How Can I Celebrate Employee Birthdays on a Budget to Boost Morale?

Hi,

I am planning to organize the employees' birthdays to motivate them. Can anyone help me with how to start this without cost? Please share your experience.

Regards,
Ms. Shubhada
Newage Fire Protection Engineers Pvt. Ltd. - Mumbai
9833847319
shubhada@newagefireprotection.com

Hi Ms. Shubhada,

You can start by following these steps:

1. Make a list of birthdays/anniversaries of all employees with their email IDs and contact numbers.
2. Send a circular to all department heads/seniors about this planning.
3. Then, for every birthday, send a birthday e-card to that employee.
4. You can also consider gifts or a bucket if all employees are willing to contribute some money for that.
5. Buy a cake (bill from the company accounts department if your company doesn't have any issues with it).

It is very motivating because I also organize birthdays for my staff/employees.

Good luck!

With warm regards,
Prinshu Taneja
Executive HR
Telecom Co.

Dear Shubhada,

It's really a great idea to motivate the employees. Follow some simple ideas to motivate your employees without incurring costs to the company, such as:

1. Birthday message set on his/her PC desktop before office timings.
2. E-cards mailed to the candidate with CC to other employees.
3. Birthday message on the notice board of the office.
4. If your company permits to contribute a bit, then decorate his workplace/desk with artificial garlands (which can be reused), a small cake, or a small gesture of an HR person to personally go to his desk and give him/her regards for the birthday with a small bouquet.
Note: Never ask the birthday person to come to you; instead, make it a habit to go to him and wish.

Regards,
Perfect Personnel Services

Hi,

This is a good initiative. What you can do is start by asking all employees to contribute 1% of their basic salary for welfare activities for employees. In this way, you can collect funds and organize such ceremonies.

Let me know if this could help you or not.

Regards,
Jas Kaur

Hi,

You can also do this birthday celebration as part of employees' recreation activities "Birthdays of the month." Every month end, you can arrange a small get-together and invite all department staff. Buy a small cake and invite all the employees whose birthday falls on that particular month, asking them to cut the cake.

Hi Shubhada,

You can actually make a list of employees whose birthday would be in a particular month and put the same on the notice board. On their special day, you can decorate their work station with some balloons, flower petals, or shiny paper. If you have speakers connected to your system, you can play a happy birthday song for them when they enter the office, and all of you can wish the employee.

Regards,
Saritha

Hi,

I give employees plants or flowers. I keep a small card where all have written different messages for him. I decorate the work station and keep some chocolates. It automatically flashes on our internal communication portal. I put it on the notice board and send an email to him, made and designed by me, and cc the CEO, MD, and his PM, where these levels might forget, and if they come across it, they would wish the employee, which might give motivation and a smile on the employee's face.

Monthly birthday celebrations for all employees take place on the last Friday of the month with some events and refreshments. We have introduced a birthday off policy so confirmed employees can enjoy holidays with friends, family, and loved ones. It is paid in nature, and for employees on probation, we do the above things to appreciate them for coming to the office on their special day.

Regards,
Prajakta

Hi All,

Once, I had tried to take a cake and celebrate with the birthday man and all the other employees in the office after the official hours, and to my surprise, it clicked, and we all had a great bonding during this process. Since then, my employees eagerly wait for other employees' birthdays, and we celebrate them. Due to this, we have generated a friendly atmosphere on these days, and a personal touch always helps in bringing things together. Now, the bonding is stronger, and my production has also gone up.

Cheers to them and all.

Thanks and Regards,

Niraj

Just imagine, if it were your birthday; what would you like to get when you reached your office...

I would like to add the following:

1. Make sure that the team members of the birthday employee are aware of the birthday of one of their team members.
2. Make the team, along with as many senior management staff, sing happy birthday to the employee.
3. The confirmed employees may be granted a half-day off.
4. Send an e-card or a designed email to the employee and cc it to all team members and senior management.
5. Organize a small team game to celebrate the occasion - e.g., musical chairs, etc. There are a host of game ideas on the net.

These do not require any finances and are sure to make one's birthday a memorable one!!

Regards,
Neetu Maltiar
Manager - Training & Quality
Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon - INDIA

Hi Shubadha,

I feel that the employees' desire for recognition is on par with the monetary/tangible benefits they receive. It may be beneficial to involve employees in contributing towards recognizing their peers, such as by purchasing a cake and holding a celebration on their special days.

Performing a public rendition of the birthday song, requesting the individual to share a few words, and having senior staff say a few words about the employee can have a significant impact. Additionally, creating custom cards in-house and getting them printed in the office could enhance the celebratory experience.

Please let me know if this suggestion is helpful. If you require further assistance or input, feel free to reach out.

Regards,
Rohan

Hi,

It's a good idea for employees to feel happy as it fosters proper relationships between them and reduces the chance of ego and tension among them.