By Won Kim

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After disguising Christmas last year in the veneer of "Seasons Greetings"—and getting heat from angry customers—Wal-Mart this year welcomed back the greeting "Merry Christmas" and all the related trimmings.

Other large retailers, such as Macys/Bloomingdale's, No. 20 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity^® list, also have increased Christmas-based marketing. Their point—and the one most progressive employers reach as well—is that religious holidays shouldn't be ignored, they all should be celebrated and noted.

When Wal-Mart, one of the 25 Noteworthy Companies in 2006, and other retailers decreased or eliminated the focus on Christmas, there was a huge uproar among Christian groups and various merchants, some responding with boycotts and a severing of business relationships. Linda Blakley, a Wal-Mart spokesperson, told NPR, "We learned a lesson from that. 'Merry Christmas' is now part of the vocabulary here at Wal-Mart."

Wal-Mart also clearly acknowledges Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other religious and cultural holidays both in its stores and on its web site, with dedicated pages for these holidays.

Inclusivity in the Workplace

Some corporations, such as Ford Motor Co., No. 37 on the Top 50, have religious employee-resource groups that welcome everyone, whether or not they are members of that religion. Ford started its Ford Interfaith Network after Sept. 11, 2001, at the request of some Christian employees. The group has a network executive committee, with representatives from eight religions.

More companies are creating private places for worship (especially for Muslims, who must pray five times a day, including at least twice during the normal workday). Others are adding floating religious holidays.

A survey by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding and the Society for Human Resource Management found that 36 percent of human-resources professionals said more religions are represented in their work forces, and 20 percent said they had increased religious accommodations in the workplace.

During the winter holiday seasons, religious differences are more apparent in the workplace. Concerns from how the office is decorated to flexible scheduling for religious observances to what kind of food is provided for employees during the holidays all matter to employees.

Employers that "have multicultural events that are specific to each religious faith and ethnic background" are approaching the holidays in the most inclusive way, notes John Peoples, managing partner of Global Lead Management Consulting.

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