Busy Season Stress Busters Part Two

In Stress Busters Part One, we offered some ideas on ways to reduce the stresses of tax season. Here are some more great ideas from the readers of AccountingWEB.com – Part Two

1. On nice weekend days, teens can come to the office parking lot and wash all the cars.

    

2. I worked for a firm that supplied busy season meals Monday through Thursdays from March 1st through April 15th. We had a caterer come three of the four days and ordered pizza on Thursdays. We also had doughnuts and a cold sandwich lunch on Saturday. Food Food Food!

    

3. Check out Desk Top Yoga and Stress Buster Ideas for exercise tips.

    

4. We have the bulk food type bins set up in our kitchen with everything from fish crackers to M&Ms and much more! We also have fresh fruit and good things of course. Here are some diet snack suggestions for food to make available to staff:

    

   • Dried fruit and nut snack mix
   • Fresh fruit
   • Raw veggies
   • Half a whole-wheat bagel
   • High-fiber cereal
   • Low-fat, whole-grain crackers
   • Low-fat, whole-wheat pretzels
   • Also, granola bars and other power bars are great
   • Reduced-fat microwave popcorn
   • Nuts and yogurt may be boring snacks, but provide excellent sources of energy for getting through those long days.

    

5. I have disposable cameras set around the staff area for those Kodak tax season moments. I'll take the candid shots and put them into a PowerPoint surprise presentation at our after tax season party.

    

6. Pink Slips: You have pink slips that your team can fill out on another team member for extending exceptional service to a colleague or client during tax season and put it in a fish bowl. We meet every Monday afternoon at 3:00 in the conference room and read each one so everyone gets acknowledged. The last one out of the bowl wins $25 cash and is in the grand prize drawing - at the end of tax season - for a prize of $50.

    

7. I know a managing partner who is giving away a trip for two to the Bahamas! I have a manicurist coming in on Fridays who does massages and reflexology as well. The staff loves it! They are half hour sessions -- she's booked solid each week!

    

8. I worked for a firm that had a large airline client who donated a trip to Mexico - Great giveaway!

    

9. We had a massage therapist come in every Friday for chair massages during tax season. We had the staff sign up for the service in advance, it was a great success. It was free and it felt wonderful! We looked forward to it all week long.

    

10. Have a baby photo - pet photo - high school yearbook photo contest - Encourage employees to bring in their photos and post them on a bulletin board in your break room then have your staff guess whose photo or pet is on the board.

Go to Part Three!