How to create an inclusive Christmas at work

How to keep inclusion at the heart of your Christmas plans

Christmas is an excellent time to reinforce inclusion within an organisation. You can use your Christmas celebrations as an opportunity to reinforce the company’s commitment to providing an inclusive environment for all employees, this includes taking an inclusive approach to any seasonal celebrations.

Create a safe space for all religions

Christmas is often regarded as the ‘default’ religious celebration in the UK and other Christian countries across the world. However, it’s important to acknowledge that the wonderful diversity that we have in the UK means that employees will be marking and celebrating many different occasions throughout the year.

Any employer seeking to be truly inclusive must observe the calendar of religious celebrations and festivals all year long, and ensure that their employees feel their faith is represented, acknowledged, and respected. You can learn more about supporting faith, religion and belief at work in our podcast episode.

When it comes to the Christmas season, keep in mind that not everyone will be celebrating or observing Christmas in the same way that many Christians do – but that doesn’t mean that people won’t appreciate and look forward to some of the Christmas rituals, such as hanging Christmas lights or gathering with colleagues, family or friends.

Consider how you are recognising other religious celebrations

Planning your approach to Christmas in the workplace also provides a chance to consider what opportunities the organisation is giving colleagues of all faiths to celebrate and observe the religious celebrations that are important to them. For example, you could consider giving employees the chance to decide whether they work across the Christmas period or use that time at a different point in the year to mark an occasion that is important to them.

Understand your employees

It’s critical to avoid making assumptions about how people feel about or celebrate Christmas. Use this moment to open discussions on the different ways to mark Christmas and other religious holidays and look to provide a range of options that people can engage with.

Practical tips for inclusive celebrations

Find out how to prepare for an inclusive Christmas celebration:

• Ensure that invites are sent to everyone in the organisation
• Consider the date and time – does it coincide with other religious festivals or exclude part-time workers and carers?
• Provide affordable options – The Christmas period can cause financial stress, so make sure your plans do not contribute to additional spending
• Cater for dietary requirements – remember that not everyone is comfortable in environments that serve alcohol
• Check the accessibility requirements of attendees and that the venue is accessible and has facilities for disabled employees.

How can Inclusive Employers help create an inclusive Christmas experience?

Our Inclusive Christmas factsheet provides a detailed overview of how to adopt an inclusive approach to marking Christmas in the workplace, including a step by step guide on how to host an Inclusive Christmas Party, as well as a Christmas Quiz to get you started!

If you are looking to build greater awareness and understanding of religious beliefs, Inclusive Employers have a wide range of member resources available, including Hanukkah and Diwali, and our awareness day page about Inter Faith Week.

Want to take the conversation a step further? We have bespoke workshop content exploring religion and belief that can be delivered in-house to compliment your inclusion learning and help to build confidence in having conversations about religion in your organisation.