Tips For Celebrating An Employee’s Birthday

Celebrating an employee’s birthday isn’t always a straightforward task. While there can be strong professional relationships in a workplace, these don’t always easily translate to closer personal ties.

Therefore, there is a sense of decorum a business should follow when celebrating an employee’s birthday. To an extent, the effort should be formal and procedural. The worker must feel cared for and feel their boundaries and privacy are respected.

Business leaders should consider these matters more carefully. Here are some tips for celebrating an employee’s birthday.

Offer a Card

Despite some need for care and control here, some staples of a birthday celebration are traditional and harmless. The birthday card is among them. Business leaders should go the extra mile with theirs, though. Instead of offering a generic card from a shop, they could design free birthday cards instead. That way, every employee will see that they’ve received something wholly unique, making them feel more valued. Creating something bespoke is easier than ever, too, so it’s worth getting creative.

The card should also be carried around the office so everybody can add their good wishes and name. Pessimists might view this as a pointless action, but once the recipient sees the names and response, it can be an icebreaker for workers to get talking and show appreciation for one another.

Ask About Preferences

Not everybody responds to birthday celebrations the same way. It’s important to be mindful of that. While throwing a party or drawing lots of attention to the worker might seem appropriate, those with anxiety won’t appreciate those efforts. Others may have religious beliefs that prevent a full celebration. Moreover, unwanted parties can even lead to legal complications if the employee has made their situation known and been ignored. It’s important to be respectful and to ask workers how, or even if, they’d like to celebrate.

These awkward tensions can be removed by simply asking workers what they’d like to do ahead of time. Do they enjoy surprise parties? Does the worker want everybody to know their age? What’s their favourite type of cake, and would they want one? Perhaps they do not want a fuss and may enjoy a longer lunch break to themselves or a donation to a charity to mark the occasion. Ultimately, it should all be tailored to the birthday worker’s needs.

Provide a Day Off

While birthdays can be celebrated in the office, it’s likely the worker would rather have a day to themselves to celebrate with their nearest and dearest. Cards can be offered, and parties can be thrown on either side of that special day.

Remember, some workers don’t always use their vacation days and may feel too apprehensive about requesting personal time. Burnout and overworking can be persistent in the workplace, so business leaders should let their employees know that a break is feasible.

It’s a kind gesture, but some logistical hurdles can be addressed. Who might cover for the worker while they’re away? Will the workflow be affected? Some reordering should be possible to keep things moving and allow the employee to celebrate the big day elsewhere.