How To Celebrate Employees with Holiday Cheer

In spite of a tough economy and competitive business environment, employers are throwing holiday parties in 2013. Global executive search firm Battalia Winston’s annual survey found 96 percent of the companies in the survey are planning to celebrate employees by hosting holiday parties to build morale and celebrate a good business year. Many companies have holiday traditions for their employees to participate in, such as holiday card displays, holiday potluck luncheons, voluntary gift exchanges, or holiday charitable events such as sponsoring a family for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas gifts.
Take Advantage of Building Relationships
The holidays are an opportunity for employers to build employee engagement and strengthen working relationships. Some employers may feel that employees get distracted from work responsibilities during the holidays, but most businesses say acknowledging the sentimental and social aspects of the holidays produces many business benefits.  It’s the perfect opportunity to spend time with employees in a relaxed, fun atmosphere and to get to know them better.
Steve Tobak, writing for Fox Business, says holiday parties create a sense of community and culture, foster relationships, and build employee morale. They are also an opportunity for management to show appreciation by letting everyone have fun and get to know the people they work with better. He advises everyone to go to employer holiday parties to avoid the impression of arrogance or being antisocial.
Be Inclusive and Respectful of Differing Religious Backgrounds
Consultant Simma Lieberman suggests employers start celebrating employees at the holidays in other ways than an office party. She recommends including greetings in business communications for many different religious holidays in order to be inclusive and respectful. Lieberman also suggests using general winter holiday decorations such as snowflakes and snowmen that don’t favor any one religion.
The Society for Human Resource Management recommends making workplace holiday celebrations inclusive. SHRM suggests seeking input from a representative group of employees with diverse religious backgrounds for celebrations and decorations and inclusive practices. Dianna Johnston of the EEOC Office of Legal Counsel suggests avoiding mandatory holiday practices such as mandatory participation in holiday parties, requiring participation in things like religious blessings or prayers or gift-giving events.
Make Employee’s Lives Easier and More Fun by Spreading Holiday Cheer
Join the 100 best companies to work for and cheer your overwhelmed employees with thoughtfulness, creativity, appreciation, and holiday spirit this holiday season. Offering some holiday conveniences to help unfrazzle your employees during the holidays will be very much appreciated. Arranging childcare for busy parents to go shopping, or arranging to have some local retailers stop by with popular gift items to choose from provides employees with some much-needed breaks in holiday hustle and bustle.
However you want to celebrate employees this holiday season, don’t miss out on the opportunity to spread a little holiday cheer and build engagement too!
Happy Holidays from your friends at gThankYou!
To build a culture of appreciation in your business, be sure to download our FREE eBook, “Workplace Gratitude”.  Click the image below to download this guide now. 

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