The annual Christmas party is one of the most anticipated events on the social calendar for businesses. But what happens if you work in a team that includes people from different cultures, including some who don’t celebrate Christmas? How can you make everyone feel included?
The team at A Taste of Harmony, in collaboration with author and business coach Dr Karen Morley, has produced a series of discussion guides to help workplaces navigate their way through common scenarios relating to being inclusive in the workplace. Managing Christmas is a common challenge, but not one that needs to be hard, or daunting!
Firstly, it is important not to assume everyone in the team celebrates Christmas. However, what we can do is get everyone together to celebrate a hard year of work, and with a few considerations, ensure everyone feels included.
Our top tips for organising an inclusive Christmas celebration include:
- Acknowledge that those of Jewish, Muslim and other faiths might not celebrate Christmas.
- Use this as an opportunity to learn about the celebrations of other faiths – have an open discussion providing team members the chance to identify and communicate who they are, what’s important to them and what they need from others.
- Ensure any catering or restaurants accommodate for everyone in the team – ring ahead if you need to, to ensure there are no issues on the day.
- Offer a range of drink options alongside any alcohol being served.
- Remind everyone that Christmas celebrations are largely about rewarding a hard year of work and that getting together and having fun as a team is the most important thing!
Read our discussion guide for more details, particularly how you can use Christmas to learn more about the cultural backgrounds of all team members. We have also provided some tips on how to host a COVID safe Christmas celebration.
Wishing everyone a joyful and safe holiday season!
