Celebrating Holidays and Diversity in the Workplace
The Star of David came off the wall Saturday evening to be replaced with a cross for Sunday services. The beauty of growing up in Columbia, MD, among many things, was that we had interfaith centers- no churches, synagogues, mosques. We had to share space and work amongst each other. That brought about a unique experience of sharing and inclusiveness in the community. Using this lens to think about the holiday season in the workplace is interesting. How can we be successfully inclusive and have everyone enjoy the experience? The commitment to inclusion and respect for varying religions, all the time and in December particularly, where Christmas is a large focus for many, matters in the workplace. The decorations, parties, gift giving, is all relevant. Ultimately, it is feasible to handle this in a respectful and fun fashion, but it takes some thought and possibly effort different than the usual. Below are suggestions from a few articles and ideas that worked well in practic