Taking a Break: Having Fun with Your Employees is Important, Too
Posted by aonenetworks On May 21, 2014
It’s a tough world out there in business today. You work hard at your business, and you value your staff – their abilities, their dedication to their jobs, and their loyalty to the company. You want to reward your staff, but you’re at a loss as to how to go about it. Well, money is always nice – bonuses are always appreciated – but you want to do something for the company that builds morale and fosters camaraderie as well.
So why not plan a family day for the whole staff, with the company picking up the tab. It’s a great way to foster friendships, promote team spirit, and have your employees feel truly valued.
Where to Start?
One good way to start is to take a survey of your staff, asking where they would like to go, or what they would like to do. If your business is located in a major metropolitan area, you should have many choices suitable for family outings. For example, in Atlanta, Georgia, you can organize a day for your company to enjoy the Georgia Aquarium. This aquarium is well worth the visit, and you can plan a company lunch at a nearby restaurant. (Mary Mac’s Tea Room is a venerable establishment serving great Southern food, and it’s definitely family-friendly).
Another great choice in Atlanta is Six Flags over Georgia. This one is definitely geared for kids, but the adults will enjoy it as well – even the singles, with no kids in tow.
Planning a picnic is always a great idea, especially if you have it catered by a locally-owned restaurant serving a regional favorite, such as barbeque. You can also have kid-friendly menus catered, even if not by the same place.
State Parks, Concerts and Sporting Events
If you’re not located in an area with lots of attractions, find a state park near your locale. You can rent a group pavilion at most state parks, and have food catered in. Parks have hiking trails, water sports such as canoeing or paddle-boating, swimming, and playgrounds. A day at a park is always a good choice. If the park is not within driving distance, look at finding a sporting event or a concert you can take your staff and their families to see. Hire a local bowling alley and have a company bowling day – you pay for the games and the shoes, and for the meal after.
How To Get Organized
Once you’ve decided on where you will go, and how you will feed everybody, appoint somebody to spearhead the effort. You will need to find a day when the business is already closed (Saturday or Sunday, perhaps) or can be closed without majorly impacting production. Once you’ve established a day, you will need to verify your venue of choice is available, and if so, make reservations. You will also need to negotiate pricing, and determine how your staff will identify themselves to the venue on arrival.
Group transportation is also a consideration – you may need to hire buses to transport everyone from the company’s location to the venue. You will need to negotiate with the restaurant or caterer, and determine how to visit the restaurant without overwhelming it, or you will need to determine the caterer’s needs at the site, and have everything ready.
The person spearheading this project needs to be a great organizer and planner. If you don’t have anyone on staff, consider hiring a party or event planning company to take the reins. Proper planning is key to a successful event, so getting the right person, or the right company, in charge is crucial.
Have Fun!
Once the work is done, go to your family fun day and enjoy yourself – you’re an employee too, you know! If you plan a successful event, your staff and their families will remember it for a long, long time. Not only that, they will also be grateful for an employer who cares about his staff the way you do, and they will redouble their efforts on the company’s behalf.
