Workplace Diversity at Christmas: Not Everyone Celebrates It

8th November 2021

If you need guidance about workplace diversity at Christmas (remember, not everyone celebrates it), our latest blog will help you prepare for the festive season.

Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year for some, but what about those who don’t celebrate Christmas?

Christmas is traditionally a Christian holiday, marking the birth of Jesus Christ. Although today the festivities have more to do with exchanging gifts, wearing ugly jumpers and eating too much turkey, the religious affiliation still exists.

Diversity is one of the things that companies should celebrate, so why should it be any different during the holiday season? Continue reading to learn how to navigate different employees’ beliefs this festive season and discover how Trickle can help.

The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace

Before we start talking about Christmas, let’s explore why diversity is important in the workplace.

• Greater creativity. When a group of like-minded people get together, they will think of similar ideas. People from different backgrounds, on the other hand, can offer unique perspectives and spark fresh ideas for more innovation.
• Increased productivity. Diversity has been linked to faster decision-making and better team cooperation. Diversity and inclusion can also boost employee morale and instil a desire to work more efficiently.
• Ability to connect to a wider customer base. By hiring staff from different backgrounds, who speak different languages, etc., you can appeal to a wider customer base. A diverse workforce is also better able to understand the needs of customers, leading to better customer service.
• Reduced employee turnover. When employers create an environment that is accepting, employees are more likely to feel valued and remain loyal to the company.
• Increased profitability. By reaping the benefits of diversity in the workplace, you will come closer to the ultimate goal of increasing profits. According to a study by McKinsey, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile, highlighting the link between diversity and revenues.

Now that we know the business case for hiring a diverse workforce, you need to know how to celebrate it and respect the different cultures that enrich your business every day.

How to Create an Inclusive Culture this Christmas

Christmas dominates the winter season. However, there are millions of people who don’t celebrate the occasion due to their religion, non-religion or other personal reasons.

Employers need to recognise the need to be respectful of other people’s cultures. This doesn’t mean cancelling Christmas — but there are certain things you can do to ensure diversity and inclusion during the holidays:

Incorporate Different Traditions into the Celebrations

Other religions celebrate different events around December time as well. So, if you’re planning on throwing a Christmas party, why not ask your employees about their winter traditions to make sure they feel involved.

You can incorporate different dishes, decorations and games, for instance, to bring different cultures to the festivities. Promoting inclusivity and diversity in this way is simple, but it can make a huge difference to employees who may feel left out over the Christmas period.

Attendance to Christmas Parties Shouldn’t Be Mandatory

Even if you make adjustments to the party that reflect the diversity of your team, allowing your employees to say ‘no’ to attending Christmas parties should be a given.

Not everyone will want to celebrate the event — not just for religious reasons. It can be an incredibly difficult time of year for some people who have lost loved ones, gone through a divorce or are struggling with their health. It’s fair to say that not everyone will be in the celebrating mood.

Make sure you communicate clearly that the event is optional. With this freedom to decide, employees will appreciate that their feelings are being respected. It’s a good idea to provide extra support at this time of year, too. Check in with employees and share what support is available to them to help them manage their mental health.

Create a Diverse Party-Planning Committee

If you want to organise a fun, inclusive Christmas party, your team are the best people for the job. They will have unique insights to make the day accessible for everyone and consider things that may not even cross your mind.

Make sure your planning committee represents the diversity in your company to reap the full benefits of delegating the task.

Always Ask for Feedback

Whatever you do can always be improved upon. Ask your team for feedback on last Christmas in the office to find out what can be done better this year. Do this every January to keep moving in the right direction.

Using a platform like Trickle means your employees can give honest feedback anonymously. You can then leverage these insights (or pass them on to your planning committee) to ensure you make the festive season enjoyable for everyone.

Here are some questions you can ask:

• Apart from Christmas, are there other holidays that you would like to celebrate?
• How can we make our end-of-year celebrations more inclusive?
• What would you change about last years’ festivities?

Celebrate the People, Not the Occasion

A great way to mark the festive period while being inclusive is to celebrate your people and not the occasion itself. Use the end of the year as an excuse to celebrate company wins, employee achievements and plans for the future.

To do this, you could hold a New Years party instead of a Christmas party. Everyone will be able to join in and feel involved, and what better way to start the new year than an office party with food, drink and happy employees?

Celebrate Every Employee with the Help of Trickle

Trickle’s not just for Christmas. Our app makes it simple for employers to harness the power of employee feedback to initiate real change every day of the year.

Start discussions around different topics, share positive feedback, and track the mood within the business, and much more in one easy-to-use platform.

Click below to get your free demo today.