Workplace Diversity at Christmas: Not Everyone Celebrates It

Originally published 9th November 2023, edited on 13th December 2023. 

Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year for some, but what about those who find it challenging or don’t celebrate it at all?

Although today the festivities have more to do with exchanging gifts, wearing festive jumpers and eating too much turkey, a religious affiliation still exists.

Diversity is one of the things that companies should celebrate, but how can organisations navigate different employees’ beliefs this festive season?

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’re likely to think similarly. People from different backgrounds 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.
• Reduced employee turnover. When employers create an environment that is accepting, employees are more likely to feel valued and remain loyal to their organisation.
• 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.

So, how can organisations celebrate diversity and respect different cultures and beliefs at Christmas?

How to Create an Inclusive Culture this Christmas

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.

Christmas Party Attendance Shouldn’t Be Mandatory

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

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 and not everyone will be in the celebrating mood.

When sending out the party invites, communicate that the event is optional. With the 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 wellbeing.

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. If the planning committee represents the diversity of your organisation, they’ll have unique insights required to make the event inclusive for everyone and consider things that may not even cross your mind.

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.

Always Ask for Feedback

Whatever you do can always be improved upon. Ask your team for feedback on their experience of last year’s Christmas event 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.

Some questions you can ask are: 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 Every Employee with Trickle

Trickle isn’t just for Christmas. Personal, team or organisational wins can be celebrated at the touch of a button, boosting inclusivity, morale and positivity.

Our app makes it simple for employers to harness the power of diversity by transforming optionally anonymous employee feedback into actionable and measurable outcomes every day of the year.