Birthday Cakes, Baby Showers, etc

Rockie

What do the majority of you do for employee birthdays, baby showers, etc.

As we get larger and larger, it appears that this is getting more out of hand. Occasionally someone gets forgotten, left out or just plain ostracized in their areas for one reason or another.

Some companies out and out ban these type of celebrations...and I just wanted to see what you guys do.

Whatever

We banned them. Too much confusion (especially since not everyone takes lunch at the same time and who switches with who etc. became too time consuming).
And, just wait until the day when an ee isn't invited because the person who picked up the cake isn't talking to that ee.

ray a

Every month we have a party for those whose birthday falls in that month. We have cake and icecream and it lasts about a 1/2 hour and people can come and go as they please. What people do during lunch and at their own expense, as far as celebrating events, is their own business.

System

Well, today's my birthday :DD so I can answer this first-hand. Of course the day was filled with much glee and merriment, and later we'll have camel rides (BYOC) :~~

Some bosses around here will make sure each of their ees gets recognized on their BD. Tony Kessler bakes a chocolate cake whenever an ee has a birthday and makes up a lame excuse to have a department "meeting." On the other hand, Brad Forrister and my corner of the department pretty much ignore birthdays - we're more likely to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day.

I don't know of any major problems with this. Maybe because our company is fairly small. Or happy. Or cynical. Or ....

James Sokolowski
HRhero.com

ray a

Happy Birthday, James. Enjoy the camel ride. How many quarters does that ride take?

Brad Forrister

The real reason we celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day is that it falls on my birthday.

Brad Forrister
VP/Content
M. Lee Smith Publishers

KathyHR

We're a non-profit and we can't use public money for these types of events. On birthdays we bring in a treat ourself. It's nice because then it's usually something different. If the person doesn't want to celebrate then they don't have to bring anything in. For anything else usually someone in the department decides to have a shower, etc. and if someone wants to attend the lunch & bring a gift so be it.

Paul in Cannon Beach

I read this book once that encouraged readers to "celebrate" more so we started having short parties for ee's on their birthday. They were a total disaster and we stopped them after about a year.

Everyone would meet in our cafe at 3 pm and we would have ice cream or cake. The problem was that no one would speak to the ee who was having the birthday. They would just sit there while the other ees awkwardly surrounded them at a safe distance. Usually I was the only person who would speak to the individual.

Cake would be dispersed and then everyone would wander off. It was all pretty horrible. I finally decided our staff here are not "party types" and that the forced "festivities" were uncomfortable for them.

So now we just announce the birthday in our monthly newsletter and give a card to the ee.

Whats really tough is when you get e-mails from an ee's mom telling you to make sure that her daughters upcoming birthday is really special.

Open1

Thanks, Rocky, for bringing up this topic. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to James! Please post pics of the camel rides.

We have a voluntary birthday club, and innumerable baby showers (mostly women in our workplace). In the past few months we've had 2 babies adopted from China and 2 sets of twins (we averaged only about 100 employees at the time...we warn new-hires not to drink the water). There are currently 4 more expectant moms working with showers planned IN the workplace on company time. This practice was in place for years before I started.

I did object to the email that went out from a director soliciting cash for one of the moms-to-be but the president overruled my objection. Also, I was recently chewed out by the mom of a newlywed because her daughter didn't get a wedding shower at work. I didn't even know she was getting married until she asked to change her name afterward. She has 2 kids and has been living with her husband for years.

As we grow (180+ employees now), I shudder to think of the complaints to come...

System

Instead of camel rides we rode a pink elephant, which usually only happens at parties with an open bar.

[url]http://obnoxiousantiques.com/testalbums1/ELEPHANT-RIDE/aaa.highlight.jpg[/url]

James Sokolowski
HRhero.com

WT

Most of these things are best done in an unofficial manner. We do have a little party at Christmas (food but no booze) on company time. If there is a treat or little party for a birthday or other occasion, we turn a blind eye as long as too much time is not wasted. However, the management does not sponsor events nor do we compel any participation. If it is abused, we can prohibit it.

E Wart

In years past (in myprior life) we had to ban showers during office time because they were not done for everyone, only those "popular" folks. Also took more time out. However, the compromise was that employees could have a shower after office hours in the break room if they wanted to do so. Strickly volunteer. No alcohol could be serves. This way it was easier for folks to attend since they didn't have to drive from all over. Worked out pretty well. Company didn't sponser or pay for anything. (Usually done by the department and the employee or their Supv. decided who to ask).
One department at another place I worked did something I kind of liked. It was a fairly small department of about 15 people who were fairly close. The person who's birthday was last brought he cake for the next person. This way responsibility wasn't on one person. They just cut the cake and dispursed it to those in that department and it didn't take long. There was one employee who for religious reasons did not celebrate birthdays. They just skipped her in the chain and she didn't eat any of the cake. However, you have to have a pretty tight group for this to work. I don't know if you could force it on anyone... but may be could suggest it. Company never bought anything.

