An Inclusive Approach to Recognizing General Holidays

Organizations have recognized the federal and provincial statutory holidays for years.   Did you know that Canada's national holidays generally mark religious, quasi-religious or patriotic occasions?  However, in an inclusive environment, there are cultures, religions, nationalities, groups and identities that may recognize different holidays than those general holidays defined by the government which organizations have established as the norm. Not everyone celebrates and observes holidays the same way.  Depending on culture, traditions and norms, celebrations take different forms.  Not all holidays are cultural or religious, some may be commemorative days rather than celebrations, and others may be based on traditions. Some people may enjoy celebrating with large groups while others may prefer to relax and recharge.  Others may not find the holiday celebratory at all due to financial restrictions, mental health issues, barriers, lack of family or family acceptance or the holiday may be a reminder of inequity, trauma or pain.

 

This month, the CPHR Central Alberta Volunteer Chapter asked, how could organizations support, create, and implement an inclusive approach to recognizing holidays for their employees?

 

Through our search, we have discovered several approaches that organizations can take to create an inclusive approach to holidays.

 

The Traditional Approach

Currently, provinces and territories average 11 statutory holidays annually with at least two of those holidays focused on the religion of Christianity. There are many more holidays that employees may wish to recognize, but for organizations following the traditional approach, that means that employees would need to take a vacation day or utilize leaves, such a flexible or personal leave or even an unpaid day to recognize other holidays such as the end of Ramadan which is celebrated this month.  

 

The non-Traditional Approach

This model provides the most flexibility, providing employees with a set number of paid days off that can be chosen by the employee.  The non-Traditional Approach recognizes that employees values and needs vary.  This approach empowers employees to choose the days that are most significant to them.   Tracking and communication is key with this approach to ensure a balance between business operations and employee flexibility.

 

Inclusivity, one of Canada’s leading providers for equity, diversity, and inclusion services, gives a great example of a Canadian company that is in the process of updating their holiday policy and processes, and is considering offering 10 paid days off to each employee on a day of their choice. In addition, they are considering offering 2 “flex” paid days in April or May on a day of choice that employees can move as needed, providing the ultimate inclusive holiday offering.

 

The Hybrid Approach

This model is a mixture of having traditional statutory holidays that are provided to all employees plus floating days.  This can look very different based on the organization, such as:

 

Even with a more traditional approach, organizations can still recognize the needs of their diverse employees by choosing to offer additional flexible days to employees.  The flexible day, sometimes referred to as a Floating Holiday Day,  recognizes that employees, based on their background, may observe different significant dates and working day(s) with pay can be requested directly to the Supervisor and approved in advance.

 

With all approaches, there can be some operational challenges, such as striking a balance between recognizing employees’ diverse needs and maintaining business operations.  Communication on how and why certain holidays are recognized is vital.  Educating, raising awareness, and providing resources are also recommended. 

 

Inclusive Communication: 

Inclusive communication is about focusing on recognizing, understanding and responding to various backgrounds and identities. It goes beyond communication, it’s about listening and being empathetic and having an open mind to other people’s perspectives, feelings and experiences.   It is encouraged to ask what holidays are important and try not to make any assumptions on what an employee would or would not like based on physical appearance or geographical locations.   

 

Educating and Raising Awareness:

Leadership should actively promote education and awareness regarding diverse holidays.  This can include posting a DEI calendar.  Lattice provides a great sample holiday calendar for 2024: How to Incorporate DEI Holidays for a More Inclusive Workplace (lattice.com)

 

• Inclusive Holidays: Beyond a “One-Size-Fits-All” Approach - Inclusivity (inclusivityinsight.com)
• How-to-Appreciate-Diversity-During-the-Holidays.pdf (womensresourcecenter.net
• https://lattice.com/library/how-to-incorporate-holidays-that-celebrate-diversity-and-inclusion-into-your-companys-calendar
• (11) Best practices for celebrating cultural holidays through an inclusive lens | LinkedIn
• An Inclusive Approach to Holidays, Observances and Celebrations - Feminuity