Employee Engagement During the Holiday Season

 

There are times of the year when schedules clear out, when people’s minds are elsewhere, and when the usual rhythm breaks down. And at precisely those moments, some companies lose their teams without even realizing it. Not because of someone leaving. Not because of a conflict. But simply because they carried on as if nothing had happened.

Holidays and special occasions—whether religious, national, or cultural—are powerful indicators of the quality of the relationship between an organization and its employees. What you do (or don’t do) during these times often says more about your corporate culture than any mission statement posted in a meeting room.

 

Why engagement drops during the holidays 

Let’s start by assessing the situation. Engagement initiatives during the holiday season help employees get through this time with a sense of purpose, while maintaining their motivation, which naturally tends to wane.

This phenomenon can be explained by three well-documented mechanisms:

Cognitive distraction

During the holiday season, our minds are naturally torn between work obligations and personal concerns—family preparations, extra expenses, and a disrupted daily routine. It’s not a matter of lack of willpower. It’s biology.

The feeling of invisibility

What truly demotivates an employee in the long run isn’t fatigue. It’s feeling invisible to their organization. A manager who fails to acknowledge the context in which their teams work sends an unconscious yet destructive message: you don’t exist outside of your deliverables.

Organizational disengagement

More than half of employees say they rarely experience team-building events at work—a figure that rises to 57% among non-managerial staff. Indeed, the lack of shared experiences fosters a sense of gradual, silent, yet very real alienation.

The good news? These three issues are entirely manageable. But you still need to adopt the right managerial approach.

 

The universal principle: adapt without standardizing

Every celebration has its own norms, every team has its own needs, and every employee has their own circumstances. The biggest mistake companies make is believing that a one-size-fits-all HR policy is enough to cover every situation.

A strong team culture recognizes that not all employees celebrate the same occasions, and creates moments that are inclusive of everyone by offering a variety of activities, thereby encouraging employees to share their own traditions.

In practical terms, maintaining engagement during the holiday season depends on four fundamental strategies, which apply regardless of the occasion:

1. Explicit acknowledgment:

According to Gallup, recognition not only improves well-being but also boosts productivity. Recognizing someone’s efforts during a challenging period has a much greater emotional impact than the same recognition under normal circumstances.

2. Organizational flexibility:  

Flexible schedules allow employees to better manage their time and their tasks. This increased autonomy leads to reduced stress, thereby contributing to a better work-life balance.

3. Transparent communication: 

To fully engage in their work, employees need to feel supported and confident, which requires transparent communication and attention to everyone’s concerns.

4. Management by objectives rather than by presence:  

During the holiday season, emphasizing the importance of being physically present at work is counterproductive. What matters is the quality of the work produced, not the number of hours spent at one’s desk.

 

A Real-World Example: Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, a Test of Managerial Excellence

Let’s now turn to the context that directly concerns you.

Ramadan 2026 is drawing to a close. The General Directorate of Public Service and Administrative Reform has officially announced adjusted working hours for public institutions and agencies during this Ramadan: Sunday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., for all provinces across the country. Eid al-Fitr is therefore imminent, and with it comes a transition that every HR director must carefully anticipate.

For HR managers in Algeria and Tunisia, this month presents a unique managerial challenge  but also a rare opportunity that too many companies let slip by.

 

Ramadan: A Test of Managerial Maturity

In many organizations, a culture of presenteeism remains prevalent. Ramadan, by compressing work hours and disrupting daily routines, forces us to rethink this paradigm. And this is precisely where the key differences lie between companies that retain their talent and those that lose it.

Effective management based on dialogue, planning, and reasonable accommodations reduces tension, boosts engagement, and strengthens the organization. Conversely, ignoring these realities can be costly: a deteriorating work environment, gradual disengagement, and even unexpected departures.

 

What Successful Companies Do Differently

The most effective practices observed in our local contexts revolve around a few concrete actions:

Schedule work hours efficiently

It is recommended to avoid scheduling important meetings at the end of the day, when fatigue tends to set in. Many companies choose to adjust their work schedules during this period by shortening the workday or shifting certain time slots. Some also introduce greater flexibility by offering one or two days of remote work per week when business operations allow. These adjustments, even simple ones, help maintain team engagement and promote a better work-life balance during this period.

Organize a company iftar

Companies like Djezzy in Algeria, which have turned decorating their offices and celebrating the holy month into a true internal tradition, have understood this well: decorating workspaces in the colors of Ramadan and creating moments of togetherness around the holy month fosters a strong emotional connection among teams. A company iftar, even a simple one, carries considerable symbolic weight. It signifies: your life outside the office matters to us.

Boosting purchasing power during periods of high spending

Ramadan is a time of increased spending on food, family, and social activities. Companies that support their employees with targeted benefits—such as Ramadan food baskets, gift cards, and one-time bonuses—send a strong message of corporate solidarity.

Train managers to adopt the right attitude

 How companies handle Ramadan highlights broader challenges related to inclusion and workplace well-being, and ongoing training for managers on these sensitive issues remains one of the most underfunded areas in our workplaces. A manager who lacks the necessary tools can, without meaning to, create more tension during a single month of Ramadan than a whole year of routine workplace issues.

 

As Eid Approaches: How to Manage the Transition Effectively

Eid al-Fitr isn’t just the end of Ramadan. It’s a time of intense emotional change. Employees have gone through a month that was demanding physically, spiritually, and in terms of family life. What they expect from their company at this very moment is recognition and respect.

Here are some practical steps HR managers can take in the days leading up to and following Eid:

Before Eid:

• Clearly communicate the days off granted and the arrangements for their implementation
• Send a heartfelt message from management—not a generic copy-and-paste email, but a few lines that show the company understands the significance of this holiday.
• Plan ahead to avoid unplanned absences and resentment among team members who have to cover for them

Eid Day:

• Eid is a meaningful occasion for many employees. A simple “Eid Mubarak” from management can have a greater impact than many material benefits. This kind of gesture—simple yet sincere—helps foster a sense of appreciation and trust within teams.

After Eid, back to business:

• Do not require an immediate return to full capacity. Plan for a gradual transition over 2 to 3 days
• Organize a brief, supportive team meeting—not a performance review, but a chance to reconnect on a human level.
• A simple way to engage employees after the holiday season is to organize a casual event that strengthens bonds and re-energizes teams: a company lunch, a fun workshop, or a brief but memorable get-together.

 

What Ramadan Builds When Companies Get On Board

It would be simplistic to view Ramadan merely as an organizational challenge. It is also—and above all—a unique opportunity to build an authentic corporate culture.

Ramadan creates a rare phenomenon in the workplace: a collective emotional connection. The same rhythm, the same sacrifices, the same iftar. This shared experience fosters a sense of organic trust that few HR tools can artificially replicate. Companies that know how to harness this emerge more united and resilient, with teams that feel they belong to something that truly understands them.

Addressing religious and cultural issues is fully in line with efforts to promote workplace well-being and corporate social responsibility. This is not mere appeasement. It is smart management.

 

In summary: What every HR professional should keep in mind

The holiday season isn’t just a gap in the HR calendar. It’s a pivotal time when the true quality of the relationship between the company and its employees is put to the test—and at an accelerated pace.

In the Algerian and Tunisian contexts, Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr bring this dynamic into sharp focus with particular intensity. Companies that understand this don’t just “manage” the period—they turn it into a strategic lever for building customer loyalty, team cohesion, and employer brand.

Employees remember for a long time what their company did—or didn’t do—during these times. They talk about it with their loved ones and their professional networks. And it’s often these small details that make or break their desire to stay.

Eid Mubarak to all the teams. 🌙