Celebrating admin professionals

Administrative Professionals Week is commemorated in the last full week of April and celebrates the administrative professionals who keep businesses going every day.

Administrative professionals are the heart of an office setting. They’re the co-ordinators, schedulers, organisers and traffic controllers; they have their finger on the pulse of activity in the office and make sure everything runs smoothly; they are an office’s central nervous system. A good administrative professional has to be efficient, knowledgeable, and flexible, and this week is dedicated to recognising these reliable employees who step up to the task every day.

Originally called National Secretaries Week, it began in 1952 in honour of office workers. The name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981, and again in 2000 to Administrative Professionals Week.

Many employers use the opportunity to honour their administrative staff with gifts such as flowers, coffee mugs, stationery sets and special lunches. Here are a few other gift options that are in keeping with the way in which they have been forced to operate since the beginning of the covid19 pandemic in 2020.

1: Digital gift cards are one of the easiest gifts to send for a remote Administrative Professionals Day. You can tailor the gift card from product and service providers to fit employees’ interests and send vouchers directly to staff e-mails.

2: Offering home office furnishings is a nice gift for any occasion. You can give upgrades such as standing desk converters, ergonomic cushions, wifi boosters, noise-blocking headphones, charging stations and cord organisers.

3: Desk work is sedentary and can often be stressful. Massages and self-care packages can help admins release built-up tension and deliver a physical and mental health boost. Allow your administrative staff to relax, treat themselves, and unwind after a long week of work.

4: Blackout hours are one of the most creative ideas for administrative professionals day. Instead of planning special events or activities, free up a few hours in your administrative staff’s schedules. You can block out a one- or two-hour time slot on each employee’s calendar, either all at once or staggered. Be sure to notify the rest of the team not to schedule or reach out to the assistant during this time, and give a backup contact. The administrative staff can choose to spend this time however they please.

(teambuilding.com)