Celebrations in the Workplace All personal stories are told by Susan, a retired nurse. Some people enjoy a celebration, and they don't need an excuse to have one. Workplace celebrations are not uncommon, although at times they can get slightly out of hand. At one point, you can have a birthday, good-byegood-luck, and congratulations celebration all going on at one time. I once worked for a hospice company that employed about 100 people, 7 of whom worked in my area. My first day at work I was informed one employee was getting married, and they were collecting donations for her honeymoon. I didn't even know this person yet, but I'm a team player, so I contributed $20. Two days later I was handed a tin can with birthday candles on it. My co-worker explained it was a birthday, and a collection was underway for a gift card. Again, I went along; after all, I was new. When the birthday came, we all went out to lunch to celebrate her birthday, and everyone chipped in to buy her lunch, and then a cake afterwards. By this time, I'd worked there 1 week, and spent $80 on “celebrations�. I wish I could say it subsided, but it didn't. So-and-so did not have a baby, but her baby turned one, and of course there was a gift fund, and this person was from another office. I'd not met her at all. This whole donating for celebrations continued on, and with a workforce of 100 people, there was always something to celebrate. The long lunchtime celebrations and recognitions during the work day were too much in my opinion. After 3 months of working with the party-goers, I realized this was not the work environment for me, and I turned in my notice. During an exit interview, I brought the celebrations up, and the human resource department was totally unaware. No one had ever spoken up. The fact is, others felt the same way I did, but felt obligated to participate. The employee gatherings had to be costing that company a fortune just to acknowledge every achievement a staff or their family made. I moved on, and I'm not sure what became of the company, but I don't see how they could have continued in the way they were. Related: Patients and Food Workplace Celebrations Recognizing special days can be nice, however, as, you just read, it can easily be extreme. It's a safe bet most people do not need a plate full of sugar on a regular basis, and the collecting of money is a bad idea, and makes some people feel obligated. If given the opportunity, offer some suggestions when it comes to workplace celebrations.
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