During the festive season, employees at travel agency Barrhead Travel value being able to spend time together as a team after a busy year.
In the weeks leading up to the festive period, the agency, which has more than 500 employees, arranges initiatives, social events and other festive activities that encourage team building, including virtual Advent calendars and dress down days. It also hosts celebrations in its head office, with every team and department arranging their own, and sends out Christmas treats or budgets for stores around the country so they can participate too.
However, one of the most important things employees want to see at Christmas is meaningful support for local communities, explains Wilma Taylor, HR director at Barrhead Travel.
“We’ve supported everything from dressing up as elves in local hospitals to organising city-wide Santa runs where we distribute presents to vulnerable families,” she says. “We always support Save The Children’s Christmas Jumper Day and try to build some festive fun around the fundraising, such as hosting raffles or arranging treats for staff. Every department chooses how to gift and celebrate with their team, and we now close on Christmas Eve in order to make sure everyone can spend time with family.”
The agency also ensures employees receive workplace gifts and incentives all year round, not just during the festive season. As a travel organisation, it offers staff perks and incentives revolving around holidays, from discounts and trade rates on personal travel to providing opportunities to travel the world as part of its educational programme.
“We also have an incentive programme that allows for uncapped earnings for our travel advisers, who earn on everything they sell, and we have the best commission structure in the travel industry,” says Taylor. “In addition, our agents can participate in a number of exciting monthly prize draws and other sales incentives, which give them the chance of winning everything from vouchers to free holidays.”