Christmas office parties with a diverse workforce

[mids2019]

Work forces have a diverse range of religions within the workforce. In my role I now see that there is maybe a little.questioning of how to frame the Christmas do as Christmas is a festival originated by Christians and so may feel a little exclusive given we do not have a departmental organised Eid or Divali celebration. Should the office Christmas do be reframed as the end of year party slightly divorced from Christmas as a celebratory period? (The office do also brings question of whether an alcohol fee venue may be appropriate which can get a bit contentious.)

Walked around our Christmas market a few days ago and I'd definitely call for it being cancelled. It's the same money laundering rubbish businesses every year, in the same positions.

@BiscuitsandPuffin

It's great when everyone can appreciate each other's cultures and I note the examples you have been given. I take the point that ultimately Christmas is now a cultural festival but aren't you to an extent imposing a culture on some people (or so it may be perceived ) by having the main work social event so wedded to an (albeit nominal) Christian event? I think it may be different if significant numbers of Christian and non religious staff turned up to Eid or Divali celebrations but in my experience this is not quite the case (unfortunately).

with some companies it is often the opportunity for management to celebrate their team successes and maybe be rewarded so it would be unfortunate if some staff felt.excluded because they don't 'do' Christmas because of its religious affiliation?

But it's just an end of year celebration. No one turns up to a Christmas do thinking about Jesus.

I bet you’re a hoot OP.

If people don’t want to attend the office do, they don’t have to. It’s not compulsory. We have people who don’t like to go as they don’t drink, don’t like large social gatherings, don’t like socialising with colleagues outside work, don’t like the menu, etc etc. You can’t cater for everyone.

You need to take a vote and go with the majority. Not solely your decision to impose on everyone else if you’re in the minority…

I’m a Christian, and I’m all in favour of Winterval. Or Saturnalia, or Solstice, or Midwinter….whatever.

No need to call it Christmas, though, if you don’t think it is , well, Christ Mass.

Thanks for making me lol so hard 😂😂😂😂

Well, the obvious solution is to have a lot more parties 🥳 Eid, Diwali, Chinese New Year, Hanukah, summer solstice & both equinoxes, I'm sure there must be more important festivals. How about your company's Founder's Day? If you really put the effort in, you should be able to come up with an excellent reason to celebrate every month!

I work in an extremely diverse government office.. We just call it a holiday party. Eveone usually brings a dish and it's fun learning about all the different cultures. It has never been a problem

I'm an atheist who will attend and celebrate any religious holiday where someone will feed me. Christmas, Eid, Hanukkah all regular feasts for me.

I used to organise my work do and my email used to read something like, "come and celebrate Christmas/Yule/Hannukah/Darwin's birthday or Wednesday!" IME it's not actually the non-Christian's and atheists mithering. It's the well-meaning right on people.

Love this comment 🥳

How about calling it a 'festive' meal / party / event.

I would not go to a work do that didn't involve alcohol. People can chose not to have any, but I expect the option to be there.

My own family is diverse.

You're making a big deal out of this.

Just have a Christmas party. They will come or they won't!

Work Christmas parties don't usually have any or the religious bits just the secular stuff so anyone who wants to can take part.

I'm in Wolverhampton so Diwali and Vaisakhi are quite big events.

On Vaisakhi sikhs attend the gurdwara and the walk to the park.

What happens at the park is secular, food, dancing, more food, stalls selling all sorts of things and a fairground.

I feel completely at home attending this secular part.

Stop overthinking things, have a party and invite everyone. If you want a Christian celebration go to church or a carol service.

Christmas isn't religious. Name me any part of it that is linked with religion

Also I wouldn't be attending any alcohol free work party!

If people done want to come they don't have to

I can think of few things less religious than an office Christmas party.

It’s a bit like worrying whether you should go to a panto because of its religious associations.

There is a completely secular side to Christmas, and there is more danger that you will be othering people by assuming they won’t want to participate.

If there are specific people in the workforce who have a religious objection to Christmas celebrations (which could include some Christians) then you obviously have to take them into account. Otherwise just don’t over complicate things. Whatever you do you won’t please everyone. (There will be people who hate any kind of work social, people who object to paying, people who object to whatever has been organised etc. etc.)

I'm offended. Oh whoops, silly me, as a white, 40 year old woman who is Catholic and celebrates Christmas I'm not allowed to be offended. I'm obviously far to entitled.

OP, are you in HR? Obviously the answer is to fully embrace diversity, which means getting rid of seasonal closings and then giving staff a certain number of 'celebration' days which they can take according to their personal beliefs. The kicker is, no one can pick and choose - so if you take your celebratory days at Hanukkah, you'll be in the office working on Christmas day if it's a weekday, etc.

I worked at a firm which did this and it seemed to work ok, although it did rather underline difference and didn't bring people together like having a Christmas party used to do. As a bonus, there was no big expensive party for the company to pay for. Perhaps that's considered a win, but overall there was no cohesiveness to their workforce.

Oh for goodness sake is this a wind up? I can just imagine the daily mail headline: 'Christmas parties now banned by the wokerarti' and the gammons lapping it up.
Just have a sodding Christmas party and let your colleagues decide for themselves whether they want to come and what they want to drink.

This - Christmas parties are not celebrating religion

I’m Scotland events hosted by the Scottish Government and attended by the First Minister are alcohol free and have only vegetarian food
I think this is wrong

I work in a diverse workplace. Our main annual celebration is now in the summer and therefore has no religious connotations at all - it's just a summer party.

You could try a brand new never thought of idea of just asking everyone 'so what does everyone want to do this year' regardless of who is asked, and not assume

Then the most popular (and do-able) idea is done?

I've lived in other countries. You keep your own traditions going whilst joining in with and respecting the celebrations of other people.

Why would anyone think 'those bastards and their Diwali'.