It is often considered taboo to talk about religion at work. Yet, by adopting policies and practices that respect all spiritual principles, and by accommodating employees’ beliefs, when possible, you can improve morale and increase productivity while reducing the risk of legal problems.
Around the holidays, we have a great opportunity to create an inclusive culture by learning about employees spiritual preferences.

Recognizing the variety of celebrations of Christian and non-Christian holidays is essential to the success of having people feel valued. Consider educating employees on various traditions and holidays while providing clear policies and instructions for managers on how to handle requests for religious accommodations.

Here are some helpful hints on how to handle some typical December Dilemmas:

Scheduling events – Consult a multi-faith calendar when scheduling office events. Remember, Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate holidays so when they don’t attend, they are not being rude. In addition, different faiths observe the Sabbath on different days which can influence when to hold various events.

Office decorations – This can be a great opportunity for people to bring in an object that represents their spiritual preference. Make time for employees to share why their object has significance. The employee can also create a card describing its significance to put by it for others to read.

Refreshments –If you are planning on food and drink, you may have employees that have kosher, halal, vegetarian and/or allergy considerations. Some employees don’t drink alcohol and need not be made to feel like they have to drink to feel included.

Gift exchanges – Some people love them and some hate them! Don’t make it mandatory. Another option is to do something charitable like volunteering at a shelter and/or having a toy or toiletry drive to help the less fortunate. Remember the gift of time is always very precious.