Does productivity dip during the Christmas season?

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or some it’s “the most wonderful time of the year”.  Almost everyone else considers Christmas a time for celebrating with loved ones. Here in Saint Lucia December brings with it three holidays and for many it is also a very convenient time to take vacation. The weeks leading up to Christmas find many happily shopping in stores, supermarkets, on the streets and elsewhere, and it’s often suggested that workplace productivity is at its lowest. So, what impact does this have on normal business activities? Nevertheless Brian Louisy, the executive director of the Chamber Commerce considers December the economy’s boom month.

“The Christmas season, with all its characteristics, is also generally the busiest season for business,” he says. “So, you find a lot of businesses actually gross the most of their income during that period. It’s a time when people spend money in areas they don’t generally do. For example, people buy special drinks they might not normally purchase. In retail, up to 60% of business sales take place during this period.”

As for the break that comes along with the season, Louisy says that doesn’t affect business as much as presumed. He believes the breaks play a role in creating the Christmas spirit. “People need to charge their batteries,” says Louisy. “So even if it is not necessarily the primary intention, it is also one of the accompanying benefits where people take a break and they slow down a little bit, and that gives them energy and time to recharge for the next year.”