Dear seniors and friends,
As an initiative to encourage employee belongingness with the firm, we have introduced Birthday Celebrations. Every month, birthday wishes for employees who have a birthday in that month are displayed on the notice board, and by the end of the month, we celebrate their birthdays with cake cutting (sponsored by the company).
Recently, a few employees expressed disapproval of this practice, claiming that others end up pressuring the individual celebrating their birthday to provide treats. It has also been noticed that some employees are absent on their birthday, possibly to avoid the expectation of treating others.
Now, my question is: Should I call off this Birthday Celebration Scheme entirely, stop putting up birthday notifications, or should I continue with the current practice?
I would greatly appreciate some help and opinions.
Regards,
Elsa
From India
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As an initiative to encourage employee belongingness with the firm, we have introduced Birthday Celebrations. Every month, birthday wishes for employees who have a birthday in that month are displayed on the notice board, and by the end of the month, we celebrate their birthdays with cake cutting (sponsored by the company).
Recently, a few employees expressed disapproval of this practice, claiming that others end up pressuring the individual celebrating their birthday to provide treats. It has also been noticed that some employees are absent on their birthday, possibly to avoid the expectation of treating others.
Now, my question is: Should I call off this Birthday Celebration Scheme entirely, stop putting up birthday notifications, or should I continue with the current practice?
I would greatly appreciate some help and opinions.
Regards,
Elsa
From India
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Dear friend,
It's a good idea. If it causes a problem to continue with that, make a small change in it. That is, on the eve of the birthday of an employee, give a gift and do not display it on the notice board, and do not celebrate with cake cutting. It's my opinion.
From India, Hyderabad
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3It's a good idea. If it causes a problem to continue with that, make a small change in it. That is, on the eve of the birthday of an employee, give a gift and do not display it on the notice board, and do not celebrate with cake cutting. It's my opinion.
From India, Hyderabad
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Seek the concurrence of the particular employee and if he/she agrees, you can arrange celebrations. Withdrawal of a scheme which may be liked by the majority, is not advisable. Pon
From India, Lucknow
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From India, Lucknow
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In my organization, we put it on the notice board but no celebration. We provide some money to each employee on their birthday as a token of their B-day gift. This money comes along with their previous month salary, and the same is mentioned in the respective salary slip. This money is from the company.
From India, Hyderabad
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From India, Hyderabad
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Chief / Head of HR of your company can send a special birthday greeting to the individuals on their birthday. Special letter head may be got printed for this to have personal touch.
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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Dear Elsa,
Don't stop a good practice; this is a good employee motivation in many organizations. In our organization, we have created a separate email ID called "Greeting" from which we can send employees birthday wishes, festival wishes, etc. Additionally, we have printed some greeting cards with our logo. Once an employee's birthday arrives, we take signatures from seniors and other departments. Along with the card, we issue chocolate packets in a cover and call everybody to assemble in one place for well-wishing. At the end of the month, we will organize a cake-cutting.
Regards,
S. Vijayaraghavan
From India, Madras
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Don't stop a good practice; this is a good employee motivation in many organizations. In our organization, we have created a separate email ID called "Greeting" from which we can send employees birthday wishes, festival wishes, etc. Additionally, we have printed some greeting cards with our logo. Once an employee's birthday arrives, we take signatures from seniors and other departments. Along with the card, we issue chocolate packets in a cover and call everybody to assemble in one place for well-wishing. At the end of the month, we will organize a cake-cutting.
Regards,
S. Vijayaraghavan
From India, Madras
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Dear All,
Thank you for sharing your views. :) :D I am also of the opinion that carrying out such practices will motivate employees and imbibe a feeling of being a part of an organization that cares. But how shall I convince the few who oppose this practice as a waste of time and money? Also, I don't want an employee's birthday to be a day of emotional burden or stress for him/her. Is there a solution to these?
