The human resources staff may not be able to pull off a Miracle on 34th Street, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make life better at work. In fact, HR professionals looking for holiday “gifts” for employees have an array of options. 
While they may not rival the hottest gifts of the season, a few initiatives typically under the HR umbrella can benefit both employees and employers.
Helpful handbooks
Lauren Russell, an attorney with Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP in Wilmington, Delaware, suggests giving employees an updated handbook this season. “Not only is it beneficial to clear up ambiguities, but employers should attempt to review handbooks once per year to make sure that the handbook reflects recent changes to the law and to employer-provided benefit programs,” she says.
Russell cites recent signals from the National Labor Relations Board that it’s taking a close look at employer handbooks, so she recommends keeping them lean and only addressing things employees must know to be successful with the company.
“In an effort to be comprehensive, handbooks have ballooned to be 70, 80, even 100 pages,” Russell says. “In reality, that’s too much information for any employee to digest and retain.”
Instead of forcing too much into a handbook, Russell advises focusing on policies required by law, such as anti-harassment policies and policies related to the Family and Medical Leave Act as well as those that truly help employees be successful in the workplace. Such a handbook “is a gift to the employee and the employer.”
Relaxing time off
Another “gift” can be an informal policy encouraging employees not to feel tied to work after hours. It doesn’t even need to be in the handbook, Russell says. “The United States still does not mandate on a federal level paid vacation or sick leave,” she says. “As a result, studies show that we are some of the hardest working individuals in the world, with relatively little time away from the stresses of the workplace.”
Russell points out that employees who take work home run the risk of fatigue. “All employees, even workaholics, need a mental break from work so that they can recharge,” she says.
As with the updated handbook, an informal policy encouraging employees to refrain from after-hours work can be a gift that benefits not just employees but also the employers “who reap the rewards of an engaged, energetic, and refreshed workforce,” Russell says.
Tuition perk
In addition to handbooks and informal policies, HR can lobby for employer perks that can be treasured “gifts” for employees. Employers have gotten creative in recent years in the perks they offer, with some offering onsite game rooms and gyms, free meals, and other luxuries, as well as education and training opportunities that can help employees advance in their organizations.
David W. McBride, an attorney with Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. in Springfield, Massachusetts, likes the idea of tuition reimbursement for work-related college courses.
“Starting a tuition reimbursement program for employees’ continuing education can be a great way to attract and retain top talent in your field,” McBride says. “Prospective employees will look at a tuition reimbursement program and see that you are willing to make a significant investment in them, while current employees can see it as you being open to further developing their talents and as evidence that their hard work will be rewarded.”
McBride says tuition reimbursement programs also are “good tools to ensuring your employees will stick around for a few years rather than leaving once they have improved their skills.”
Free food
Less serious—and less expensive—perks also make good “gifts” for employees. “Small perks such as the occasional box of doughnuts in the break room or a ‘box o’ Joe’ from your local coffee shop can be an incredibly cost-effective way to increase employee morale,” McBride says.
Employees who occasionally receive small but meaningful benefits “can feel more valued, especially where the perk is not presented as a reward but rather as a general ‘thank you’ for being productive employees,” McBride says. “The small cost of providing these types of benefits will likely be outweighed by the boost to morale, increased productivity, and increased employee satisfaction with their employment.”