With so many months of celebration and days of note, it can be challenging to decide which days your company should celebrate and how to celebrate. To support your team’s people strategy, we’ve created this calendar overview to highlight important dates, from DEI holidays to celebration days like Employee Appreciation Day. We’ve also included monthly recognition advice so you can keep recognition top of mind all year long. Moreover, we included a few coaching classes Hone offers to support each month’s recognition work, so your team is training to be more inclusive along the way.
Some Important Dates, Holidays, Events, and Monthly Recognition at Work
January
National Mentoring Month
Each January, we come together as a community to ignite those passions and help turn those wildest dreams into reality with National Mentoring Month. By harnessing our collective voice, MENTOR advocates for mentorship and legislative priorities and raises awareness for how one conversation, one experience, and one mentor can change a young person’s life. Celebrate National Mentoring Month by encouraging team members to become mentors, offering resources for employees seeking a mentor, and reminding team members that Hone provides coaching classes to help build their mentoring skills.
DEIB Dates:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 15, 2024)
The day commemorates the life and work of Dr. King, a Baptist minister and prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. Celebrate this day by sharing information about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Other Important Dates:
- New Year’s Day (January 1, 2024)
This day celebrates the first day of the new calendar year. - National Trivia Day (January 4, 2024)
A little friendly competition might do the trick if you’re thinking of ways to keep spirits high after the New Year’s holiday. Organize a virtual trivia night to bring your teammates together. - Bagel Day (January 15, 2024)
What’s better than the Friday before a long weekend? Kicking it off with a company-sponsored breakfast. Give employees a breakfast voucher or a stipend at a local deli or bagel. - National Have Fun at Work Day (January 26, 2024)
As if Fridays couldn’t get any better around the office, National Fun at Work Day falls on the last Friday of January! Whether you work for a small office or a large organization, injecting fun into the workplace is a great way to bond with coworkers, boost team morale, gain inspiration, and even increase productivity. National Fun at Work Day was created to foster happiness and humor and bring employees together.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- The Coach Approach
In this workshop, you will explore the foundational principles of coaching and learn critical strategies to deepen your listening skills, acknowledge the experiences of others, and ask powerful questions to move the conversation forward in powerful ways. - Motivate Anyone to Do Their Best Work
Sustained motivation is at the heart of all high-performing teams. In this interactive class, you will learn to motivate others by tapping into our shared desire to be self-directed, improve, and do meaningful work. - Lead with Grit
In this class, you will learn what happens neurologically when we face uncertainty, explore the psychological impact on our people, and learn the mindsets and behaviors that separate exceptional leaders during turbulent times.
February
Black History Month
Black History Month is a chance for employees to understand and honor the role Black culture has played in forming our country, and it is your chance to support the cultural identity of your team members. If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically.
Some ways to celebrate significant achievements within the Black community while also supporting the community are by sharing Black-owned businesses with your team, sharing books by Black authors, supporting local Black artists by purchasing art to display in the office, spotlighting Black employees in your company (with their permission), invite speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support Black employees and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate Black voices and experiences throughout the year.
DEIB Dates:
- Chinese New Year (February 10, 2024)
Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is a 15-day festival celebrated annually, depending on the sighting of the new moon. The occasion is also known as the Spring Festival, and an animal is associated with each New Year. Encourage team members who celebrate this day to share experiences and photos if they feel comfortable.
Other Important Dates:
- Random Act of Kindness Day (February 17, 2024)
When it comes to feedback and praise, you get what you give. On Random Act of Kindness Day, encourage your team to lead by example and recognize their peers for going above and beyond.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Create a Culture of Belonging
In this class, you will learn the benefits of fostering a culture of belonging and the science behind this human evolutionary need. You will explore what drives the development of in-groups and out-groups and the implications of consciously or unconsciously enabling a workplace culture of “conformity.” - Address Microaggressions in Your Work
In this class, you will explore how to address microaggressions on your team and show up as a powerful ally in the workplace. You will practice powerful strategies to navigate difficult conversations and express people’s impact in ways that create a bridge to shared understanding and deeper connection. - Embrace Allyship In Your Organization
Do you or your teammates sometimes struggle to be effective allies to colleagues of underrepresented backgrounds? In this class, you will learn strategies that will enable you to actively contribute to a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion and create meaningful relationships with colleagues of diverse backgrounds.
