Merry Christmas to all my readers now being a Christian holiday this is not celebrated by all, so I want to say a Happy Holidays to everyone else of different faiths and including those who are atheists, it is proper even in the workplace to remember that individuals have differences while working for a common goal within an organization. It is very important to remain cultural diverse and tolerant in the workplace as most organizations want to expand to global audiences so although it is second nature in America, UK and other such nations to wish everyone a Merry Christmas we must be mindful of those of separate faith who share our organizational ties and our joy during the holiday season, but may not celebrate all of the holidays we do.
To do those who do not celebrate Christmas we wish them a Happy Holidays to show we too can be of great cheer, humility, and understanding by recognizing these differences in faith and although this is a great opportunity to build morale we must trend with wisdom. In other words, we must do onto to others as we would like done onto us, and respect their beliefs, respect in an organization and to others outside of the workplace goes along way and as Organizational Development professionals we must strive to be examples to others regarding this approach.
It can be as simple as giving secular Holiday cards to limiting decorations in the office to those who celebrate the season but also be inclusive enough to add everyone to a Secret Santa list. Although this may seem too “PC” when others go the distance for us, to respect our beliefs and basically do something nice for us, we remember it. All we can do as OD professionals is make sure everyone in the organization commits to replicating this same policy of being thought of others during this holiday season. And that in itself can be the best thing when bringing joy to the world, and boosting morale within an organization.
Thank you for reading and have a great holiday season!
