'Tis the season where etiquette traps must be navigated as carefully as a holiday buffet table. For example, is it "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays?" And is "Happy Holidays" offensive to someone who doesn't celebrate a holiday this month?
While Christmas merriment can lighten the mood on the job, the workplace comes with some particularly treacherous etiquette ground - for example, when it comes to giving gifts. "For some, buying gifts for colleagues adds additional sparkle to the holiday, while for others, it's just one more annoying task on an endless seasonal to-do list," writes Marie McIntyre in a column titled Your Office Coach, published in the Idaho Statesman.
For one thing, it can be embarrassing for co-workers who are unable to contribute, says McIntyre. As well, "in a group with diverse religious traditions, everyone may not be celebrating the same holiday, and some may actually be prohibited from participating in certain events. When you add up all these issues, holiday gift-giving becomes a potential minefield of resentments and hurt feelings."
Managers should step up, she says, and provide some guidance for staff. Solutions could include an in-house potluck or a department lunch to mark the season; cards could be permitted but presents discouraged -or employees could draw names for gifts and set a spending limit.