March
Women’s History Month
During March, we give a little extra attention to the fantastic accomplishments of strong, determined women. Since 1987, the United States has formally recognized March as National Women’s History Month.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically. For example, some ways to celebrate significant achievements are by sharing women-owned businesses with your team, sharing books by authors who identify as women, supporting local artists by purchasing art to display in the office, spotlighting employees who identify as women in your company (with their permission), invite speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support employees who identify as women and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate these voices and experiences throughout the year.
DEIB Date:
- International Women’s Day (March 8, 2024)
You can’t prioritize DEIB without recognizing the experiences and achievements of women. This is a global day celebrating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. It also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. Make this day special by amping up your Women’s History Month celebrations on this day. - Ramadan (March 10 – April 9, 2024)
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection, and prayer for Muslims, the followers of Islam. Therefore, it’s crucial to remember that Muslim employees might participate in fasting from sunrise to sunset. - International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31, 2024)
Trans Day of Visibility is an annual awareness day celebrated around the world. The day is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of transgender and gender-nonconforming people while raising awareness of the work that still needs to be done to achieve trans justice. Bring awareness to this day by sharing resources regarding the transgender experience and accomplishments made by this community.
Other Important Dates:
- National Employee Appreciation Day (March 1, 2024)
We know that employee appreciation matters year-round. Still, you can go above and beyond on National Employee Appreciation Day by giving employees an impressive piece of company swag, sponsoring lunch, or even giving them a surprise long weekend. - Pi Day (March 14. 2024)
Pi Day may seem silly, but why not have fun at work? Especially for team members who love math or use it regularly in their field, Pi Day can be a fun excuse to eat pie and share pie recipes.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Embrace Diversity Through Inclusion
In this class, you will explore two powerful skills required to build a culture of belonging: vulnerability and empathy. You will learn the keys to holding a compassionate conversation around sensitive topics and explore how storytelling can help bridge differences, cultivate greater understanding and build deeper trust. - Lead Compassionate Conversations
In this class, you will learn a robust framework for diagnosing the root causes of most conflict and explore how to defuse tense and combative moments with compassion and grace. Together, we’ll practice holding compassionate conversations that help build mutual respect and a workplace culture of trust and safety. - Collaborate in a Dynamic Workplace
How do individuals most effectively collaborate in remote-first or hybrid teams? This class will explore fundamental challenges and opportunities modern teams face around collaboration. Participants will learn key strategies to promote psychological closeness with peers and explore how to communicate shared goals and priorities with clarity and compassion.
Financial Literacy Month
Financial stress can wreak havoc on an employee’s ability to focus and participate in work. To prepare your employees for the future, consider offering financial seminars and asking them what topics are most relevant. In addition, make sure your employees know if the company already provides financial resources like tax preparation assistance or connections to financial advisors.
Arab-American Heritage Month
Arab American Heritage Month is an annual observance in April to celebrate Arab American heritage and culture. It honors the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans to the broader American community.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically. For example, some ways to celebrate significant achievements are by learning more about why we celebrate Arab-American Heritage Month, sharing books by Arab-American authors, celebrating Arab-American artists, spotlighting Arab-American employees in your company (with their permission), inviting speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support Arab-American employees n and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate these voices and experiences throughout the year.
DEIB Dates:
- World Autism Awareness Day (April 2, 2024)
This day raises awareness for those with Autism who seek to improve their lives and accept them in society. Highlight this day by sharing resources so team members can better understand Autism, the challenges this community faces, and their accomplishments in the workplace and beyond.
