How to Plan an Inclusive Holiday Office Party

The holidays are an excellent time to show your employees you appreciate their hard work and dedication to your business and its daily operations. Hosting parties and sharing gifts are ideal ways to demonstrate your appreciation.

However, not everyone celebrates the same holidays, and some may never observe celebratory days. Companies must focus on diversity and inclusion to respect everyone’s beliefs and practices. Learn more about how to be inclusive during the holidays and how to plan an event your entire team can enjoy.

The Importance of Diversity and Inclusivity During the Holidays

Fewer Americans identify as Christian than ever before, and the number of people practicing different religions — or no faith at all — is increasing. As a result, fewer people observe traditional Christian holidays, such as Christmas. Instead, they may celebrate other holidays that fall within the same season.

Companies that focus on diversity and inclusion in the office accommodate all employees’ traditions without making anyone feel left out. You can improve morale and reduce turnover by being tolerant and welcoming. Celebrating multiple holidays or avoiding a reference to a specific event during the season can make everyone feel like part of the team while showing support for different backgrounds.

Work holiday parties are memorable experiences for employees, so it’s an excellent time to celebrate everyone’s diversity. These parties can help build bonds between co-workers that will help them work more efficiently as a team throughout the year. Companies that prioritize diversity should host holiday parties that represent this value.

Inclusive Office Holiday Party Themes

Including elements of all beliefs and traditions in a single party can be challenging. However, there are still ways to make each employee feel heard and respected. You can even choose a theme that shifts  the focus away from the holiday season to something all employees can relate to, like celebrating the end of another calendar year.

These inclusive themes eliminate the unconscious bias that may isolate employees due to factors like their gender, race or religion. You don’t want people to feel left out for any reason, even if the discrimination was unintentional. Here are some inclusive office holiday party ideas to inspire you.

Winter Wonderland

Since holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa happen in late fall and early winter, hosting a winter wonderland-themed party is an excellent way to include everyone in the celebration. Put up decorations that remind people of snowy days, such as snowflakes, icicles and white twinkling lights. You can invest in an ice sculpture for a sophisticated touch.

Plan winter-themed games and prizes like tickets to an ice skating rink or a ski resort. Serving comfort foods like soup, chili and hot chocolate will warm everyone’s spirit.

Vacations

Survey your employees to find out what their favorite vacation spot is and host a party around the destination. For example, if beaches are a common choice, you can host a party that brings tropical elements into the office, like inflatable palm trees, themed drinks, food and similar items. You can even have employees dress in vacation-themed clothing, such as floral shirts or large sun hats.

Holiday Neutral

Shifting the focus away from the holidays is a brilliant way to stay on brand without excluding any of your valuable team members. A holiday-neutral party may focus on celebrating everything you have accomplished as a company and what you enjoy most about working together.

An end-of-year party recognizing company-wide accomplishments makes employees proud to be part of a winning team. It also fosters a sense of belonging and lets people connect and anticipate what the new year will bring.

Ugly Sweaters

Ugly sweaters are a favorite party theme for many people. Encourage employees to find or make the ugliest outfit and let everyone vote on their favorite. You can even create awards like “most spirited” or “worst color combination.”

Color Coordinated

Color-coordinated parties are simple but can be a lot of fun. You can choose a classic black-and-white theme or incorporate colors from your brand. Encourage your employees to wear clothes that fit the theme, offering awards like gift cards. The colors you choose should match.

Here are some ideas for color-coordinated event themes:

• Monochrome
• Neutral
• Varying shades of the same color
• Seasonal

You can incorporate the colors into your event decor, flower arrangements, tableware, food and drinks. Be sure to advise your employees on the color-coordinated dress code beforehand so they can show up on theme.

6 Tips for Throwing an Inclusive Holiday Party at Work

The purpose of holiday parties is to let employees gather and connect outside the office. For this reason, you must be intentional to avoid alienating or offending some people. Here are some of the best practices for planning inclusive holiday celebrations in the workplace.

1. Assemble a Diverse Planning Committee

A planning committee can bring a unique and fresh perspective that helps you come up with new ideas and ways to celebrate the holidays in the office. You can empower this group of employees to plan the event and a budget to help them achieve their vision. Have different teams nominate members to the committee, and be sure to include representatives from historically marginalized groups.

