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Holiday Parties and Diversity
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
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I completely disagree that it's the workplace's responsibility to make sure every holiday for every religion/belief is acknowledged. How can we possibly know all this stuff? I feel like if someone has
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Forums » Topic Forums » Work Views » Holiday Parties and Diversity
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
posted at 11/3/2000 3:42 AM EDT
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Posts: 2
First: 11/3/2000 Last: 11/14/2000 |
I completely disagree that it's the workplace's responsibility to make sure every holiday for every religion/belief is acknowledged. How can we possibly know all this stuff? I feel like if someone has a belief or special holiday they can be the one to inform those of us who are not aware. I, for one, love it when people do this. THEN I can be aware. If a person, or group of people choose to have a Christmas party (oops - sorry, I said it) or whatever I think that's great! If someone is immature enough to bag a group function because they used the wrong terminology, then sorry about their luck. Throw a party specific to your beliefs. Guess what, I do believe in the whole Christmas thing, but if someone threw a Hanukkah party I'd be there. |
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
posted at 11/7/2000 5:29 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 11/7/2000 Last: 11/7/2000 |
I completely agree with you! I don't know about you, but as HR Manager I have alot of bigger things to worry about than whether or not the "Holiday Party", which I might is not a new concept, is not politically correct for someone else! Get over it and try enjoying this time of year!! |
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
posted at 11/7/2000 8:50 AM EST
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Posts: 3
First: 9/27/2000 Last: 11/7/2000 |
Isn't the whole point of sensitivity to diversity about not making a big deal out the way people are? Accepting their beliefs without singling them out or discriminating? So lay off my beliefs and my CHRISTmas party! Can't we all just get along? Look at the numbers. Why deny the majority of people who believe in at least the festivities of christmas for the few who may complain? Grab a cookie, cup-o-punch, and have a good time! |
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
posted at 11/8/2000 12:30 PM EST
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Posts: 2
First: 8/22/2000 Last: 11/8/2000 |
I think it is fine for you to celebrate Christmas with your own Christmas party as long as it is your personal party and not the annual company event. Face it, our workforces are more diverse than ever. People who will not feel included if the company sponsors a party for the "majority" and leaves out the rest of the people in the company because no one understands their beliefs. That is definitely appreciating diversity.
There must be some way to have an event that includes everyone who wants to participate. I'd love to hear from someone who's done this successfully. |
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
posted at 11/9/2000 6:37 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 11/9/2000 Last: 11/9/2000 |
In all honesty I think it is best to not have Christmas Parties, Holiday Parties, etc. I feel that if you want to have a party then call it something that has nothing to do with Christmas or Holidays, this way you won't offend anyone. Because if the goal of this party is thank the employees for their hard work through the year, then if you label this party holiday or christmas, you could be eliminating those employees who don't celebrate holidays. Try something like ABC Company Annual Ball.
Just a thought |
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
posted at 11/14/2000 7:09 AM EST
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Posts: 2
First: 11/3/2000 Last: 11/14/2000 |
I don't know - maybe we will have to stop having parties? Because there will always be someone who decides you were out to offend them. I think it's time for people to buck up and realize every move others make is not made especially to offend them. |
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
posted at 11/14/2000 10:50 AM EST
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Posts: 9
First: 4/25/2000 Last: 5/2/2001 |
While every move might not be made to offend someone- calling a Christmas Party a Holiday Party doesn't hurt anyone. Being in HR, and someone who does not celebrate the holiday, I have no problem when it is called a Holiday Party. Face it-when it comes to my religouis holiday, and celebrating it, I need to take a vacation day, the least that can be done is not designate a company function to one religion/belief. |
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
posted at 11/17/2000 3:15 AM EST
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Posts: 50
First: 11/2/2000 Last: 12/3/2003 |
If recruitment and retention are not issues for your company, then a holiday celebration by the majority group may be ok. But, if you're wanting to recruit from underutilized groups, then holiday parties/celebrations by the majority can make others feel isolated. If there are only a very few people who celebrate a holiday other than Christmas, they are probably not likely to come forward and plan a celebration. This is one of the subtle, or not so subtle, ways that diversity can be discouraged. IF your company wants to welcome diversity, then perhaps you could survey employees and ask about holidays. You might find out more that way about how people really feel. I know there's really not time for HR people to become too involved in planning holiday events, but if you want to increase results of your recruitment and retention efforts, then this is something to consider. |
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
posted at 11/17/2000 7:32 AM EST
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Posts: 5
First: 11/8/2000 Last: 12/12/2000 |
I find it very disheartening that in this day and age folks still moan and groan about diversity. It's especially disheartening that people involved in the HR process still use terms like "politically incorrect" or present the requests of minorites to feel included as "immature." What many non-minority people don't think about is that for minorites we are expected to make many comprises in terms of fitting in with the status quo when it comes to things like holiday parties or other workplace issues. If white Christian Americans actually ventured out into other cultures, spending a year in another country and the attitude was "well this is what we celebrate, forget about your cultural heritage or do something on your own then, get over it" I think there would be a better understanding of the impact of celebrating one religious holday above and beyond all others. In order to be successful in the business world minorities have to adopt models shaped by the wants and needs of the majority often in direct conflict with our cultural beliefs. I am not a religious person nor do I celebrate Kwanzaa, Chanukah or Ramadan but I am a well rounded person whoTAKES IT UPON MYSELF to learn about other cultures and respect our cultural differences in planning events and determining policies and procedures. It's really not a complicated process. It's very easy for white Americans to dismiss cultural differences because your culture is dominant. Minorities don't expect white people to know all of the ins and out of our cultures. . Yet we are expected to know the ins and outs of "professional" standards based on a perceived dominant white culture. I'm sure that as an HR Manager you have plenty of other things to worry about and hopefully truly understanding the needs of your employees and coworkers to feel respected, appreciated and heard is among them.
As Mr. Raphael's article points out there are many creative ways to deal with diversity in the workplace without expecting everyone to simply get over it and just enjoy the season. |
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Holiday Parties and Diversity
posted at 11/19/2000 10:14 AM EST
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Posts: 3
First: 11/19/2000 Last: 11/19/2000 |
I choose not to get into major debate over the issue of Holiday Parties or the proper vernacular, however I would like to set one thing straight. Kwanza has nothing to do with Christmas. It happens to be a celebration that occurs during the same period. Over 90% of African Americans are Christian and celebrate Christmas. The others are of some other religious faith or non at all. It appears that too many people have come to a false conclusion that Kwanza is some sort of Black Chrismas celebration. Well, it's not. The birth of Christ is the birth of Christ and the same for all Christians. A celebration that a professor from Long Beach State came up with a few years back does not compare. Great idea and many celebrate, however, it does not and never was intended to take the place of Christmas.
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