Other Important Dates:
- Earth Day (April 22, 2024)
For the past 50 years, Earth Day has been celebrated by billions of people around the globe, annually every April 22, to join together in promoting awareness for the health of our environment. Help your company do its part by organizing a volunteering day to clean up a local park, plant some trees, or stitch and decorate reusable grocery bags. Encourage employees to share photos from the event on social media or a company Slack channel. - Administrative Professionals Day (April 24, 2024)
Our workplaces wouldn’t be what they are without the administrative professionals keeping everything running smoothly. Take time to recognize these individuals’ outstanding contributions using your team praise tool or by organizing a company event.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Bridge Cultural Differences Across Your Organization
This class focuses on cultural intelligence and intercultural competence, which is the link between Diversity and Inclusion. You will explore your cultural perspective and bias in responding to cultural differences. Through guided exercise, discover your approach to cultural awareness and its impact on team effectiveness, and learn how to address power imbalances. - Mindfulness Fundamentals
We live and work in an age of unimaginably powerful attention grabbers and distractors, from social media to streaming entertainment to constant notifications about email and other messages. In this class, you will learn mindfulness techniques to quiet those distractions, curb reactive behavior, and become more fully present in your day-to-day life. - Lead Highly Effective 1:1’s
In this class, you will learn and practice a formula for conducting your 1:1s, how often and for how long to hold them, and how to focus on things that are bigger than just the work — factors critical to your team’s growth, productivity, and innovation over time.
May
Mental Health Month
Started in 1949 by the Mental Health America (MHA) organization, Mental Health Awareness Month is widely observed worldwide. Millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness each year, and it’s important to provide support to your employees when they need it.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate or discuss Mental Health Month at work, here are some ideas. Host discussions on maintaining work-life balance, ensure team members know they aren’t expected to work late into the night or on weekends, encourage team members to take Hone’s Mindfulness at Work course, have people leaders take Hone’s Lead Compassionate Conversations course, and highlight mental health resources your company offers including whether the company’s healthcare program supports therapy.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which celebrates the histories of Americans hailing from across the Asian continent and from the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month) is a time for learning about and celebrating AAPI communities, who bring unique heritage and experiences to the workplace.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically. For example, some ways to celebrate significant achievements are by sharing AAPI-owned businesses with your team, sharing books by AAPI authors, supporting local artists by purchasing art to display in the office, spotlighting AAPI employees in your company (with their permission), inviting speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support AAPI employees and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate these voices and experiences throughout the year.
Jewish American Heritage Month
This month honors American Jews and their contributions to the United States throughout history. In 2006, President George W. Bush officially established May as Jewish American Heritage Month.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically. For example, some ways to celebrate significant achievements are by encouraging your team to learn more about American Jewish history, sharing books by Jewish authors, learning about Jewish-American artists and supporting local artists, spotlighting Jewish employees in your company (with their permission), invite speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support Jewish employees and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate these voices and experiences throughout the year.
Recognition isn’t just about treats or gifts—it’s also about ensuring your company fosters a culture of belonging for all employees. With important dates like mental health month, Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Jewish heritage month, now is the perfect time to evaluate whether your recognition strategy is inclusive.
DEIB Dates:
- International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (May 17, 2024)
The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics. Celebrate this day by providing resources on allyship in the workplace.
Other Important Dates:
- Cinco de Mayo (May 5, 2024)
This holiday commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Take the opportunity to celebrate Mexican heritage with a company-sponsored panel, cater to traditional Cinco De Mayo foods or encourage employees to share their recipes, and share resources on the history and celebration of Cinco de Mayo. - International Human Resources Day (May 20, 2024)
For a team so invested in everyone else’s engagement, HR deserves its holiday, too. Although setting up a celebration for yourself might feel odd, you deserve it! Celebrate your HR team by spotlighting those employees who work hard to ensure work is a safe and functioning space for all team members. - Memorial Day (May 27, 2024)
Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the US military. Celebrate by creating space for employees to share stories of loved ones who died while serving in the US military.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Mindfulness at Work
In this class, you will learn and practice techniques for running mindful meetings, listening with an open mind, and focusing on the most important aspects of your work and your relationships with others. - Lead Compassionate Conversations
In this class, you will learn a robust framework for diagnosing the root causes of most conflict and explore how to defuse tense and combative moments with compassion and grace. Together, we’ll practice holding compassionate conversations that help build mutual respect and a workplace culture of trust and safety. - Build High Trust Relationships
In today’s increasingly remote organizations, how do leaders build trust across their teams in an effective way? In this workshop, we share how to embrace credibility, reliability, and safety in your work relationships and navigate difficult conversations to inspire more profound connection and trust.
