How Do Companies 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 getting 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

We celebrate a small party on the first day of the month with a birthday cake, souvenir gifts, music, and some team-building games for the employees. (participation around 15 people)

We gave birthday cards on behalf of the company, pasted a birthday notice on the notice board, organized a small party, and had the birthday boy cut the cake.

Thanks & regards,

Sapna Saini
HR Executive

Hi,

An email is sent, a cake is cut in the office, and a bunch of flowers can be sent to the employee's residence to give them the feeling that the company cares and is concerned about its employees.

We, as individuals, greet him or her in the morning hours.

From the company side, we take everyone's wishes with a signature on the greeting card, a nice flower bouquet, and gather in the evening around 4 PM to hand over to him or her. We make him or her cut a 4/5 kg cake in the presence of our Managing Director, accompanied by a birthday song. We take photos of him or her cutting the cake. He or she personally distributes the cake, along with some chips and soft drinks, to all who have gathered to greet him or her. Meanwhile, some of the department heads, along with the department members, present him or her with a good, memorable gift.

Enjoy the moments.

Chandra Kanth B
GM-Finance & HR

Hi,

You can plan some inexpensive and good ideas like:

1. Sending out birthday mail to employees and cc'ing the rest (there are enough images and greetings available if you search on Google).

2. If you know some wholesalers, try to get some greetings that you can place on employees' desks (if a budget of up to Rs 20 per employee is not an issue).

3. Also, many companies give a small token of birthday wishes like small teddy bears or wall hangings (again, bulk purchase from a wholesaler).

4. You can try placing a happy birthday note or flowers on employees' desks along with balloons.

5. At the end of the month or on the last working day, you can get a birthday cake and ask all the birthday boys and girls to come and cut the cake.

6. Many companies make it somewhat more special by giving the birthday day off as a special day off to employees and leave an email to the person copying everyone.

7. At times, a personal touch means a lot more than tokens/gifts, so I have also observed that companies opt for a standing 1-minute celebration. The team members stand and sing birthday wishes for the employee once the person reaches his/her workstation.

These were some ways I could think of. If you have any new ideas, please let me know too.

Regards,

Neha Sharma :)

We used to organize a combined party for all the employees whose birthday falls in a particular month on the last working day. We buy cakes and snacks and request all the birthday employees to cut it. Collection of money is made on a monthly basis.

In my opinion, the best way to celebrate a birthday should start with an official birthday greeting sent to his email. A policy should be framed as follows:

Give him the afternoon off.
An amount up to Rs. 1500/- should be reimbursed upon submission of a restaurant bill or food bill on the same day for celebrating the occasion with his family or friends.
The employee will be happy.

Apart from all above, I have observed one more very good part of the birthday celebration. The usual ceremony involves gathering with the management for cake cutting. The coordinator also presents a small slideshow about the birthday person, highlighting their family, achievements, and vacations through photographs. The birthday individual is then asked for a resolution for the upcoming year. The compliance with the resolution from the previous year is also reviewed. The cherry on top is that the resolution can be any personal wish or goal, whether it's buying a car, a home, or losing weight. I found this approach very effective.

Hi all,

I'll tell you a funny incident that happened in my organization. Mostly, some Andhra people input their dates of birth wrong. I mean, their actual date of birth is one, and they put another date in the school records. So, as employers, we only know their date of birth according to their certificates. Hence, I sent wishes and asked one of my employees to collect his gift. He came to me and told me that it was not his birthday that day. He asked me not to tell anyone for two reasons: firstly, his actual birth date is different, and secondly, because everyone starts asking for a party. Well, I obliged and told him to share his real birthdate with me. From then on, I asked all my employees to provide me with their actual dates of birth as well. If they want, we can celebrate, or else, we can at least send wishes on behalf of the organization.

Sadhana

Hi, I am a student. I don't know much, but when I went for my summer training in a bank, they used to organize a small party. After a little celebration, a birthday hat was kept, and the birthday person would wear it while cutting the cake and receiving the gift. Then a small party was organized, and gifts were given on behalf of all employees. They all contributed to a fund especially kept for birthday, retirement, or transfer parties.

We celebrate all the Birthdays in a particular month on the last working day of the month. However, on the birthday, we present him with a Personalized Greeting Card with the team members' comments and wishes written over it.

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Our HR Department takes care of the birthdays of employees. An auto-generated birthday wish email is sent to the birthday employee early in the morning and half an hour before office time. Additionally, a small party is organized in the evening with a birthday cake and gifts. Contributions for the party are collected from individuals, including Directors, VPs, and GMs, as per their wishes, with no contribution from the company's account. The party includes jokes, fun, songs, and celebrating the birthday person.

A pleasant environment is created during this occasion, conveying personal feelings to the birthday person about the love, affection, and care of their employer and colleagues.

We place a notice regarding birthdays on the notice board on the 1st day of the month in which employees' dates of birth are mentioned, whose birthdays fall in that month. This notice includes the date and place of celebration, inviting the birthday persons and others to celebrate the moment.

The celebration includes a birthday cake, gifts, music, songs, games, jokes, and sweets.

Gaurav Gupta
Quality Executive

We place a notice regarding birthdays on the notice board on the 1st day of the month in which employees' dates of birth are mentioned for those whose birthdays fall in that month.

In this notice, the date and place of the celebration are also provided. It invites the birthday persons and others to celebrate the moment with birthday cake, gifts, music, games, jokes, and sweets.

Gaurav Gupta Quality Executive

In Owens Corning (a glass fiber manufacturing company), what they do is display the birthdays of their employees on a big screen in the canteen so that other colleagues can come to know and wish that person. At the end of the month, they celebrate the birthdays of all the employees together. It's a nice way to celebrate birthdays.

Smriti Ranjan

Hi all,

Many people have shared various ways to celebrate birthdays, but I thought this would be something different. What I have started in my organization is giving a nice plant to employees on their birthdays, and they really liked it. Give it a try sometime as it is eco-friendly.

Regards,
Prajakta

Dear Swati,

You have received a lot of ideas from all the postings received so far.

The HR department of the company where I worked initiated keeping a list of employees' birthdays organized by month to ensure no names are missed. Initially, only a greeting card was given to the employee by the HR Manager and the Head of the Department. Later, a 20gms silver coin inscribed with "Happy Birthday" on one side and the company's name on the other side was presented. The names of the employees were displayed on the notice board in the reception area, and the employees along with their respective HODs were invited to the reception area where the CEO of the company would present the silver coin and a card. In the CEO's absence, the next in command would take charge. This gesture was well-received and appreciated by the employees and their families, who in turn would distribute chocolates or sweets.

We would like to know what Swati implemented in your organization.

Regards,

Dr. K. K. Anirudhan
9847925580

If you conduct birthday parties regularly, the charm will fade away. Try doing it in innovative ways every time. If someone's birthday is celebrated with a single cake, go with a monthly birthday surprise if two or three people are having birthdays in the same month. Try surprising them in new ways, and you will feel the enthusiasm rolling in your employees. Also, please give a gap; let them come to you if you skip someone's birthday.