Article: Tips for Handling The December Dilemma

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Tips for Handling The December Dilemma

Should Santa Claus Be Invited
December 2004 diversity newsletter

True Story. The company's Holiday Party was planned for a December evening after work. It was to be an inclusive celebration for employees and their families with Christians, Jews, Muslims, and the non-affiliated attending. There would be winter music instead of Christmas carols and festive multi-colored decorations instead of traditional red and green. Evergreen boughs as well as poinsettias were proposed, after all "these are just flowers and natural greenery." A wide variety of foods would be served, including vegetarian choices. Realizing that the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah was to start the night after the party, the planning committee thought a nice touch would be to include a small Menorah in the corner, along with a pint-sized Christmas tree. When it came to deciding who would deliver the wrapped gifts to the children, there was no hesitation... Santa Claus!

After listening to the committee's plans, the president of the company, who is Jewish said, "Everything sounds great except Santa Claus." He explained that Santa is a Christian icon and would change the inclusive message he had hoped the company party would send. Sitting with stunned stares, committee members argued that Santa is no longer Christian; that he has become a secularized American icon. Plus the kids expect Santa to make his grand entrance and give them gifts. In fact, two people had already volunteered to be Santa. The boss responded by saying that a "live" Santa was not a symbol of religious diversity sitting quietly in the corner like the menorah or the tree. Santa would be arriving on the scene with great fanfare, ho-ho-hoing merrily, and giving gifts to all the children regardless of their religions. This would put the non-Christian children in a difficult situation, the boss said.

In the end, Santa wasn't invited.

December Dilemmas like this happen year after year in organizations throughout the country. There is no other month like December, when good intentions, fueled by the Christmas season, can negatively impactâ�"even offendâ�"employees and customers who observe other holiday traditions, or none at all. When December rolls around, many people act like there is no other event on earth but Christmas, making others feel excluded or like second-class citizens. In some years, the situation becomes even more exacerbated when the changing dates of Eid al-Fitr, Ramadan's gift-giving festival (Muslim), and Hanukkah (Jewish) - both based on the lunar calendar - fall in December along with Christmas and Kwanzaa.

And if you think your employee base is religiously diverse, your clients are probably even more so! Starting in November, it's difficult to find a retail location that isn't ready for "the season." Are you prepared with a response when your customer asks, "Is that Christmas music all you can play?" If you're not, get ready.

With the American workforce and marketplace becoming increasingly global and religiously diverse, the December Dilemma is becoming even more pronounced. While about 82% of Americans are Christian, the presence of other groups is being felt, including Jews, followers of traditional Native American religions, Muslims, Buddhists, and Sikhs, among others. In fact, today there are more American Muslims than there are American Episcopalians. At the same time, only two percent of companies "officially" recognize any religious holidays other than Christian ones.

Most non-Christians have adjusted to the well-meaning wishes of "Have a Merry Christmas." But they are often put in a difficult spot when Christmas celebrations extend into their workplaces. Rather than make an issue of it, many individuals remain quietâ�"even when they are feeling uncomfortable, somewhat annoyed or excluded. In the story told above, several Jehovah's Witnesses employees politely declined the event altogether due to their religion's prohibition on attending parties and giving gifts. And to avoid dealing with their colleagues about it, they simply skipped work the day of the party.

Another part of the December Dilemma that's often overlooked is the amount of vacation and "official" personal time that employees miss during the Christmas period. Consider who picks up the workload when this happens: those who do not celebrate the holiday.

The solution to the December Dilemma isn't easy and the issue isn't likely to disappear. Our changing demographics require that organizations striving for truly inclusive workplaces - ones that build good will with employees and customers alike - make thoughtful decisions about the holiday season. To help with this task, each year ProGroup produces its Honoring Differences® Diversity Calendar, now a staple in organizations worldwide. The calendar features over 450 worldwide holidays, events, and celebrations with practical information about their significance and practices, as well as dietary restrictions. Over one million copies of the calendar have been sold since its introduction in 1988. (For ordering details, visit www.diversitycalendar.com)

Additional support for navigating this complex landscape is available in the Religion in the Workplace Toolkit, produced by ProGroup in collaboration with the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. This practical and informational toolkit demystifies the issues surrounding religion in today's workplace and marketplace.

Solving Your December Dilemma

Learn about the different winter holidays and be familiar with the practices and significance of each. They are different.

Keep holiday celebrations inclusive and informative. Try using a seasonal theme rather than a holiday one. Establish new traditions around parties and end-of-year gifts.

Review your company's religion in the workplace policies to be clear on what is and is not acceptable during the holiday season. If you don't have a religion policy, create one!

Include a diverse group of employees when planning events, but remember that you can't please everyone.

Honor requests or challenges in the spirit of appreciation rather than tolerance.

Consider scheduling celebrations and sending cards before or after the holiday season. If you use cards, sending appropriate ones to employees and customers goes a long way toward making them feel valued. For example, many outlets offer cards for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

Provide opportunities for employees to talk about their differences and share their holiday traditions and symbols, including favorite foods.

Take into account the range of employees' religious practices and needs when scheduling holidays and setting time-off policies.

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