Do You Have To Celebrate Your Birthday At Work?

In many companies it is customary to celebrate the birthdays of colleagues. Quite often, a celebration falls on a working day, and we have to meet it surrounded by colleagues. But is it necessary to celebrate your birthday at work? The etiquette experts answer.

Birthday at work – pros and cons

When you decide – to organize your birthday celebration in the office, or not, the unwritten company rules must be taken into accountin which you work. There are organizations with strict regulations that do not welcome any kind of holidays, because they believe that work is not a place for fun. And in some firms, workers are so busy throughout the day that they don’t even have a free minute to just go for tea and cake. But there are also groups that not only celebrate every birthday, but they can also remind you that you have “pinched the date”. Most large companies try to congratulate their employees in small batches: those born in January, February, etc.

If you have been working in your company for a long time, then it will not be difficult to determine how it is customary to spend holidays here – you just need to watch birthday people… But if you got a job quite recently, and your birthday is just around the corner, you need to conduct reconnaissance among your colleagues, try to find out from them what rules reign in their team. Be that as it may, the new employee should not throw up a noisy revelry – the bosses may decide that you have not deserved it yet.

If the position of the team and management is clear for you, then the decision is only yours. After all, this is still your birthday, and whether you want to celebrate it or not is your own business…

How to mark DR with colleagues?

Celebrating a birthday in the office is great the opportunity to build relationships with colleagues in an informal setting. And for the celebration to be successful, we will give you some useful tips:

• It’s best to plan your holiday outside of office hours., so you do not run the risk of displeasing your superiors. If you are organizing small gatherings with tea, then they can be held at lunchtime. And if you have plans to arrange a buffet table with alcoholic beverages, then such an event is better to be held after the end of the working day. In some offices, very strict rules reign, in such a case, it is better to transfer the holiday to the nearest cafe. But if your budget does not allow you to pay for everyone, then discuss this nuance with your colleagues in advance;
• Don’t have a surprise partySince your colleagues can be very busy during the day, everyone will quickly go home in the evening, and you will be left to celebrate alone. Therefore, notify your colleagues about your plans in advance;
• Standard buffet menu: bread, slices, sweets and fruits. Soda water and juices are available. Bring alcohol only if you are sure that it is appropriate in this group. If you cook well, please your colleagues with your own pastries;
• To make the effects of the holiday easier to clean up, you need to purchase disposable dishes and napkins… Remember that a clean office after the celebration is completely your concern;
• The number of guests depends on the size of your company. If up to 10 people work in it, then you can invite everyone, and if there are more, limit yourself to your department, office or people with whom you work closely;
• The question that worries many: “Do I need to invite bosses?“. Yes. In any case, you need to warn the manager about the upcoming celebration, ask him for permission. In such a situation, it is simply ugly not to invite him. But it is not yet a fact that he will attend your event, the chain of command is all the same;
• Even if your celebration has gradually developed into friendly gatherings, don’t start discussing bosses or start conversations about personal topics. After all, these are not your close friends, but simply colleagues. Do not forget that everything you said can be used against you. The best topics for conversation are work issues, funny situations in office life and general topics (art, sports, politics, etc.).

I don’t want to celebrate DR with my colleagues – how to get rid of spacers?

There are quite a few reasons why a person might not want to celebrate their birthday. For example, you do not like to mix personal and work, or in the company of colleagues you feel uncomfortable and want to avoid an unpleasant situation. Anyway, but a holiday with the team can be avoided:

• Day off on birthday – this is the best way out of the situation. This is a great opportunity to have a great holiday with family and friends. If possible, it is better to take two days off – so you can relax after the holiday;
• If in your organization no one follows the birthdays of employees, then try not to focus on your holiday – perhaps no one will remember about him;
• If all the holidays in your company are followed, simply notify your colleagues in advance that you do not want to celebrate my birthday. Standard excuse: “I don’t want to celebrate a day that brings me a year closer to old age.” You can think of something else, or just say you don’t want to celebrate, and that’s it;
• And you can do as in school. Buy sweets and fruits in advance, put them on the dining table in the kitchen. In the general mailing list, let your coworkers know that a treat awaits them. Let everyone who wants to celebrate your birthday on their own;
• If it is customary in your organization to give gifts to birthday people, this does not mean that you are obliged to arrange a holiday for the whole team.

Celebrating a birthday or not is everyone’s personal business. First of all, a person does it for himself, therefore it is not necessary to blindly inherit other people’s traditions…

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