Lauren
As the holiday season approaches, it is easy for many people to want to get into the holiday spirit both at home and at work.
While there is nothing wrong with wanting to be festive, bringing festivity and celebrating holidays in the workplace can cause more harm than good if you’re not careful.
When certain holidays are celebrated more than others, it can make people who don’t observe these holidays feel like they are forced to participate in activities and celebrations that they would prefer not to.
When certain holidays are excluded, it can make employees feel less valued and signal that your office does not welcome diversity.
When certain religious holidays are prioritized, it can bother those who observe different religions, those who don’t want to share their religion with their colleagues, and those who don’t want religion to mix with their work environment.
Although navigating the holiday season in the workplace can be easier said than done, it is entirely possible to make sure that everyone feels comfortable and included.
Here are a few ways for you to make sure you are creating a work environment that is sensitive to all holidays and celebrations:
Ask
It never hurts to solicit feedback from employees. This is a great way to show them that you care about their experience working for your company and that you value what they have to say.
Take the time to send out a survey to ask employees if they would like to see holidays recognized in the office, which holidays and cultural celebrations they would like to see recognized, and if there is any information about celebrating holidays that they would like for you to know.
Make sure this survey is anonymous and completely optional so that employees that would rather not answer do not feel pressured into doing so.
When you have the results from your survey, it should guide your actions moving forward.
Be flexible when offering time off
If possible, try to be flexible with any time off that you offer your employees during the holiday season. While it is common for employers to give their employees Christmas off, there are employees that celebrate holidays other than Christmas that may want time off to observe their own religious or cultural celebrations.
Try to be cognizant of this when you are allowing people to take vacation time during the holidays.
Use an inclusive calendar
Does your office use a shared Google calendar or have a physical calendar hanging up in the break room? Make sure it is an inclusive, global calendar that includes all holidays instead of just the most recognized holidays like Christmas.
This will not only help make sure that people feel included, but it will also prevent you from making blunders throughout the year like scheduling important meetings during Yom Kippur or planning a company picnic when employees are fasting for Ramadan.
Make celebrations optional
The holiday season can be a hard time for many people. Don’t have any holiday parties or holiday-themed events that are compulsory for your employees. If you choose to put up decorations, make sure that they are in areas that your employees do not have to visit in order to do their job, use the restroom, and enter and exit the building.
When you keep these tips in mind, you will be able to make sure your employees feel comfortable at work during the holidays.
