5 ideas for workplace holiday celebrations during COVID-19

Rachel Brown, MD

Family Medicine

Celebrating the holidays with our coworkers is something many of us look forward to. Those special lunches, after-work happy hours or gift exchanges truly bring the holiday spirit to the office. However, like everything else this year, those celebrations will need to look different due to COVID-19. Rachel Brown, MD, offered advice and alternatives to common traditions.

“Just like minimal travel and minimal gatherings outside of work are being recommended, the same is recommended inside your workplace,” said Dr. Brown.

You can still celebrate the holidays with coworkers, just in a different way. She shared these tips to remember when planning a holiday celebration.

• Do not bring food in to share. There is no evidence to suggest serving or handling food will spread COVID-19. However, it does cause people to congregate in an area, usually without masks on while they are eating.
• Do not have big gatherings. Avoid gathering in person as groups or departments.

Dr. Brown shared these alternative ways to celebrate and help keep fun traditions alive.

• Have a virtual gathering. Enjoy a happy hour or luncheon with your coworkers virtually.
• Share a recipe. Instead of sharing food dishes this year, share your favorite recipe for others to make at home.
• Send notes of gratitude. Instead of the traditional gift exchange or Secret Santa, send a note of gratitude or make a video to share with someone.
• Share three good things. Have everyone share three good things that are going on for them in their lives and share it with the group through email or some other means. It’s another way to celebrate and be grateful while boosting your emotional well-being.
• Participate in random acts of kindness, volunteering and donations. Pick something everyone can do from where they are – whether it’s buying someone’s meal at a drive through or donating canned goods to your local food bank.

“Everything is a little different this year, including our work gatherings. But that doesn’t mean we have to lose the holiday spirit we typically share with each other this time of year,” said Dr. Brown.