National Administrative Professionals Day

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.

Comments

  • 16 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • At our last contract negotiation (2001), the union wanted "Secretaries Day" inserted into the holiday package, even though we have a relative handful of secretaries, so we tend to avoid these so-called holidays. Yet another reason to resist unionization.
  • I used to be a secretary and always hated that day. Have met some professional secretaries/admin assts who like it, however.

    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 sort of do what Dasher does. We have a Staff Appreciation Day where we have a cookout with chicken, hotdogs,hamburgers and all the side dishes that go with it.

    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".



  • I agree with the above posts. We have Staff Appreciation Day for our receptionists, medical records clerks, billing dept, etc and everyone seems to like it. We are a fairly large group, so each year we try to do something different, like Gift Certificates to different local restaurants, etc.
  • Well, the flower shops may not have set it up; but, they're darned sure the ones who push it today, just like they do every other event one could possibly buy a flower for. I think this one as well as 'boss' day' or whatever the flower shops now call it, should go the way of the Christmas party with booze.
  • We do nothing for this designated special day. I have not heard a peep of discontent or disbelief that we don't honor the day nor the administrative staff. Maybe being an ESOP company, everyone has a different mindset on these types of things.

    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.
  • Our solution to Admin. Professionals Day:

    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 also make ours a Employee Appreciation Day. We will not be able to celebrate it on the day, but will do so on the 29th.

    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?


  • How about Office Space? That's sure to be a morale builder. After it's over they'll have to feel better about the company, right?
  • I haven't seen Office Space, though I heard it was hilarious. Is there anything in it that might offend people, like language or sexual situations?

    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!

  • I was just kidding about office space. Although it may offend so broadly that it would be OK.

    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.
  • Great! I thought Office Space might be a little out there, but someone here recommended it too so I assumed I had it wrong. Miracle sounds like a good one.

    Thanks!
  • How about "Miracle". Get the teamwork message out there.
  • I didn't actually see the movie, but what about "Pay it Forward"?


  • Pay It Forward was an excellent movie. It had a lot of good precepts in it which could only help society. However, the death of the little boy at the end was very depressing. I cried (of course, I cry at the drop of a hat but still...).

  • We give a token flower or plant to each secretary/assistant in our program. Is it appreciated? I seriously doubt it. As our funds are extremely limited, I like the time off gift!
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