National Administrative Professionals Day
stretched2thin
15 Posts
I struggle every year with whether or not to celebrate this day with my staff. Some might be offended, as they aren't "secretaries". Others might just as soon get a nice little gift.
What are your thoughts?
My staff includes an HR Coordinator and our 2-person accounting staff team (bookkeeper and staff accountant). One of the 3 is a female, and she is the type who would like a token, like flowers. Would you give them something or not? The accounting folks work very much on their own with little direction from me.
I have never recognized this day with them before, but always struggle over it. I am already including them in a lunch today, so I am thinking more along the lines of a gift cert. or a treat basket.
I found a great resource: [url]http://www.iaap-hq.org/APW/apwindex.htm[/url].
This non-profit organization points out that "Secretaries" Day was not set up by the florists and card vendors, but to promote and support these types of individuals.
What are your thoughts?
My staff includes an HR Coordinator and our 2-person accounting staff team (bookkeeper and staff accountant). One of the 3 is a female, and she is the type who would like a token, like flowers. Would you give them something or not? The accounting folks work very much on their own with little direction from me.
I have never recognized this day with them before, but always struggle over it. I am already including them in a lunch today, so I am thinking more along the lines of a gift cert. or a treat basket.
I found a great resource: [url]http://www.iaap-hq.org/APW/apwindex.htm[/url].
This non-profit organization points out that "Secretaries" Day was not set up by the florists and card vendors, but to promote and support these types of individuals.
Comments
As a company, via my urging, we use that date as Employee Apprecation Day. This year the management staff is preparing breakfast for all (we are about 46 employees, so we can do this). They love to see us cooking and serving. It's fun for us as well. We will also give a token gift for everyone (a few years back it was a smiley face stress ball, one year it was a nice note holder). If a specific manager wants to take the office AA out for lunch, it's okay by me. However, we want to reward all the hard working staff.
We set up tables in our education room and everyone comes in as they can to eat and chat a little.
Employees love these type of get togethers and it keeps people from getting their feelings hurt if they don't have a "day".
At a former job, the plant manager took the entire office staff, 9 people, to lunch every year. Truthfully, I don't know if the secretaries or other similar roles appreciated it but I enjoyed the company paid meal. Then again, I always appreciate a free meal.
1) we close the offices at 1 PM on the Friday of that week, rather than on the actual day, to give staff a long wk-end.
2) we give EVERYONE-- not just our administrative people-- the 1/2 day off, recognizing that all of us work hard... so it really is transformed into more of a generalized staff appreciation day.
3) it's up to each division head whether they want to give their staff gifts, treat them to lunch, etc. I always take my group out to lunch-- usually on the actual day designated as Admin. Prof. Day. (But "lunch envy" being what it is, I have to make a very big deal about how this is on my PERSONAL credit card, NOT on my corp credit card-- lest others, whose bosses don't treat them to lunch, complain that the organization is unfairly treating some to lunch but not others... comes under the heading of "no good deed going unpunished", I think?)
On the whole, all of our staff love this custom. It doesn't offend the Admin. Professionals, and gives everybody 1/2 day off. Of course, after several years of this observance, they now expect it: so it's become virtually an unofficial holiday for our organization.
We try to do something different every year. The year before last we took everyone out for a meal. Last year we had a speaker come in and talk about personality types. It was very fun and enjoyable.
This year we hope to pull off 'dinner and a movie'. If we can find the right movie, we will gather everyone for pizza, popcorn, and soda. We will then use our presentation equipment to run a movie. The right movie has not yet been decided upon. It would be nice to have something related to work, but we have to be careful not to offend anyone. Any suggestions?
I also have not seen Miracle, but it sounds good too. I will try to check them out and see how they are rated, etc.
Thanks!
We show Miracle as part of our leadership training, and I've heard that it is very effective. I would also, seriously this time, recommend Miracle.
Thanks!