Don't leave anyone out of this year's holiday festivities

CULTURE: Holiday celebrations at work may seem harmless to employers, but without the right attention to detail, they could end up being?less than festive. Whether it's a difference of opinions when it comes to which holiday employees want to celebrate or simply a matter of employees not being in the celebratory mood, holiday parties may unintentionally make certain communities within your workforce feel excluded.?

"Celebrations, on the one hand, are easy to understand — a time to be happy and share," says Anna Eliatamby, FRSA, AFBPsS , clinical psychologist and workplace well-being expert. "But celebrating holidays at work respectfully can be fraught, complex and multifaceted. To celebrate honorably means that you must include as many of the preferences of the diverse people in your organization as possible."?

Read: How to keep your office holiday celebrations inclusive

COVID SAFETY: As this winter "tridemic" goes on, employers may see more employees call in sick to care for themselves and loved ones. However, routine COVID testing still remains a vital way to limit the number of cases that hit workforces, says Doug Field, chief revenue officer at PHASE Scientific Americas , a firm that provides diagnostic and data tools for healthcare providers.?

"I hear people say that they are not testing because a [majority] of their employee population is vaccinated," says Field. "But the fact of reality is that you can still get COVID if you're vaccinated, and you can still give COVID to others. So unless you test, you don't know."

Read: Why employers shouldn't get rid of their COVID testing policies

2023 LOOKAHEAD: Between rising healthcare costs and employee burnout, there's no doubt that HR teams will have their work cut out for them in 2023. But what benefits will be prioritized over others as employers reevaluated their offerings?

Employee benefits brokerage Nava Benefits launched a free search engine earlier this year, empowering HR teams to learn and connect with over 600 vendors across 28 benefit categories. Nava found one clear priority: healthcare navigation. In fact, the healthcare navigation benefits category page generated nearly 70% more page views than the second most popular category, medical insurance.?Are these on your to-do list for the new year?

Read: 6 benefit categories on every HR team's agenda for 2023