How Do You Celebrate Employee Birthdays? Seeking Ideas for a Caring Approach

Hi,

I want to know how other organizations celebrate their employees' birthdays. Is there any modus operandi, or is it done in a random/casual manner? I have also heard of employees receiving leaves for the same. I am looking forward to setting up a system for such occasions where employees can feel a sense of care and concern.

Regards,
Swati Gupta
HR Executive

Hi,

The following points you can do in the company:

1. Note down all the employees' birthdays and greet them on that day in the office premises.
2. Throw a small party for him/her in his department and present a good gift to him. In my opinion, the gift should be a beautiful mug.
3. You can provide him a half-day on that day if your organization allows you to do so or you have a provision in your company's laws.
4. One more thing, a company can give him an appraisal if, on that day, after watching his one-year performance.
5. If the company has a budget, then any company can provide its employee an insurance policy for which the company can pay its first premium. This is an option; the rest all depends on the company policy.

Hi Swati

Birthday celebrations of employees at the work place can either be based on a company policy or based on the proactivness of an empowered departmental head. Ideally a company policy would set standards and work as a motivator.

Either case some suggestions are as under :

1. You need to have a database that captures and reminds HR about the upcoming birthdays of employees.

2. HR has to have a policy on the celebrations that can include parameters on budget, time, gifting, etc.

3. The policy sets the standards its implementation is open to interpretation and creativity of the people orgaisning the celebration. eg.

ü You can have a birthday list for the month put up on the last day of the preceding month on the notice boards / or circulated by way o an email

ü You can have a fixed date & time normally the start of the month (say first Friday/ Saturday) or mid month where all employees assemble to felicitate those having their birthdays that month. A suitable gift can be given to each of them and some fellowship can be arranged.

There can be so many variations and options and I am sure you will take a cue from what I have written and implement a much appreciated Birthday Policy.

Best Wishes

Jacob

Academy for Creative Training- website

Academy for Creative Training- Blog

Dear Swati Gupta,

If the strength is small, say 100 or 200, then on the birthday itself, call the person, wish along with a greeting card, and cut a cake. If the strength is high, then weekly once the same celebration may be done.

Hi Prity,

In our organization, we follow the following process:

1) We consolidate/generate the list of employees whose birthdays fall in the respective months one month in advance from the employee database.

2) We give/send birthday cards along with gifts to the employees.

Hi,

I am working for an MNC company in Chennai. What we usually do for the employees' birthday celebration are:

1. Firstly, we'll wish him and send a greeting through official mail to him.
2. An email about his birthday will be sent to all the employees in the company so that everyone can greet the concerned person. (We are only 250 in number)
3. We would decorate the birthday celebrity's cubicle with lots of write-ups and wall hangers.
4. We'll also provide our company's T-shirt to him with all our wishes written and signed by all the management team and the concerned department team.
5. At the end of the day, we would take the concerned person to any orphanage or old age home with his/her teammates, cut a cake, and distribute snacks to the people.

On their special day, we'll make them happy overall. (But we would never forget to get the treat and make their pockets empty...)