be responsible right now and that virtual events may be the best option,” concludes van den Barselaar.