E Wart

HRinNH

Happy Belated Birthday James! I didn't get on the forum yesterday to read/post. I hope you got your "camel ride".

To answer the post, we do not have parties of any kind here. Our VP is a JW and frowns on such things as birthday or holiday parties on company time. I am however usually able to work in a company luncheon every 6-8 weeks. They are low key and food is contributed by the employees for the most part.

Cheryl C.

Sally

Our staff is small enough we do a cake and cards each month. I ask the staff members whose birthday is in the month to get together to agree on a day and time convenient for them, and decide what kind of cake or if they prefer something else (muffins, big cookie, whatever as long as there is no alcohol--it's been requested!) I let all staff know when the celebration is and that cards are available for signing. If they can make, fine--if not, oh well.

njjel

We used to celebrate birthdays once a month. It was discontinued because no one seemed to want to be responsible to pick up the cake! We do have special parties and our director grants an extra 1/2 hour or hour for it and staff brings or pays for the food.

gismo

We have a potluck once a month to cover every one's bithday. Boy do we have some good cooks!!!
The food is put in our boardroom and when ever anyone wants to eat they are more than welcome to induldge.

NaeNae55

We do something very similar. We have 15 employees so some months we don't have a birthday, and some months we have several.

We send out a memo in the months that we have birthdays. It lists everyone who is having a birthday and the date of each. Then we pick one day and everyone brings treats. We only have a cake if someone happened to choose to make one for their treat.

We also have a white board in the break room we use for employees to share thoughts or jokes with others. The bottom portion is reserved for me. Every week I write in anniversaries and birthdays and other special events.

Nae

HR in PA

We have a sunshine club that employees voluntarily contribute to. The club then purchases cakes and decorations for first wedding and first baby showers that are held before hours at the branch location. For the employee's birthday, our sunshine club coordinator posts a customized birthday sign on the employee entrance of the branch and the individual receives a birthday gift from the club valued at $25. It is very well received and everyone seems to enjoy it. The sunshine club funds also are utilized to purchase arrangements for employees that are hospitalized or lose a loved one.

I never understood bringing in your own treats to celebrate your birthday. Maybe someone can explain to me why on your birthday, you are stuck with the bill to purchase goodies to share with others. Anyway, it warrants mentioning that we are a smaller employer with under 100 employees.

jmcaa

We have 7 employees -- 6 men, one woman. I, the woman, go to Kroger and buy a 12 pack of cupcakes with company money, on company time. Usually for my birthday, someone will go buy the cupcakes for me.

Everybody wishes the person with the birthday, "Happy Birthday" unless of course it is a MAJOR birthday. On my 40th, they had a funeral with a casket for me. One of the Engineer's printed up a nice poem about getting OLD, everyone was dressed for a funeral....nice bunch of guys to work with! x:D

SamanthaQ

We don't do anything on company time for these type of events. For Birthdays we do have an employee or two who volunteer to send a bag of candy, a coupon for a free dress down and a card to everyone on their birthday. We used to do what was called "Birthday Tuesday" where once a month the employees got together in the break room for a half an hour for cake and ice cream but we are way too big with too many different branches for that to work now.

As for showers, usually someone close to the employee getting married or having a baby will do an evening shower in our main office break room. They generally invite everyone and take up a collection for a group gift as well.

Paul in Cannon Beach

Ok, is there anyone out there who is willing to admit that their company does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for ees on their birthday. No cake. No card. No nothing.

Come on? Fess up.

AnneHa

I'll step up and admit we don't. We are a tax-funded organization and are constrained from having fun at the public's expense.

Anne in Ohio

Java HR

We only send out cards. If the ee want to bring a cake for each other.. that is their choice.

HRinNH

Our company does nothing for birthdays, etc. Nada. If I sat in the corner office, though, we would.

Cheryl C.

lukkieseven

Our company has what's known as a "Good News/Bad News" fund. We ask each employee to contribute $15 per year to the fund (this is optional).

We use the money in that fund for the following:
Newborn
Wedding
Hospitalization (plant, flowers)
Death of family member
Staff Goodbys
Welcome Gift for new employee
Also we use it for Anniversary milestones with our company (5/10/15/20 years)

It does not address general birthdays.

lnelson

We are a manufacturing plant so what we do is for shop personnel we have a monthly cake celebrating all of the months birthdays. No names are listed on the cake at all it is just an acknowledgement for those who had a birthday during the month.

For our office personnel pretty much the same but names are displayed on cake and happy birthday is sung( out of key of course.)