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When will CIPD stop wishing me a Happy Christmas and start wishing me Happy Holidays?

Debbie Aarons

I have been a member of CIPD for over 20 years and every year the organization sends me an email to wish me a Merry Christmas.  For the past 5 years, I have sent a message directly to CIPD to ask that this message be changed to a more inclusive holiday greeting.  Clearly, this wish is not respected.

As an HR professional, I encourage employers to practice inclusive work practices.  Wishing people a Happy Holidays is inclusive as is Seasons Greetings.  Not all employees celebrate Christmas and I'm sure that this applies to CIPD members too.

I do not take offence each time someone wishes me a Merry Christmas as I appreciate that this is a message of goodwill.  However, this does apply to a professional body such as CIPD.  I see little value in writing about the value of inclusivity if you are not willing to practice this yourself.

Wishing all members of CIPD a peaceful and happy holiday season.

Parents

  • If our goal is to be inclusive or rather, not to exclude people, doesn’t that mean that we should be wishing each other a happy Christmas, and a happy Eidd and Hanukkah etc, etc? Inclusiveness is, for me, about acknowledging and welcoming diversity, not reducing everything to a standardised absence of diversity by editing out any expression that makes reference to a cultural or religious difference.

    Having said that, as Debbie is offended by being wished Merry Christmas, then once we become aware of that, good manners should prevent us from repeating the offence. Therefore, if the CIPD’s system for sending out mass communication can be personalised to that extent, I think Johanna, Steve and colleagues are quite right to do so.

  • in reply to Elizabeth Divver

    ….but just to play devil's advocate for a moment: The wishing of "Happy Holidays" will not do as an alternative, since the term "holiday" is (of course) a reference to "holy day" (or several thereof) and so for any atheist or agnostic, is also a confrontation of their philosophical belief, isn't it?

    ….and "Season's greetings" will not do without qualification: e.g. "Happy Summer" etc., because otherwise it is indirect reference to whatever "holy-day(s)" is/are currently on hand, so also indirectly discriminatory.

    But as we have all suggested, wishing someone a happy …."whatever" (in good faith) can have no detriment attached, so none can be reasonably deemed intentional harassment, or insult, or offense and if (as you suggest) the greeting is not appropriate and no alternative coincides, then the bonhomie intended must simply be set aside....

    ….Which I find distressingly sad.

    I am prepared to be wished happiness in any language, in any season, and for any reason, if that wish is heartfelt and genuine. No matter what my disagreement with the philosophies (or theologies) of my greeter.

    Why would I, or anyone, not be?

    ...For that wish in good faith might be, or become, the first tiny step toward our better understanding, to the breaking down of our disagreements, or at least their setting aside for the greater good of each of us.

    One less thing for our worlds to collide over.

    P

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