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Phone:
(847) 864-3530
Fax:
(847) 491-6425
Address:
1615 Oak Ave
Evanston IL 60201
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Office Hours:
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Workplace Holiday Party Alternatives
As diversity in the workplace continues to grow, many employers are foregoing once-traditional holiday parties in favor of a more encompassing, nondenominational celebration.
Most companies realize that a "Christmas Party" is not acceptable in a diverse workplace. However, simply changing the name to "Holiday Party" does not solve all the potential concerns. If Santa arrives with a bag of gifts and "Silent Night" fills the air, it is still unmistakably a Christmas party. While this may work for a few private businesses, it is often inappropriate and possibly offensive to employees whose religious beliefs prevent them from gift-giving and receiving. To avoid scheduling business events on days that potentially conflict with client or employee Holy Days, your workplace may wish to post a "diversity calendar" with any such dates included.
In addition to causing religious discomfort, there are legal concerns that go along with office-wide parties. Liability for intoxicated employees driving home from the party, for example, can cause your business a lot of grief. Another difficulty that arises more often in these situations is the employee or employer who makes inappropriate comments that will not be forgotten come Monday morning.
The cost for providing an office-wide Holiday party can be staggering. If clients are invited, they may assume they are indirectly covering the cost of said party. Employees may wonder why they cannot order new equipment to supplement their work, but the company can afford to host a lavish party. Expecting employees to purchase gifts to exchange or to contribute to an employer's gift may cause financial strain for some.
All these concerns provide enough reason to rethink the tratitional Holiday party concept. One progressive alternative is an early January New Year's breakfast or lunch which celebrates a successful past year, shows gratitude for employee contributions to this success, and unveils plans for a prosperous new year.
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