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7 December 2022 In DEI committees, Inclusion By URelles

3 suggestions for an inclusive holiday season

With the approach of the holiday season, many activities and actions are put in place by companies to mark this festive moment. Originally, the holiday season was a “period of rejoicing, based on Christian tradition, surrounding the Christmas and New Year celebrations”. (according to the Office québécois de la langue française)

However, not everyone celebrates this time of year. The Christian religion is not the only one present in organizations. That’s why it’s so important that the end-of-year festivities are synonymous with inclusion, and take into account the wishes of all employees.

How can companies make their end-of-year activities more inclusive? Here are 3 tips.

Tip 1: Survey your team to get to know them better

Before implementing inclusion initiatives, it’s important to get to know your team. Interviewing your employees is the starting point for offering activities that are aligned with everyone’s values. By asking them through a survey, you’ll be able to understand what this time of year means to the whole team. Here are some examples of questions that can be included in a survey:

  • What does the holiday season mean to you?
  • What holidays are important to you?
  • How would you like to celebrate the holidays at the office?

This way, you’ll be better equipped to determine which actions to prioritize and which to avoid. Of course, it’s always a good idea to mention that everyone has a choice whether or not to express themselves on the subject.

The choices you make to celebrate the holidays at work will have an impact on your team’s experience. Taking the time to recognize cultural differences helps create a sense of belonging.

Tip 2: Include diversity in initiatives

If you already have a corporate DEI committee, developing an DEI strategy for the holiday season can be part of their mandate. The data collected in advance can be a key resource for the committee. The committee will also be ready to propose solutions tailored to your team.

Here are a few initiatives to help include everyone:

  • In the workplace, it’s important that decorations reflect diversity and inclusion. For example, by opting for layouts that don’t evoke just one religious holiday, or indeed one religion. You might also decide to include a reminder of all the holidays that were mentioned in your team’s survey responses. The aim here is for the whole team to feel comfortable with the initiatives.
  • Include key dates relating to your employees’ various celebrations in the company’s holiday calendar: in this way, you demonstrate that diversity is valued in your team. It will also enable everyone to learn more about different cultures.
  • Encourage your team to share their experiences at an office event where they can showcase their culture through stories, food and even decorations.

As mentioned, the Diversity, equity and inclusion committee will have a role to play in year-end actions, so we’ll need to set aside some time to plan for this time of year.

Tip 3: Offer alternatives that bring people together

The holiday season is not a time for universal celebration. Some team members may prefer to celebrate at another time of year.

More and more companies are offering flexible vacations. According to the Ministry of Labor, this is a short period of paid absence for which no date is fixed in advance. By using this alternative, you recognize that different people may have different needs and desires.

In conclusion, making the holiday season more inclusive strengthens the impact of your DEI strategy. The more DEI actions you implement, the greater your team’s sense of belonging. Let’s not forget that a positive employee experience is good for business development.

Obviously, there are a multitude of initiatives that can be undertaken as part of the holiday season. We’ve focused on three tips, but the list is by no means exhaustive.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like us to help you plan your holiday EDI strategy!

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