Successful Holiday Parties: Tips for the Respectful Workplace

It’s that time of year again: December, the month in which the excitement of the end-of-year holidays descends upon the workplace in many parts of the world – and with it the stress, expectations, complications and hiccups (so to speak) that can come with seasonal celebrations.

Here are tips for employers when considering such celebrations for their workplaces.

 

We’re Partying It Up!

It seems a lot of employers are planning to host end-of-year parties for their workplaces in 2012: According to a survey conducted by OfficeTeam, a leading Administrative Staffing service, and reported in HRM 7Online, 77% of senior managers surveyed responded by saying said their organization would have a holiday celebration this year.

Given the cost and the expense if these events, it seems important to ask why holiday parties are being considered by employers -- particularly given the current economic realities.

Why Hold a Holiday Party?

In our experience, employers sponsor holiday functions because they assume such events will bring people together and strengthen social bonds. Commonly-stated objectives:

create a fun, relaxing experience for employees;make people feel good;foster a sense of connection amongst colleagues;celebrate the workforce’s accomplishments; andinspire a moment of shared meaning in the workplace community.

Of course, there may be other ways of accomplishing these objectives. Some organizations opt for bringing workgroups together for activities other than a traditional party. Consider this article, Alternatives to the Traditional Office Christmas Party, which proposes outdoor activities, workgroup cooking or craft lessons, etc.

Certainly there seems to be a growing trend in some workplaces towards workgroups participating in collective “giving back” activities, like volunteering for local charities. Cori Maedel, CEO of the Jouta Performance Group, a team of HR consultants based in Vancouver, BC, says that her whole HR team looks forward to the shared experience of volunteering at through the YWCA each year in December, because of the rich benefits they derive individually and as a group.

Some people even point to tax and cost considerations in certain jurisdictions in arguing that it may be better for employees to just give gifts. (See Your office Christmas party: can you claim the expense on tax? for a discussion from the Australian perspective, in Business IT.)

Despite these alternative options, holiday parties apparently remain the favorite choice for employers who want to reward and engage employees at the year’s end.

A “No-Fun” Party?

“Urrrgh, the office party is tonight!”

It seems that employers may in fact be missing the mark with the parties they host: HRM Online reports that OfficeTeam surveyors found only 55% of employees admitted to enjoying the workplace holiday party, with 45% saying they did not.

Why the dismal results?

It’s Not MY Party

We suspect that the explanation for negative responses by employees to workplace-hosted holiday events lies in a fundamental disconnect between the employees and the event in question: Because of the way that the party is planned and executed, some individuals are left feeling that it isn’t really “their” event, but instead “belongs” to the company or other individuals, and that the party somehow excludes them, their interests and their values.

That’s not necessarily a disastrous thing – after all, you can seldom please everyone in a workplace. Generally speaking, any of us in even moderately functional workplaces should be resilient enough to tough out an employer-sponsored event with good grace, even an event that falls short of our own personal expectations, or that doesn’t reflect our own personal tastes and preferences.

The real risk of negative holiday party fallout arises when interpersonal dynamics are already strained in the workplaces, when there are low levels of trust operating, when individuals already perceive a lack of inclusivity amongst their colleagues, and when problematic behaviors are tolerated. Under those circumstances, each of the apparently innocuous questions that go into planning a holiday party carries a huge potential for creating divisiveness, sparking corrosive arguments, surfacing bad feelings and ratcheting up tensions.

Diversity, Inclusivity, Safety & Liability

“I’m in the South American office, and December is the start of our summer. It’s not a big deal, and certainly not intentional, but when year after year all the corporate messaging about the December holiday comes out of our northern US head office covered only images of snow and evergreens, it just seems like we’re not really on their radar at all.”

By acknowledging and taking into account the diverse realities of their workforces in planning the holiday party, including differences in economic and social backgrounds, personal and family experiences, family status, faith and religious communities, and so on, employers are much more likely to create events that feel open, inclusive, and welcoming for all employees. This, of course, will reduce both the chances of some individuals feeling excluded, as well as perceptions of disrespect and unfairness.

It is also important not to lose sight of safety and even liability considerations, especially when the decision is made to make alcohol available at the party. A few glasses of wine is all it takes to raise “drinking and driving” safety and liability issues in a growing number of jurisdictions. Just as importantly, a couple of glasses of alcohol can do wonders in laying bare the differing understandings among employees as to what constitutes appropriate workplace party behaviour.

What to Do?

Does it have to be such a big, complicated deal?

Certainly not. Lots of workgroups seem to pull off successful holiday parties with aplomb. But this does require some forethought and planning.

The Critical Questions

Questions that need to be dealt with well in order to ensure a good time is had by all, include the following:

What you will call the event -- Christmas Party? Winter Solstice Party? New Year’s Party? Holiday Party?Will the event include an acknowledgement of religious traditions – and if so, whose religious traditions will be acknowledged, and whose won’t? What about the atheists?When will you hold the event -- Workday? Evening? Weekend? Someone’s day of religious observance?Where will the event be held?Are people expected to come? (If so, tell them so!)Will spouses and family be invited?Will alcohol will be served – and if so, who will pay?What activities will be included – and will people be expected to participate?

More Resources

Here are some additional links to check out to ensure that your organization's holiday celebtration supports the creation of a Respectful Workplace:

View the original article here