With the Christmas spirit taking over the country, the festive season also ignites a need to celebrate and spend time with friends and family. During the month of November, non-working holidays like Bonifacio Day, Rizal Day, and Christmas Eve mean more personal time off for Filipino professionals. Plus the annually awaited 13th month pay!
Sounds perfect, right? Well, not exactly. As the days get shorter and temperatures get colder this holiday season, getting up to face another day at work has become more of a than usual – especially in the Philippines.
Filipinos experience heavier traffic and increased challenges with public transportation during the holiday season as more people crowd malls and business centers for Christmas shopping. Now imagine that from the perspective of an employee who works from the office from Monday to Friday.
No wonder a large chunk of employees experiences winter woes. With this in mind, we have to face one hard truth… Employee resignation is statistically proven to spike after the holidays.
However, if you don’t want to face resignation regret, keep reading to learn more about holiday attrition statistics in the country, what factors contribute to an employee’s holiday blues, and what steps you can take to regain your work motivation and Christmas spirit.
HOLIDAY ATTRITION IN THE PHILIPPINES
Source: facebook.com
Source: facebook.comIt’s not just “new year, new me.” In recent years, the term may have just changed to “new year, new job.” If you’ve been active on the internet in the past months, you must have seen an abundance of viral memes about employees submitting resignation letters after getting their 13th-month pay. While it is funny, it’s also a sad reality.
A 2022 article from Jobstreet.com identifies January as the most popular month for employees tp leave their respective companies – identifying a higher number of employees quitting their jobs after receiving their bonuses in December.
“ 77 percent of companies said that December is the most popular month for the release of bonuses. January, the month after, is likewise the most popular month for employees leaving their respective companies. ”
Jobstreet.com
A 2022 study by a workforce analytics company found that 44% of employees have thought about resigning after extended vacations – particularly the holidays – and 20% of those employees admitting that they would quit after returning from time off from work.
Let’s look at some of the factors that contribute to an employees disengagement or demotivation during the holidays:
Mental Health
The holiday blues may be related to your mental health. If you’ve never heard of it, Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is as unusual sadness, fatigue, and lack of interest in daily life usually triggered by a change in seasons, usually around the holidays or “ber” months. People with pre-existing psychological or anxiety problems are more prone to SAD. So the next time a co-worker, friend, or family member mentions a case of the holiday blues, remember to be respectful and not dismiss them as “overreacting.” It may be more serious than what you assume it to be.
Working During the Holiday Leads to Burnout
Around 56% of employees stay connected to their work even during their time off with Millennials and Gen Z’s being most likely to stay connected to work during the holidays – not because they have to but they feel like they have to prove themselves as junior-level employees. 95% of the surveyed employees admit to staying connected to their work even during the holidays to “by choice, either because they were worried about the catch up work waiting for them when they got back, or for peace of mind so they knew they weren’t missing anything important.” While this is admirable, working on your time off comes at an extremely high cost – workplace burnout.
BEAT THE HOLIDAY BLUES
If you’re struggling with the holiday blues at work, try these tips to – hopefully – reinvigorate your goals and passion.
1. Put things into perspective. Occasionally, being unhappy at work or feeling burnt out may stem from not seeing your situation for what they are. Take a moment to think about your work responsibilities and how they affect your feelings. Is it the cause of your holiday blues? Do you feel like you are working too hard? Are you not satisfied with your current job? Are you achieving the work goals you set for yourself? Doing this can help you identify exactly why you feel the way you do. As a bonus, you can also identify the things you want to change to make work fun, fulfilling, and manageable again.
2. Communicate with your people at work – Whether your holiday blues come from mental health challenges, work stress, or seasonal anxiety, it always helps to reach out to people who can understand. Before you even think about submitting a resignation letter, take the time to open up to a trusted colleague or a mentor. Simply talking through the issue can give you an entirely new outlook.
3. Set Expectations and Boundaries for Yourself – Holiday stress is natural. But if you are feeling even more stressed than usual this holiday season, remember that transparency is key. Start by setting expectations with your boss or your team and clear boundaries for yourself. When you’re going through any type of anxiety or stress, it is important to know and acknowledge your limits, speak up when things are to much, know when to say “no,” and cut yourself some slack. Every working professional has good days and bad days so remember to not be too hard on yourself.
The holidays can be especially overwhelming – from endless parties to family obligations. With Christmas and New Year just around the corner, working professionals, especially the younger generation, can experience higher levels of stress.
If you’re dealing with feelings of stress, anxiety, or depression, know that you aren’t alone. We hope you can still find ways to enjoy your work and the holiday season.
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