Chinese New Year: How can employers recognise this celebration in the workplace?

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Chinese New Year, also called the ‘Spring Festival’, (Chūn Jié), is one of the biggest holidays in China and across many countries in East and Southeast Asia.

In this blog, Megan Wong, HR Adviser at EST provides insight into how people celebrate, and how you, as employers, can recognise the holiday in the workplace.

What is Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, so the exact date changes every year, but it usually falls between January 21 and February 20. The holiday lasts for 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival, (Yuánxiāo Jié). Each year is associated with one of the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. 2025 will be the Year of the Snake, and depending on the animal of the year, people believe different qualities, like luck and prosperity, will be emphasised.

How is Chinese New Year Celebrated?

Chinese New Year is all about family, renewal, and looking ahead to a fresh start. While the traditions may differ slightly depending on where employees are from, here are some of the most common celebrations:

Family Reunions centred around a large family dinner.
Red Envelopes: these are given out during the new year, and at other celebrations like weddings and birthdays. They usually contain money ending in an even number as a symbol of good luck.
Dragon and Lion Dances: these dances have become symbolic during Chinese New Year celebrations due to the belief that they drive away evil spirits and help bring good luck and blessings to the community.
House cleaning: this is symbolic of sweeping away bad luck and making room for good fortune.
Decorating homes: with red items, red scrolls with positive sayings and images of animals, which correspond to the zodiac sign for that year.

My family will always send messages wishing each other a Happy New Year and often members of my family travel back to Hong Kong over this period. We love to come together to reunite when we can, we exchange red envelopes and share a big meal that everyone contributes to filled with everyone’s favourite dishes in celebration.

How can you recognise Chinese New Year in the workplace?

As employers, you should make an effort to recognise the holiday and show your support for employees who celebrate. Here are some ideas for how businesses can get involved:

Acknowledge the holiday

Even if it’s not a public holiday, you can still acknowledge Chinese New Year with a message to staff. A simple note in the company newsletter or an email wishing employees a Happy New Year is a great way to show you recognise the significance of the holiday and respect the cultural traditions of your team.

Offer Flexible Time Off

For those who celebrate, Chinese New Year is an important family occasion. While it might not be a public holiday in the UK, be mindful of annual leave requests and seek to authorise time off for employees who want to spend time with their family, if possible. You could also consider offering flexibility with working time to show you’re supportive of this cultural celebration. Here at EST, I am entitled to enhanced annual leave and also benefit from flexibility with my hours when needed, so I am able to celebrate with my family during this time without worry about how much annual leave I am using.

Celebrate in the Office

If your workplace is diverse, you could host a small celebration to mark Chinese New Year. For example:

Decorate the office with red lanterns, banners, or other traditional symbols.
Organise a lunch or tea break with Chinese food like dumplings, spring rolls, or dim sum.

You could ask employees to bring in their favourite dish, which makes it a fun and inclusive event. The important thing is to maintain a respectful and open dialogue as not all cultural practices and preferences will be the same.

EST provide all employees with ‘EDI – Raising Awareness’ training which is so valuable, and I highly recommend that other workplaces do the same. Training like this helps promote the importance of inclusivity in the workplace.

In summary

For employers, recognising Chinese New Year in the workplace is a fantastic way to show respect for cultural diversity and foster an inclusive environment. Whether through offering flexible time off, hosting small celebrations, or simply acknowledging the holiday, you can make a big impact by supporting your employees during this special time of year.

Embracing this tradition not only builds community but also celebrates the diversity that makes workplaces richer and more dynamic.

How can our HR team help?

Our highly qualified and expert HR professionals can offer support to businesses in navigating the implementation of difficult and challenging strategies. We can offer innovative Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training to your organisation and provide up to date policies to ensure your organisation is compliant.

Please contact our HR team if you would like more information about this or any other support in respect of HR or organisational and management development 02921 303888 or hrsupport@est-group.co.uk