June
LGBTQ+ Pride Month
Around the world, June is recognized as LGBTQ+ Pride Month to commemorate a tipping point in queer history — the Stonewall Uprising, which lasted six days in Manhattan in June 1969 as police clashed with LGBTQ+ protesters.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically. For example, some ways to celebrate significant achievements are by encouraging your team to learn more about the history of Pride Month and LGBTQ+ rights, sharing books by LGBTQ+ authors, supporting local LGBTQ+ businesses, spotlighting LGBTQ+ employees in your company (with their permission- be extremely mindful and do not out employees), invite speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support LGBTQ+ employees and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate these voices and experiences throughout the year.
Caribbean American Heritage Month
National Caribbean American Month is celebrated every June to honor and celebrate America’s rich and diverse culture, including the Caribbean-American population. People from this community have evolved the American culture and contributed significantly to the nation’s development in science and medicine.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically. For example, some ways to celebrate significant achievements are by encouraging your team to share Caribbean recipes and enjoy them together, reading books by Caribbean American authors, learning more about Caribbean American history and this month of celebration, spotlighting Caribbean American employees in your company (with their permission), invite speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support Caribbean American employees and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate these voices and experiences throughout the year.
DEIB Dates:
- Juneteenth (June 19, 2024)
Juneteenth honors the day when enslaved people in Texas learned that the Civil War was over and were now free. Beyond giving employees the day off, organizations should think about how to celebrate Juneteenth at work to demonstrate their commitment to the holiday’s history, traditions, and impact.
Other Important Dates:
- Doughnut Day (June 7, 2024)
In the US alone, bakeries produce an estimated 10 billion doughnuts annually. Give out gift cards to popular doughnut shops and ask employees to share photos of their choice doughnut, bring doughnuts into work for office employees, or host a doughnut decorating competition!
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Build a Thriving Team Culture
In this class, you will learn the six foundational pillars of a flourishing culture grounded in positive psychology. You will explore strategies and best practices to cultivate positive emotions and build more profound, trusting relationships. This workshop will provide actionable next steps to help you create a thriving team culture. - Embrace Allyship In Your Organization
Do you or your teammates sometimes struggle to be effective allies to colleagues of underrepresented backgrounds? In this class, you will learn strategies that will enable you to actively contribute to a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion and create meaningful relationships with colleagues of diverse backgrounds. - Explore Power, Privilege, & Inequity at Work
This class examines the relationship between personal identity, power, and privilege and how they intersect to create inequities in the workplace. You will learn how cultural assumptions become learned behaviors, thoughts, and beliefs that shape your implicit bias and influence decision-making across the employee lifecycle.
July
Although every company doesn’t run on a January to December, many of your employees’ personal lives do. July is that halfway mark where team members might become restless, need a break, or want to get outside during warmer months with family and friends. This month, try to incorporate fun summer activities as optional for employees or give employees half days or summer fun days on Fridays!
DEIB Dates:
- Black Women’s Equal Pay Day (July 9, 2024)
Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is the approximate day a Black woman must work into the new year to make what a white, non-Hispanic man made at the end of the previous year. Take time on this day to ensure your company supports equal pay and that the voices and contributions of Black women are celebrated. - National Disability Independence Day (July 26, 2024)
National Disability Independence Day is celebrated every year on July 26. It commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) in 1990. This civil rights law criminalizes discrimination against individuals with disabilities and assures them full participation in the community, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. Encourage teams to discuss how disabilities can be an asset to the workplace and provide resources to educate employees on the Americans with Disability Act.