Delegating holiday party planning to a group of employees gives you perspective into what they want and ensures everyone has a voice. Planning an inclusive holiday can be an excellent bonding opportunity while encouraging a connection between various cultures. It also enables you to honor employees’ religious beliefs.

A diverse committee covers all the bases and helps prevent unconscious bias that could be present if a single person plans a holiday celebration.

2. Check the Calendar

Numerous holidays happen in autumn and winter. Some of these include:

• Christmas
• Yule
• Lunar New Year
• Kwanzaa
• Hanukkah
• Diwali
• Bodhi Day
• Eid al-Fitr

Be sure not to plan your party on a date when employees might be at home celebrating with their friends and family. Since so many holidays fall within a short time frame, you might schedule a get-together in January to avoid conflict and ensure those who want to can attend. You may also consider celebrating during the workday, since some employees may have trouble attending a party after hours if they have children or other responsibilities.

3. Include Food and Drinks From Different Cultures

An excellent way to include everyone is to provide food and drinks from various cultures. You can even host a potluck where employees bring their favorite family recipes to bring awareness to different traditions. You should also respect dietary preferences and food allergies by serving vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free dishes.

Avoid promoting alcohol as an incentive for attending the event out of respect for people who do not drink. Consider hosting a two-part party where the first half focuses on alcohol-free games and activities. The second half can be more free-flowing, where employees can drink while socializing.

If you provide alcohol during the party, set a maximum to prevent overindulgence. For example, you could give each attendee two drink tickets instead of having an open bar. Reserving accommodation at a local hotel or setting up a rideshare app code for people to get home safely is a responsible thing to do.

4. Be Mindful of Decor and Music

Since you want to be inclusive, be mindful of choosing decor that doesn’t celebrate just one holiday. For example, avoid decorated pine trees, red-and-green decor, holiday carols, Santa figurines and reindeer decorations, all of which are synonymous with Christmas.

Instead, choose simple and inclusive holiday decorations like balloons, snowflakes, garlands or unique centerpieces. You should also not decorate with strobe lights because they may hurt people with light sensitivity or epilepsy. Invite each employee to request their favorite songs and use their input to create an inclusive, holiday-neutral playlist.

5. Use Branded Promotional Items for Gifts

Instead of choosing gifts that promote one holiday during the season, select branded promotional items for gifts. These giveaways make employees feel valued and appreciated, which is a significant morale booster. Additionally, corporate swag items improve brand awareness as employees use them in and out of the office.

• Apparel: Custom branded apparel such as outerwear, sweatpants, sweatshirts and apparel accessories like socks, gloves, mittens and scarves are fitting gifts for the season.
  
• Drinkware: Everyone needs coffee mugs, insulated tumblers and water bottles. Your employees can use these at home or the office.
• Bags: Make travel easy and convenient for your team this season by gifting them branded travel bags, tote bags, duffle bags and briefcases.
• Personal care items: The holidays are an opportune time for people to indulge in self-care. Elevate your employees’ self-care experiences with items like a seven-piece custom spa kit tote and four-piece custom spa kit with wood crate.
• Office supplies: Make it easier for your team to transition into the new year by giving them office supplies, like notebooks, pens or writing gift sets.

6. Don’t Require Participation

Not everyone enjoys workplace festivities. For some, celebrating the holidays can make them uncomfortable or bring up unpleasant reminders. Others may prefer spending more time with their families. Additionally, attending parties can be extremely stressful for introverts or socially anxious people.

Letting your employees attend the event voluntarily ensures no one is uncomfortable or feels obligated to go. Even if you’re planning an inclusive party that’s not specific to any holiday, emphasize the voluntary attendance upfront to put everyone at ease.

You can share a live online link so remote team members can catch up or send photos to the whole team afterward to continue fostering unity and inclusivity. If you plan to hand out awards, gifts or bonuses at the party, provide alternative ways for employees who don’t attend to receive them.

Celebrate the Season With Inclusive Holiday Gifts

Celebrating the season with your staff is an excellent bonding opportunity, lowering turnover rates and creating stronger brand loyalty. A perfect way to celebrate the season is through inclusive holiday gifts that show your employees how much you appreciate them. ePromos offers an extensive collection of holiday gifts, including promotional kits, food kits, apparel and more. Check out our holiday gift guide to find the right gifts for your employees!

Updated 07/09/24