The best of times. The worst of times.

2012 promises to be a dramatic new year for us all.

For Corporate Rewards, 2012 is our 10th anniversary year, and our celebrations will be coming to a head at about the same time as that other long-awaited event, the London Olympics.

These apart, we can expect from 2012 a year of austerity as we continue to wrestle with global economic issues.  We can look forward to a time of unemployment, shrinking salaries, and a fight to survive as a triple A rated commercial power.

This has been an excellent year for Corporate Rewards and, sorry to sound smug, but we anticipate more of the same in 2012.  Because employee engagement and motivation has never been more important.  As we ask people, including ourselves, to effectively work harder for less, we need to give them reasons to be cheerful.  Appreciation, encouragement, recognition and controlled fun are critical to the sort of  upbeat business atmossphere that will help the UK pull through and build business in difficult times.  The major corporates know this and are investing with us in their working environments.  They are planning for a future beyond the next approaching recession, as we should all be.

Happy Christmas, and best wishes for the  New Year.  It can be, and should be, a happy, hard-working and potentially profitable one.  But that’s partly up to you.

With a little help from us, of course.