Regards,
Elsa
From India
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Thank you for sharing your views. :) :D I am also of the opinion that carrying out such practices will motivate employees and imbibe a feeling of being a part of an organization that cares. But how shall I convince the few who oppose this practice as a waste of time and money? Also, I don't want an employee's birthday to be a day of emotional burden or stress for him/her. Is there a solution to these?
Regards,
Elsa
From India
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Hi Elsa,
What you can do is, along with cake cutting, you can also provide some snacks like samosas, sandwiches, etc., and announce it as the birthday party of the birthday boy or girl. This way, people will not bother the person for an additional party, and the person will not feel overwhelmed.
Regards,
Supriya
From India, Mumbai
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What you can do is, along with cake cutting, you can also provide some snacks like samosas, sandwiches, etc., and announce it as the birthday party of the birthday boy or girl. This way, people will not bother the person for an additional party, and the person will not feel overwhelmed.
Regards,
Supriya
From India, Mumbai
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You can do one thing - you can give a small tea party at lunchtime with a few snacks, just for 1 or half an hour, so that other employees will not create any burden for the employee whose birthday is being celebrated.
From India, Ambala
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From India, Ambala
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Elsa,
Talk to the individuals who do not support the practice and try to identify the reasons why they are showing their disapproval. Try to make them part of the solution rather than simply adopting processes used by others. All situations are different, and cultures vary. If individuals who shape the culture help develop the solution, then it is more likely to be accepted and can yield sustainable results. Ensure that employees understand why this is being done in simple and clear terms so they grasp the meaning, avoiding language that may be unfamiliar or vague. For example, instead of saying, "the company will give a bonus after a target sales and margin is achieved," communicate that "benefits will be shared with employees after EBIT reaches Rs xxx lacs for the quarter."
Another thought I would like to share is about reflecting on when you initiated the celebration of employees' birthdays. Did the employees embrace it, or did they have indifferent feelings about it?
Did the response change over time? If the answer is "Yes," then you must identify the cause(s). What changed? How was it communicated to existing employees and new employees who joined, etc.?
In some of the organizations I have worked for, the company provided employees with a paid holiday on their birthday or on a day of their choice if approved by the individual's supervisor. This approach to celebrating birthdays was implemented based on a poll conducted among the company employees, and the results were shared.
Before the polls, it was communicated that the method chosen by the majority, with agreement from company management, would be used to celebrate employee birthdays.
Employees were given the opportunity to suggest new ideas on how to celebrate birthdays in the first round, and in the second round, a decision was made based on the majority vote and management's decision.
Hope this helps.
Ashok
From United States, Saint Albans
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Talk to the individuals who do not support the practice and try to identify the reasons why they are showing their disapproval. Try to make them part of the solution rather than simply adopting processes used by others. All situations are different, and cultures vary. If individuals who shape the culture help develop the solution, then it is more likely to be accepted and can yield sustainable results. Ensure that employees understand why this is being done in simple and clear terms so they grasp the meaning, avoiding language that may be unfamiliar or vague. For example, instead of saying, "the company will give a bonus after a target sales and margin is achieved," communicate that "benefits will be shared with employees after EBIT reaches Rs xxx lacs for the quarter."
Another thought I would like to share is about reflecting on when you initiated the celebration of employees' birthdays. Did the employees embrace it, or did they have indifferent feelings about it?
Did the response change over time? If the answer is "Yes," then you must identify the cause(s). What changed? How was it communicated to existing employees and new employees who joined, etc.?
In some of the organizations I have worked for, the company provided employees with a paid holiday on their birthday or on a day of their choice if approved by the individual's supervisor. This approach to celebrating birthdays was implemented based on a poll conducted among the company employees, and the results were shared.
Before the polls, it was communicated that the method chosen by the majority, with agreement from company management, would be used to celebrate employee birthdays.
Employees were given the opportunity to suggest new ideas on how to celebrate birthdays in the first round, and in the second round, a decision was made based on the majority vote and management's decision.
Hope this helps.
Ashok
From United States, Saint Albans
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