As the year draws to a close, it’s a common practice for businesses to celebrate the season through holiday parties, bonuses, and granting time off. These traditions, steeped in goodwill, are an excellent opportunity to foster a sense of community and appreciation within the workplace. However, it’s crucial to approach these gestures with a sense of awareness and inclusivity.

Often, when companies plan these end-of-year celebrations, they inadvertently lean towards Christmas and New Year-centric themes. This is evident in typical decorations, such as Christmas trees and ornaments, and the imagery chosen for holiday cards. While these elements are widely recognized and appreciated, it’s important to remember that not every team member will resonate with federally recognized holidays such as Christmas or even observe the same calendar for the New Year.

It can be a challenging season to navigate, and the last thing you want to do is alienate a staff member. We’ve put together a few ideas to help you create an inclusive environment.

Holidays To Note

Start with awareness. In our diverse and globalized world, the winter season carries a variety of cultural and religious celebrations. Recognizing and acknowledging these differences can transform your workplace into a more inclusive and respectful environment. Significant fall and winter holidays that your team members might observe include the following:

• Bodhi Day: Observed by Buddhists worldwide, this day commemorates the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha. The day of celebrations varies from community to community; however, it has a wildly recognized fixed day each year on December 8th and is generally a time for meditation and reflection.
• Hanukkah: An eight-day Jewish festival, Hanukkah is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, special foods, games, and gifts.
• Kwanzaa: A week-long celebration from December 26th through January 1st honoring African heritage in African-American culture. Kwanzaa is based on African Harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa and involves music, dance, poetry, and a large traditional meal.
• Lunar New Year: Commonly associated with Chinese New Year, this is celebrated in many Asian countries and begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar. It’s marked with a thorough house cleaning to remove bad luck, in addition to family gatherings, traditional foods, parades, and more.

There are many more holidays throughout the year that are equally important to note, such as Eid-al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan – the holy month of fasting in Islam. Acknowledging widely celebrated and less commonly known holidays demonstrates your dedication to fostering an inclusive workplace. It also reflects your consideration of your team members’ unique needs and cultural backgrounds.

Inclusive Ways To Celebrate

While it’s not feasible for your business to celebrate every holiday, being aware of them and understanding how your staff honors these days can significantly contribute to creating a respectful and welcoming atmosphere.

You can help foster a more inclusive workplace in many ways, including decorations. Try to avoid Christmas trees altogether and instead try snowflakes and other general winter décor. Offer flexible time off policies for your team to use on the days most important to them – even if they are not officially recognized public holidays.

Consider organizing educational sessions or workshops to further enhance inclusivity and cultural awareness. Each session’s goal should be to inform and engage employees in learning about the rich tapestry of cultural celebrations their colleagues may observe.

*Please note: when organizing these sessions, it’s crucial to ensure they are used for general educational purposes and not as a platform to single out any individual staff member inadvertently. Avoid putting any team member in an uncomfortable position where they feel compelled to be the spokesperson for a particular holiday or cultural practice. The objective is to foster a learning environment that is respectful, inclusive, and enriching for all.

Another way to help your team stay informed is to maintain a calendar of upcoming holidays. Utilize an internal newsletter or bulletin to share information about these holidays. Each edition could highlight upcoming celebrations, providing a brief history, the significance of the holiday, and typical ways to celebrate. This approach educates and builds anticipation and respect for these diverse celebrations.

Holidays Aren’t Always Positive

The holiday season, often portrayed as a time of joy and celebration, can evoke many emotions, including negative ones. In 2022, around 31% of individuals experienced increased stress, anxiety, and depression during the holidays. Factors such as financial pressures, the pain of grief, and feelings of loneliness are high contributors to mental health crises this time of year.

In light of this, taking proactive measures to support your team’s mental well-being is essential. One practical approach is to provide easy access to mental health resources or counseling services. These could include employee assistance programs (EAPs), mental health days, stress management and self-care workshops, or partnerships with mental health professionals who can offer guidance and support.

Fostering a workplace culture where mental health is openly discussed and destigmatized can be incredibly beneficial. Encouraging open dialogues about mental health, sharing resources and information in internal communications, and training managers to recognize signs of stress and mental health struggles in their teams are all valuable steps.

How GMS Can Help

If you’re looking for ways to reengage your team, ‘tis the season to partner with a professional employer organization (PEO) like GMS to help. Creating an inclusive workplace starts with your internal policies and procedures.

At GMS, we offer audits focused on compliance, best practices, strategy, and function-specific HR areas to ensure that your policies not only align with your organizational goals but are also current and effective. Contact us today, and let us help you create and maintain a compliant and inclusive workplace.