Other Important Dates:
- Independence Day (July 4, 2024)
Independence Day, also called Fourth of July or July 4th, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America. Celebrate by sharing fun photos, family traditions, and recipes! - Parents Day (July 28, 2024)
Working parents bring unique perspectives to the table, making them a critical part of your talent strategy and diversity and inclusion goals. Remember to celebrate working parents by offering benefits for the family, providing plenty of time off for family activities, and encouraging parents to bring that part of their life into work by sharing photos and stories. - International Self-Care Day (July 24, 2024)
Every year on July 24th, International Self Care Day promotes self-care as a vital foundation of health. It’s also a day for people worldwide to prioritize self-care and make it a part of their lifestyle. To celebrate and show appreciation, you could consider offering employees discounts for meditation apps like Calm or Headspace.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Prioritize the Right Work
In this class, you will learn to utilize factors like importance, urgency, value, cost, pain, and level of effort in your prioritization strategy. You’ll also explore how these factors are combined in frameworks such as OKRs, scoring matrices, and “bang for the buck” agile planning graphs. - Manage Remote Teams
Together we’ll explore tangible strategies to improve team-wide communication and build trusting relationships among your remote employees. You will also learn the keys to motivating remote employees and a framework for driving accountability despite the distance. - Mindfulness Fundamentals
We live and work in an age of unimaginably powerful attention grabbers and distractors, from social media to streaming entertainment to constant notifications about email and other messages. In this class, you will learn mindfulness techniques to quiet those distractions, curb reactive behavior, and become more fully present in your day-to-day life.
August
August marks the end of summer for most team members, which means they may need some additional motivation to jump back into work! Encourage team members to take new Hone courses to revitalize their power skills and interest in continuous learning.
DEIB Dates:
- Women’s Equality Day (August 26, 2024)
In 1973, the US Congress designated August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day.” The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. This day can serve as a great reminder to continue celebrating women in work throughout the year, not just in March!
Other Important Dates:
- National Book Lovers Day (August 9, 2024)
Looking for a creative way to bring people together? Organize a book club to foster camaraderie, cross-departmental communication, and a healthy debate. Consider sponsoring book purchases to encourage participation.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Utilize Your Strengths
Of the almost 2 million employees polled by Gallup across over 100 organizations worldwide, only 20% said they get to play to their strengths at work each day. In this class, you will learn to identify your strengths, utilize your strengths in your day-to-day work, and grow your strengths over time. - Communicate Powerfully Around Change
In this class, you will learn how to tell a powerful story around change and inspire others’ commitment by leading with conviction and compassion. We’ll examine how to navigate others through the emotions of change, address challenges head-on, and emerge as effective leaders of people during change. - Identify the Right Conflict Style
In this class, you will explore the dual concern model to diagnose conflict and choose an appropriate response style. Using non-violent communication skills, you will successfully practice leading sensitive conversations and defusing conflict.
September
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage month is annually celebrated from September 15 to October 15 to recognize the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically. For example, some ways to celebrate significant achievements are by encouraging your team to learn more about the creation of National Hispanic Heritage Month, reading books by Hispanic authors, supporting businesses within this community, spotlighting Hispanic employees in your company (with their permission), inviting speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support Hispanic employees and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate these voices and experiences throughout the year.
