The festive season is around the corner, and every workplace in India is ready to delve right into the experience. From Dusshera to Diwali, each festival carries with it a unique set of cultural expectations that employers as well as employees need to be well aware of.
For workplaces, it’s also an opportunity to strengthen culture, boost employee morale, and drive engagement. HR, in particular, plays a crucial role in creating experiences that strike a balance between celebration, inclusivity, and productivity.
Through some basic steps, HR can easily create an immersive festive experience. Striking the right balance between what employees want and what the company is happy to do becomes crucial to make sure that the cheery atmosphere remains prevalent throughout the days to come.
Create Inclusive Celebrations
India is a diverse country that fills our calendars full of festivals and meaningful occasions. Irrespective of one’s religion or ethnicity, the festive season is the time for all to come together and spread the cheer, whether at home or at the workplace.
With a few simple measures, HR can easily make sure that the festivities within the office are inclusive of all groups within the workforce. Whether it’s decorating for Diwali or exchanging gifts for Christmas, the ultimate purpose of every celebration is to enjoy with a sense of camaraderie and cheer.
While planning for festivals, you can ask employees about their preferences and ideas as well. This allows employees to not only share meaningful parts of their culture but also helps in creating an event that truly reflects the diversity of your workplace.
Introduce Flexible Work Options
Festive seasons are not just about one-day celebrations. For many, certain occasions can last for days, yet take up only a small portion of their day. Through open communication and flexible work options, companies can ensure that their employees are able to celebrate their cultural practices without compromising overall productivity.
More than anything, the festive season brings in specific personal situations that can be hard to navigate in the case of strict professional schedules. This is where HR can step in to ensure that employees are able to maintain a fair work-life balance.
Organise Festive Engagement Activities
Make sure that your office organises themed activities that celebrate the joy of the festive season while maintaining employee interest. Conducting activities that combine the cultural aspects of the festivals with employees’ interests are always a hit.
Some popular activities conducted during festive seasons include rangoli making competitions, diya arts, workspace decorations, and tambola. As always, the interest in different activities varies within every workforce. Thanks to online applications, HR can include both on-site employees and those working from home.
Recognise and Appreciate Employees
The festive season is the time to spread joy. Take this time to showcase your appreciation for your employees and the hard work they are putting in. This can be done through positive words of encouragement as well as rewards and bonuses.
In certain industries, the festive season can also lead to an increase in workload. In such cases, HR and the leadership should make sure to express their appreciation for the hard work.
Decorate Workspaces & Spread Cheer
Visual representation of the festive season goes a long way in creating a cheery atmosphere. Having your workspace reflect the mood of the employees not only creates excitement but also adds to the idea of celebrating the upcoming occasions as a unit.
Diwali, in particular, is a festival when decorating the area around us is both a cultural obligation and a fun activity. From sparkling lights to colourful streamers, decorations can bring a much-needed splash of visual joy to the lives of the employees.
Wellness and Financial Support Initiatives
Along with a celebratory atmosphere, the festive season can also bring in extra physical and financial strain on many. During this time, it is imperative to provide your employees with the support they need to ensure that they keep prospering in their personal as well as professional lives.
Prepare plans that cater to the needs of employees at different levels. Some might need extra financial assistance to celebrate the festivals. Others may need help in managing added stress, which should be noted and resolved in a professional manner.
CSR and Giving Back
Apart from the employees within the company, the leadership should also take steps to spread the joy to the community around them. Through CSR activities and other acts of giving back, a company can make sure that the upcoming days of celebrations are happy for all those who are around them.
From food drives to blanket donations, spreading happiness within the local community can also add to employee satisfaction. It also showcases that your company is aware of the true spirit of the festive season and knows that true progress can only be achieved with the elevation of all those around us.
Some Extra Tips for HR Professionals
After you have planned your events, there are certain small factors to keep in mind to elevate the celebrations and keep the joyful vibes going.
Plan Early to Ensure Smooth Execution
Celebrating the festive season in a workplace is no easy task, despite the joy that surrounds it. From conducting activities to making sure that every employee receives their gifts, the responsibilities surrounding the celebrations are vast and require a keen eye for detail.
By starting the preparations early, HR professionals can make sure that everything aligns with the vision they and leadership have in mind. The margin of time also allows you to take any corrective actions in case any particular plan falls through due to unforeseen circumstances.
Align the Leadership to Encourage Employees
The company’s leadership should take a front role when it comes to celebrating in the workplace. Seeing the leading figures in a team enjoying the events alongside others not only helps in eliminating hesitation but also fosters better workplace relationships.
Rather than taking a backseat when it comes to being a part of celebrations, the company’s leaders, including those at the executive level, should be the first to spread the cheer. Such participation indicates that these celebrations are not just about ticking a checkbox but rather intend to spread joy through all levels of the team.
Keep Celebrations Voluntary, Not Mandatory
While festivals are indeed about celebrating together, forced participation can lead to a worsening of mood instead of elevating it. While HR should encourage employees to participate wholeheartedly, they should also be receptive and respectful towards someone’s decision not to partake.
Should an employee approach you about not participating in the planned events, be respectful and inquire about the reasons behind the same. In some cases, this can simply be due to conflict in personal plans and the event dates, allowing HR to accommodate such needs.
In other cases, the reasons might be more personal or spiritual, with some unwilling to express their thoughts. Be mindful of the same and express that while their presence will indeed be welcome, festivals are ultimately about letting people celebrate in the ways they feel comfortable.
In the End…
Festive celebrations aren’t just about lights and sweets; they’re about belonging, appreciation, and joy at work. From visual cues to engaging activities, each small initiative adds to the festivity and provides a sense of camaraderie within the team.
With thoughtful initiatives, HR can create a festive season that employees remember fondly. Engaging employees during the planning and conducting phase is imperative to highlight the cultural aspects and joyful moments that the festivals are all about.
