How to Make Employee Gatherings More Accessible and Inclusive
The above picture shows a cornucopia of fruits.
How to Make Employee Gatherings More Accessible and Inclusive
Many companies host events and gatherings to
encourage camaraderie and communication among staff members. These events are
an excellent way for employees to get to know one another better to improve
their working relationships.
However, just as you would work to ensure the office environment is accessible to
all staff members, you must also ensure the events and gatherings you host are
inclusive and accessible as well. All employees should be able to easily attend
and enjoy the events you host.
In this article, we’ll discuss why it’s
important to host inclusive gatherings for employees and offer tips on how to
make those gatherings more accessible to ensure everyone has a good time.
Why Employee Gatherings Are
Important
Employee gatherings are typically provided as
a way to allow staff to enjoy their time with one another in a more casual
setting. These events are a way for employees to socialize, relax, and have fun
while developing deeper connections with one another to improve how they work
together.
However, employee gatherings are about more than just
providing a social outlet for staff. They also work as a way to improve
workplace culture and employee engagement, which are essential to running a
successful company.
Companies that prioritize employee engagement have higher retention
rates, increased productivity, higher customer satisfaction, and more profits.
This is because your employees are like the foundation of your company, and
when they are happier and more engaged, they will work harder and better, which
produces better outcomes. And employee gatherings are a great way to boost employee
engagement.
Hosting gatherings for your employees shows
that you care about them and see them as more than just another cog in the
workplace machine. It shows them that you want them to have fun and enjoy their
time with your company — that you appreciate their hard work and are happy to
reward it with fun events and social activities. In turn, your employees will
not only build better relationships with their colleagues, which will improve
collaboration, but they will also be more inspired to show up and do their best
each and every day. This not only means more loyalty to your company, but it
also means employees will work harder to please your customers.
However, just as it’s important to ensure your
staff has what they need in the office, it’s also important to ensure the
events and gatherings you host are inclusive and accessible. For example, if
your office is accessible to employees with disabilities, but the venue where
you are hosting an event is not, then this can make certain employees feel left
out and alienated. And that will do the opposite of improving employee
engagement and satisfaction.
Ways to Make Employee Gatherings
More Accessible
When planning an event for your employees,
it’s important to consider how to make the gathering as enjoyable and inclusive
as possible so everyone can have a good time. Understandably, you might get
caught up on things like the cost and how to find a venue that accommodates the
size of your gathering, but accessibility considerations are just as important.
1. Provide Disability-Inclusion
Training
This one is a bit of a general tip, whether
you are hosting an event or not, but it’s worth noting. If you want your
employees with disabilities to feel welcome, you must provide disability-inclusion training to your entire
staff.
The more aware your employees are of how their
words and actions affect others, the more likely they are to be more inclusive
and accommodating of others. Overall, this will improve understanding and help
all of your employees feel welcome, whether they are working in the office or
attending a gathering you are hosting.
2. Be Mindful When Choosing a
Venue
When choosing where to host your event, it’s
important to ensure that the environment will be accessible to all of your
employees, no matter their limitations or capabilities. For example, if you
have blind or low-vision employees, it’s important
to make sure the venue you choose is well-lit and easy to maneuver with
assistive devices like a cane. The same goes for employees that are in a
wheelchair.
Not all venues are accessible to people with
disabilities, unfortunately, so be mindful of this when selecting a space. If
you are struggling to find a good indoor venue with accessibility
accommodations, consider hosting your gathering in an outdoor venue.
There are numerous mental and physical health
benefits to spending more time outdoors, primarily that
spending time outside boosts serotonin levels and provides more vitamin D,
which is essential. So this is a benefit to the health and well-being of your
employees.
Outdoor venues may offer greater flexibility
when setting up for an event than indoor locations do. Just keep in mind that
is important to make sure that your chosen venue goes above and beyond the ADA requirements for outdoor events.
3. Think About Food and Dietary
Restrictions
When planning an inclusive event, it’s worth
considering more than just physical accommodations for staff with disabilities.
You might also have employees with other health issues requiring consideration,
such as those who can’t eat certain foods.
For example, you could have employees with
Celiac disease, meaning they can’t eat gluten. Or someone could have Chron’s
disease or gastroesophageal
reflux disease, meaning they need to eat foods that are low in fiber,
also known as a low-residue diet.
You might also have vegans or vegetarians on
your staff, and just because their diet isn’t related to an illness doesn’t mean
they shouldn’t be included or considered when you are planning the menu. So
before simply choosing a catering option that is the most enticing, make sure
you check in with all of your employees about any dietary restrictions.
Final Thoughts
To ensure all of your staff feel seen and
appreciated, it’s important to put more thought into your employee gatherings
to make them more inclusive. If you don’t know what accommodations need to be
made, you can work with HR, as they will likely know which staff members have
restrictions, limitations, or disabilities. You can also send out an email to
specifically ask your employees what accommodations they might need so you can
make the event as enjoyable and accessible as possible.