Administrative Professionals Day: Ideas To Celebrate

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Recognize the people in your company who help everything go smoothly and handle all of your administrative tasks. Administrative Professionals Day happens on April 26, 2023, and it’s a time when employers and managers should take a moment to consider how important their administrative team is.

Read on to learn why and when this holiday is celebrated, who is considered part of the administrative department, and get some ideas for your own celebrations.

Key Takeaways:

• Administrative Professionals Day happens on the Wednesday of the last full week in April every year.

• This day of recognition was started in 1952 and has changed names over the years but not the intent.

• Your administrative staff consists of anyone who does administrative and clerical duties without your business.

• It’s not just a good idea to celebrate people who help your business run smoothly; this can also boost your company’s culture and reputation.

When Is Administrative Professionals Day?

Administrative Professionals Day falls on April 26, 2023. The holiday does not fall on the same date every year; instead, it is celebrated on the Wednesday of the last full week in April.

This day was once known as Secretaries Day and is sometimes referred to as Admin Day. It’s a day to recognize those key people in your business who make your day-to-day life easier while keeping everyone and everything on track. Often, they know more about the business than anyone else.

The first Administrative Professionals Day happened in 1952 when the United States Secretary of Commerce, Charles Sawyer, earmarked a week in June as Secretaries week. In 2000, the name was changed to Administrative Professionals Day, and it was moved from a June celebration to April.

What Are Administrative Professionals?

Administrative professionals perform a variety of administrative and clerical duties. Typically, their job descriptions are more far-reaching and broader than most other people in the company. There might be one administrative professional among your ranks or many.

Administrative staff includes secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, office managers, executive assistants, office clerks, departmental clerks or assistants, and the list goes on and on.

Why Celebrate Professional Administrative Staff?

The administrative staff in any business serves an integral role. They keep schedules, handle paperwork, and often meet and greet guests, all while organizing the business and supporting your success. Celebrating all that they do and how hard they work for your company is an easy decision to make.

By honoring those people who work hard in your origination, you let them know that they’re appreciated and that you recognize their daily efforts. This not only makes that individual or that segment of your staff feel valued, but it also boosts the morale of an entire company.

This can lead to deeply engaged employees, which builds your company culture. These are benefits that support your company, but remember, the goal is to recognize your hardest-working employees.

Ideas for Celebrating Professional Administrative Day

Back when Administrative Professionals Day was called Secretaries day, a box of chocolates and/or a bouquet of flowers was an appropriate gift, but times have changed, and you can do better than that. To be clear, those are still excellent gifts, but why not step it up and show some personality. The following ideas can help you celebrate Administrative Professionals Day.

• Favorite treats. Many offices now keep track of favorite treats so they can shower their staff with stuff they know they love. A gift basket full of goodies that you know your employee likes is a nice gift with a personal touch.

• Donation to charity. Another way to honor your employees on special days is by making a donation in their name to a charity that means a lot to them. For people who are socially active, this is a very meaningful gift. It also is a great way to promote a company culture of caring for others.

• Have a team lunch. Celebrate by hosting a lunch for the whole company and encourage others to thank the administrative staff. This is also a great time to give them a card signed by everyone in the office and/or a gift.

• Local gift cards. Supporting your local businesses is always a great thing to do, and by giving them gift cards to local restaurants, spas, boutiques, stores, and other outlets, you might introduce them to something new. Of course, you’re also supporting the economy and giving them a gift.

• Create a video. Creating a recognition or thank you video is easier today than it’s ever been. It also is something the employee can share on their social media channels and feel special while demonstrating the great culture of your company. Even better, share it on your social media and tell everyone how important they are to you.

• Give them time off. What better way to celebrate the work someone does than by giving them some time off. You’ll certainly appreciate them more when they’re gone for the day, and they’ll enjoy having free time to do what they want.

• Host game time. Whether you select a team-building activity or something purely for fun, taking a little time out of the day to focus on fun is beneficial for everyone. Make sure to recognize the people you are honoring, so they get credit for this workday break.

• Re-implement the weeklong celebration. The original administrative assistant’s day was actually a week called secretaries week. Why not bring back a week of honoring your administrative staff.

  Use each day to celebrate a different person, give them a treat each day, bring in lunch every day, or do a quick game to start the morning, whatever you choose – extend the celebration and praise.

Administrative Professionals Day FAQ

1. When is Administrative Professionals Day?

   Administrative Professionals Day is held on the Wednesday of the last full week in April each year. In 2023, Administrative Professionals Day falls on April 26. This holiday was once an entire week and referred to as secretaries week, with midweek celebrations being held on Wednesday. To figure out when it is in the future, it is always the Wednesday of the last full week in April.

2. Who should I honor on Professional Administrative Day?

   This day is for your staff who performs clerical and administrative duties. It’s not uncommon to have more than one person working administrative jobs in a company, so you may have many people on your administrative roster. If you’re in doubt, then you should probably celebrate everyone in some manner.

3. Is Administrative Professionals Day an official holiday?

   No, it’s not one of the holidays that’s considered official by the Office of Human Resources Management of the United States government. There is no requirement legally to celebrate this day or to give your employees a day off, but it certainly is a nice idea.

Final Thoughts

Administrative Professionals Day falls on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. This holiday got its start back in 1952 when secretaries were celebrated for an entire week. In 2000, the name was changed to Administrative Professionals Day to better suit the changing role within companies as the term secretary moved out of favor.

The administrative staff in most companies is critical to that company’s success. Without them, nothing would happen in an effective and efficient manner. Not only do they do the majority of their work without getting as much credit as they should, they usually do a wide variety of work that goes well beyond the scope of their job title.

It seems obvious that these people deserve some recognition, if not every day, then on a day set aside to honor them.

Author

Kristin Kizer

Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.