Thanksgiving is next week, and Hanukkah and Christmas will follow soon after. These are holidays where many Americans enjoy spending time with their loved ones. After years of COVID lockdowns, BLM riots, and, more recently, pro-terror antisemitic demonstrations, all of us could use a break to spend time with loved ones, eat pumpkin pie, and watch Hallmark movies.
And the numbers show it. Reuters reports that Nov. 26, 2023, will be a record-setting travel day with 3.6 million passengers.
The airports will be crowded, and Uber might have surge prices. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Companies and organizations can offer remote work policies when possible that allow employees to travel a few days early and spend more time with their families.
The airports are less crowded, flights are cheaper, and employees are likely happier.
I now run my own business, Krasne Strategies, which I operate remotely from my home in Paris, France, and have the flexibility to set my hours.
But for most of my career, when I was single, I had “regular” jobs that required in-person work (whether in-person was necessary). As an aside, organization leaders often forget that single people with no kids live far from their parents and extended family and must travel to see their loved ones.
Like many of my colleagues, I booked expensive flights a day before or after the holidays or sometimes traveled on the day of Thanksgiving to avoid airport madness and sky-high ticket prices. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
One tiny benefit of the COVID lockdowns was more organizations embracing remote work policies. These policies give employees more opportunities to spend time with loved ones, especially during the holidays.
On a personal note, in 2020, when COVID lockdowns were going strong in DC, I could spend an extra week with my family at Christmas. My family and I sledded and had snowball fights. And my nieces and I cracked open my American Girl collection. More organizations should have year-round remote work policies to allow employees to create memories like that.
Photo of the author’s niece’s American Girl dolls and police officer bear
Thanksgiving is just a few days away, but there is still time for organization leaders to implement remote work policies that allow employees to be productive while spending extra time with their loved ones.
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