Important Dates:
- Labor Day (September 2, 2024)
The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize workers’ contributions to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. - Suicide Prevention Day (September 10, 2024)
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO). This day focuses attention on the issue, reduces stigma, and raises awareness among organizations, the government, and the public, giving a singular message that suicide can be prevented. Remember to highlight mental health services throughout the year in your organization. - National Coffee Day (September 29, 2024)
Coffee is well-known and well-loved in the workplace. Take time to celebrate this fun day and boost team morale by offering gift cards for local coffee shops or asking team members to share their favorite coffee orders.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Embrace Diversity Through Inclusion
In this class, you will explore two powerful skills required to build a culture of belonging: vulnerability and empathy. You will learn the keys to holding a compassionate conversation around sensitive topics and explore how storytelling can help bridge differences, cultivate greater understanding and build deeper trust. - Ask Powerful Questions
In this class, we will focus on making intentional choices about the type of question to ask, learn how to sequence questions and change approaches when needed, and use active listening and probing questions to get beneath surface answers. - Influence Without Authority
You’ll leave this class with a straightforward approach to influencing the organization, influencing your peers, and even influencing those you may supervise without having to give them explicit direction.
October
National Disability Awareness Month
In October, Americans observe National Disability Employment Awareness Month by paying tribute to the accomplishments of the men and women with disabilities whose work helps keep the nation’s economy strong and by reaffirming their commitment to ensuring equal opportunity for all citizens.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically. For example, some ways to celebrate significant achievements are by encouraging your team to learn more about the creation of National Disability Awareness Month, reading books by authors with disabilities, supporting businesses within this community, spotlighting employees with disabilities in your company (with their permission), invite speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support disabled employees and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate these voices and experiences throughout the year.
Global Diversity Awareness Month
This October, celebrate Global Diversity Awareness Month and pay tribute to the diverse minds and beliefs held by all cultures worldwide. We live in a multicultural society, and embracing the values of various cultures only strengthens our understanding and appreciation of the world.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, Hone has a catalog of courses dedicated to improving inclusion in the workplace. You can also encourage employees to share their personal experiences with diversity, parts of their culture that they love, and more! Finally, as a company, you can have leadership discuss diversity in your industry, share how your company embraces diversity, or create an employee survey that gauges your company’s DEIB efforts.
National Filipino American History Month
Filipino American History Month is observed in October every year to mark the anniversary of the first recorded evidence of Filipinos in America. Their contributions to our country are exemplary, and their achievements are recognized and celebrated throughout this designated month.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically. For example, some ways to celebrate significant achievements are by encouraging your team to read books by Filipino authors, supporting businesses within this community, spotlighting Filipino employees in your company (with their permission), inviting speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support Filipino employees and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate these voices and experiences throughout the year.
DEIB Dates:
- Indigenous Peoples Day (October 14, 2024)
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October to honor the cultures and histories of the Native American people. The day is centered around reflecting on their tribal roots and the tragic stories that hurt but strengthened their communities. Celebrate with your team by learning more about local tribal lands and contributions.
Other Important Dates:
- World Mental Health Day (October 10, 2024)
As we enter the fall months and days get shorter, consider giving employees a mental health day to decompress and consider how this change impacts employees’ mental health. This is also an excellent opportunity to remind your team to use your employee assistance program (EAP) and other mental health resources. - Spirit Day (October 17, 2024)
This day aims to create awareness for the bullying and harassment that the LGBTQ+ community faces, specifically youth members of this community. You can celebrate this day by sharing resources about bullying, how to get help for bullying, and the harassment the LGBTQ+ community faces.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Mindfulness at Work
In this class, you will learn and practice techniques for running mindful meetings, listening with an open mind, and focusing on the most important aspects of your work and your relationships with others. - Bridge Cultural Differences Across Your Organization
This class focuses on cultural intelligence and intercultural competence, which is the link between Diversity and Inclusion. You will explore your cultural perspective and bias in responding to cultural differences. Through guided exercise, discover your approach to cultural awareness and its impact on team effectiveness, and learn how to address power imbalances. - Manage Bias in the Workplace
We all have unconscious biases that may prevent us from making equitable, inclusive decisions. In this class, you will explore unconscious bias, the different types of biases, and how they manifest in the workplace. Together we will learn more about the impact of bias on exclusion in the workplace and strategies to mitigate bias and create a culture of inclusion and belonging.
