UK Government staff in Aberdeen and London have been urged not to say “Merry Christmas” in festive messages.
The advice was reportedly sent out to officials in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) this week to avoid offending people who are not Christian.
The staff were also told not to use “images of skin” in order to prevent accusations of racism.
Decc – which has 102 civil servants based in the Granite City and 1,441 at its HQ in London – sends e-cards instead of traditional paper greetings to save money and paper.
The message, sent on Monday to staff who wanted to know how to style festive greetings sent from the department, stated: “When picking, think season’s greetings rather than merry Christmas.”
The advice was criticised by Conservative MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, who said: “They should grow up and get a grip.
“We live in 21st century Britain and we should be able to get on and celebrate Christmas and recognise people have different faiths without offending anyone.”
A Decc spokesman insisted the email was only sent to a small group of people in the department.
“There is no formal guidance to staff about Christmas cards,” he added.
Energy Secretary Ed Davey’s seasonal message to staff included several references to Christmas.
Writing to all staff, the Liberal Democrat said: “Having just spent the last week in Lima at the climate change talks, I, for one, am definitely looking forward to a few days at home with the family at Christmas. I’m sure you are too.
“I hope that everyone finds time over Christmas to reflect, relax and recharge the batteries. You deserve it. Merry Christmas – and a Happy New Year.”