Holiday Diversity: The Art of Inclusion

Your IT person is placing his Menorah on top of his cubicle. The accounting assistant is stringing Christmas lights around her workspace and has turned the office plants into faux poinsettias. Visions of Kwanzaa are floating through your engineering manager’s head. It’s holiday time at the office. A joyous time for everyone, except the person that has to plan the party. Overnight, this person turns into the Grinch who Stole Christmas.

Pleasing everyone in the office at holiday time seems like an impossible task. With a more diverse workforce, this challenge becomes even tougher. Follow these simple guidelines and this year you may not have to pour a double dose of brandy into your eggnog.

To have or not to have

Some organizations spend countless hours debating the issue on the appropriateness of a holiday party. This time might be better spent on holiday shopping, because in the end they generally decide to throw something together for their employees.

Let’s face it. Employees expect a holiday party, even if they whine about attending such a function. So, with this in mind, you will be one step ahead of the game if you are prepared to hold a holiday party.

 X the Christmas Party

It’s hard to break old habits, but start by referring to your event as a holiday gathering. The complexion of your workforce is much different than it was back in the days when almost everyone in the office celebrated Christmas. The term holiday gathering is more inclusive and should not be offensive to those employees who do not celebrate Christmas.

 True Meaning

It seems like we have lost the true meaning of the holidays. Food, booze and bonus checks somehow have taken over as the focal point. Time to get back to basics.

The holidays are a time to be thankful and to celebrate another year gone by. Doing something nice to thank your employees doesn’t require a huge expenditure. Letting them leave work two hours early to do some holiday shopping might be more memorable than a tin of store baked holiday cookies.

Celebrate Differences

Take this opportunity to celebrate differences. Consider establishing a committee that includes diverse members of your workforce to help plan your celebration. Committee members can share some unique aspects of their personal holiday celebrations that can be included in your gathering. By incorporating these ideas into your event, you can turn your party into a gala that is reflective of the diversity that exists in your organization.

 Seasonal Themes and Decorations

Rather than trimming all of the signs of the season from your office or holiday party, consider having an assortment of decorations that are reflective of your workforce. For example, encourage employees to bring in their favorite holiday-related foods for others to sample. Print up a company holiday recipe book and distribute it to all as part of your holiday celebration.

 Items to Consider When Planning Your Event

Details count when it comes to planning an office party. When setting up your event, ask yourself the following:

• Is the facility where we are holding our party handicapped accessible?
• Is there food on the menu for vegetarians and people with special dietary needs?
• Are there non-alcoholic drink options?
• Is the party being held on a day of the week that might conflict with religious beliefs of some employees?
• Will any of the planned skits or roasting of upper management be offensive to particular groups of employees?
• Have we communicated that attendance at the party is optional? (Note: certain religious groups like Jehovah’s Witnesses, are not allowed to participate in parties, events or gift giving.)

Now relax and enjoy yourself. You have five months before you have to start thinking about the annual company picnic!