Get a Life!: How to keep IT pros from becoming grinches

Most IT professionals don't express an overarching desire for Secret Santa gift exchanges. And time off to attend the annual holiday party doesn’t always get loud cheers either. While fun and games can perk up a day, employees are more concerned with what brought on the bad day and what can be done to stop the next one from happening.

So, if managers are considering how to reward staff during this time of year, try addressing the little things that turn cheerful employees into Grinches.  Here are some suggestions from eWeek:
Reduce unplanned work

Too often, the workdays of IT professionals are ruled by events out of their control.  It has also become accepted that IT workers will always work extra hours addressing emergencies.

Allow telecommuting

"A lot of the post-customer-facing work (telephone calls, remote tech support, producing documentation, programming, sys admin., etc) can be done for the fraction of the cost for maintaining offices we have to commute to," one IT pro told eWEEK.

"Making us go through hellish and expensive commutes just so we can go sit at a desk, work at a PC and make phone calls cuts into our productivity—and wastes … money," he continued.

Training

Training is often seen as a job benefit or perk, with management forgetting that advancing employees' skills creates value for them and makes them more valuable for the organization.

Vacation planning time 

Responding to tech fires on weekends and holidays too should mean that IT workers can also take time off soon after or when needed.  Too often, those in IT are so busy that they don’t even have time to plan their own vacations when the work slows down.

Recognition

IT professionals are on the spot when something goes wrong, but they are rarely recognized when things are working well or for the good they do.

You can read the complete article here. What is on your list for Santa and your manager this year?