Does Your Company Have an Inclusive Holiday Environment?

In the spirit of this lovely time of year, we would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year, Happy Chinese New Year, Happy Boxing Day, Happy Winter Soltice, and all other festive observances.



Texas HR Pros' leaders will proudly be celebrating a glorious Christmas.

The beauty about American freedom is that we all can observe and proudly celebrate every holiday we want..."the more the merrier".  Here are some other holidays in December.

Want to increase your diversity initiatives at the office?  2013 is a perfect time to start using a holiday calendar.  Below are diversity tips from About.com's contributor Simma Lieberman-

Three Ways to Build Your Awareness of Diversity and Create an Inclusive Holiday Environment

1. Learn about other religious or holiday celebrations. Carve out some time from online shopping or a holiday TV show to learn about another culture's celebrations during this time. Watch a TV special about other celebrations, do a Google search on a holiday, or check out books at your local bookstore while gift shopping. Share your learning with others, and use it as a chance to expand the conversation at parties and at the dinner table.


2. Make no expectations about other religious or holiday celebrations. Realize that people celebrate a variety of holidays during this time of year, and some people choose to celebrate none. Be respectful of these differences by taking interest in other people's traditions and making them feel welcome. Don't be afraid to ask people what holidays they celebrate. Find out what they do during this time of the year that is special. Let it be an opportunity to learn about different cultures and religions and the traditions that accompany them.


3. Mark your calendar and your address book with other scheduled religious or holiday celebrations. If the calendar you use does not list holidays like Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Ramadan, and Diwali, find out the dates and record them as reminders. Many programs like Microsoft Outlook allow users to add calendar dates for celebrations from different parts of the world automatically, making this task quick and effortless. Take a few minutes to mark your address book with the holidays that people celebrate. When writing holiday cards, recognize their holiday, and include a little hand-written note acknowledging their celebration.

A Note for Employers about Religious or Holiday Celebrations

Here are a few extra things employers can do to make their workplaces more inclusive during the holidays.

• Make sure your holiday party isn't a Christmas party in disguise. Decorations and food should be general, and not specific to any religion.


• Consider having a New Year's party instead of a holiday party. This type of party can get everyone on board with the company's mission and vision for the New Year.


• Post holiday greetings on your webpage and Intranet for many religious holidays.


• Be respectful of these special dates, and plan events and meetings around various holidays.


• Display a multi-cultural calendar to help all employees stay aware of important cultural events for the rest of the year.


• Be flexible with the needs of different employees about religious or holiday celebrations.


• Encourage employees to share their celebrations through stories, decorations, and foods that they can bring to their workplace.