November
Native American Heritage Month
What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the US has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose. It is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and how tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
If you’re unsure how to celebrate, ask team members at your organization how they want to celebrate and if they want to be celebrated specifically. For example, some ways to celebrate significant achievements are by encouraging your team to learn what tribal land you’re on, reading books by Native American authors, supporting businesses within this community, spotlighting Native American employees within your company (with their permission), inviting speakers to visit during this month or year-round, share how your company works to support Native American employees and reduce bias in hiring, or create a plan to celebrate these voices and experiences throughout the year.
DEIB Dates:
- Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20, 2024)
This annual observance honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Bring awareness to this day by providing educational resources, reminding your team members of their mental healthcare options, and more. - International Men’s Day (November 19, 2024)
This celebrates the positive value men bring to the world, their families, and communities worldwide. This day is also an excellent time to recognize Movember and men’s physical and mental health by highlighting mental health services and if your organization’s healthcare program covers yearly physicals.
Other Important Dates:
- Veterans Day (November 11, 2024)
A federal holiday in the United States is observed annually to honor military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Celebrate this month by encouraging team members to honor veterans within and outside your organization. Consider highlighting mental health services during this time as well. - Thanksgiving (November 28, 2024)
Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, show employees gratitude with a catered feast featuring all the fixings, provide remote colleagues with a generous meal stipend or encourage employees to share Thanksgiving recipes and stories.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Transform Conflict into Collaboration
How do exceptional leaders navigate difficult conversations within their teams and organizations? In this class, you will learn a step-by-step process to constructively manage conflict and de-escalate more considerable challenges lying beneath the surface. - Give Feedback That Lands
Giving real-time feedback to your team is an essential (and often challenging) part of effective leadership. In this session, we explore the most important factors to consider before, during, and after giving feedback to ensure that it lands and leads to action.
- Explore Power, Privilege, & Inequity at Work
This class examines the relationship between personal identity, power, and privilege and how they intersect to create inequities in the workplace. You will learn how cultural assumptions become learned behaviors, thoughts, and beliefs that shape your implicit bias and influence decision-making across the employee lifecycle.
December
Happy Holidays!
The month of December holds quite a few holidays that involve travel, family time, and more. Honor deserved time off this month and recognized that employees might work from different locations or with family visiting. Be mindful that if you celebrate one religious holiday as a team, you should also recognize and celebrate the others or have a general holiday celebration with your team.
DEIB Dates:
- Hanukkah (sunset on December 25, 2024)
Also known as the “Festival of Lights,” Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday celebrating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the Second Century BC. Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication.” - Christmas (December 25, 2024)
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration. - Kwanzaa (starts on December 26, 2024)
Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day.
Other Important Dates:
- Giving Tuesday (December 3, 2024)
On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, partner with a charity, community center, or school to give back to the less fortunate. Consider providing a company match for employees who donate to a specific non-profit or a non-profit of their choice. - International Volunteer Day (December 5, 2024)
Take time on this day to encourage team members to volunteer in groups or share their favorite volunteer opportunities with the team. You could even give team members time off on this day to participate in those volunteer opportunities. - New Year’s Eve (December 31, 2024)
This day celebrates the end of the calendar year.
Membership Classes to Promote This Month:
- Evaluate Performance Fairly and Accurately
In this class, you will learn to gather information from all relevant stakeholders to get an accurate and holistic picture of performance. In addition, you will learn to sidestep common evaluation biases to ensure fairness and provide a helpful review experience for all employees. - Own Your Day
As a manager, how can you organize your time to help your team best? In this class, you will focus on auditing and reclaiming your time, overcoming interruptions and distractions, and creating good daily, weekly, and monthly habits. - Meetings Mastery
In this class, you will learn a research-backed, step-by-step approach to diagnosing your meeting problems and gain advanced facilitation skills to make meetings more purpose-driven, energizing, and efficient.
Our important dates calendar for work doesn’t cover every potential holiday or day of recognition; our goal is to keep recognition in mind. Whether your team celebrates a dedicated month, specific holidays, designated “fun” days or utilizes recognition more frequently, remember to keep your recognition inclusive.
