caregiver receiving gift

With major changes in wage regulations and rising caregiver turnover, the year has been a little rocky for home care providers. Many providers are concerned about their valued caregivers as the industry adjusts to these changes. As providers plan for the future, they should look for ways to improve their workplace and better meet the needs of their caregivers. The approaching holiday season is the ideal time for providers to do that by offering heartfelt thanks to their caregivers and staff. Here are a few simple ideas for saying thanks this Christmas:

1. Publicly recognize them

Whether it’s a formal award ceremony or a simple recognition at an office party or meeting, public thanks can go a long way to make an employee feel special. According to the 2015 Private Duty Benchmarking Study, 12.3% of caregivers named company-wide recognition as their preferred way to be recognized. To make it personal, think of specific accomplishments of your employees, and ask your supervisors to help; then, use certificates, gift cards, or a simple announcement to recognize their work.

2. Give them a holiday bonus

Holiday bonuses are a literal reward for a year of hard work, and are popular among caregivers. In fact, 20.4% of caregivers named vacation time, bonuses, perks, and gift cards as their preferred method of recognition, and 14.1% named a pay raise. A monetary bonus, extra days off, or other perks (even if they’re not large) show employees that your gratitude isn’t only lip service.

3. Host a “Thank You” party

Though holiday parties are fun, sometimes they can be stressful for certain staff members. Whether it’s coordinating Secret Santa or organizing activities, a party can become another task on a large to-do list rather than an eagerly anticipated break. To offer a gift of stress-free fun, you may consider taking charge of the party yourself, and turning it into a “Thank You” party. You could cut the extra games or gift giving, and make yourself a Secret Santa by providing a gift and a stress-free evening of socializing and great food for employees and their families.

4. Send them out to lunch

Food is a universally appreciated gift. Whether you take staff members out for a one-on-one lunch or you send out teams to grab lunch on you, a meal is a fun way to socialize and thank your staff in a casual comfortable way. You may also consider surprising your staff by having lunch delivered to the office. After a long morning of work, a nice meal in the middle of the day really helps to brighten an office and demonstrate thanks.

5. Write personal thank you notes

Providers may be surprised to learn that the most requested form of recognition by caregivers is verbal recognition by a supervisor (36.9%). Over a third of caregivers, simply want to hear the words “Thank you.” Expressing thanks whether by pen or word is easy to do but also easy to forget. Taking the time to write a handwritten thank you note could be a very memorable and straightforward way to express your heartfelt gratitude. Try to be specific and sincere and let your employees know the impact they’ve had on you and your agency.

Tis the season for showing appreciation and thanks. Whether you show it in humble or grandiose ways, taking the time to thank your staff can show them you care and help them want to stick around in the year to come.

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