Diwali is probably the most celebrated festival in India, and this includes within corporate settings. The wellness and wellbeing of employees is intrinsically linked to how they feel in their job, and so it is in employers’ best interests to keep them happy, and a thoughtful gift at Diwali can go a long way to achieving this.
During Diwali, there is much celebration of the happiness and prosperity of those around us, such as family, friends, neighbours and colleagues, so a gift is actually very appropriate as part of this festival. Many employers already do celebrate by providing their employees with gifts.
It is said that when Lord Rama returned to his Kingdom Ayodhya on the day of Diwali, the people of his kingdom were so happy and delighted that they celebrated with fireworks, lights and worship, and that he distributed gifts to them, and this is where the tradition of giving gifts originates. The tradition of employers giving a gift to employees has actually stood for a long time now. Initially, it came in the form of a bonus that workers were paid by their employers – usually a salary in advance or a few shares in the company that they were working for. Shares were particularly popular, as workers tended to work harder for a company that they felt they had an actual investment in.
Times have changed, however, and now corporate gifts have taken the place of these bonuses or shares. Corporate gifts are often things like sweets, chocolates, apparels and watches, or other utilities such as cameras and microwaves.
Many employers also gift a bonus in addition to this, such as a fixed sum of money for each employee. A lot of employers believe that this gesture actually gains them money rather than loses it, because they feel (quite rightly) that it will make their employees feel valued, and that this will give them loyalty to the company, and increase the likelihood of them working hard for the company.