How to Make Holiday Celebrations More Inclusive
By Dori Meinert
"December is the time of year to be jolly—or so the department store TV commercials tell us. But the traditional year-end company “holiday” festivities can leave some workers feeling left out and unhappy. As a result, HR professionals, who often are tasked with planning the events, can become frustrated."
"It’s the perennial 'December dilemma,' which occurs every year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day when several religious and secular holidays occur. Emotions can be heightened, tensions can rise and misunderstandings can occur. Even those with the best intentions make mistakes."
"'It can be a bit of a dilemma to make sure you are trying to be inclusive of everyone [while] also being mindful of where you might not be—and that is an ongoing journey,' says Rev. Mark Fowler, deputy chief executive officer of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding in New York City."
"While the U.S. workforce is growing increasingly diverse, Christians still make up about three-quarters of the country’s population. Yet if even just a small number of employees feel excluded, it can have a negative impact on an organization’s engagement and productivity, experts say. So, developing a greater awareness of which religious holidays are important to employees—and how people prefer to celebrate (or not)—can have significant benefits for workers and employers alike, Fowler says."
