Funny Awards for Work Party

Funny Awards for Work are are a great way to liven up an office party, company meeting, or just the daily routine. But how do you incorporate funny workplace awards while ensuring everyone has a good time?

Funny work awards can be a huge hit at your next event!

CIO magazine outlines the benefits of workplace humor in their article, Humor Does a World of Good in the Workplace. They suggest that humor needs to come from the top down.


"Managers need to set the tone for levity. The first place to start is by looking in the mirror."

As someone who has hosted dozens of workplace awards ceremonies across the U.S., I couldn't' agree more. I always encourage the organizations to kick off the funny work certificates presentation with someone in a managerial role. It lets workers know that it's OK to laugh at the awards.

The best funny workplace awards are the ones that hit closest to home. The article points out, "Whether it’s the suck-up employee, the bottleneck-causing boss or the showman-style CEO, every workplace has its foibles."

My suggestion for creating funny award categories for work is to start with the biggest "characters" in your workplace. Pick out the co-workers who will relish the spotlight. Make a list of what are they known for. Examples include always being late, eating other people's food, and extending meetings. Use these characteristics to create your list of funny work award ideas.

The article does caution that some topics should be off limits. "Of course, some things should not be made light of in the workplace—a person’s faith, ethnicity or sexual preference. Jokes on these issues may provoke hurt or cause harm. When in doubt, keep your mouth shut."

Further reading:

• Humor in the Workplace
• Funny Work Awards
• Most Embarrassing Moments at Work

When is Boss Day

When is Boss Day?
National Boss Day Day (also known as Bosses Day or Boss's Day) always occurs on October 16. This year, it falls on Tuesday, October 16, 2012.

Bosses Day Gift Ideas
According to Emily Post, you should never give a gift to your boss unless it is from a group of employees. Nobody likes a suck up.Well, except maybe the boss.

Fun Ideas for National Boss Day
Humor is a great way to show appreciation while having fun at the expense of your boss. Just make sure they have a sense of humor first. Download these FREE printable certificates to jump-start the fun:

For the Boss who is Never Around

Download this free Boss Day Gag Gift Award

For the Boss Who is a Straight Up Baller

Download this free Boss Day Gag Gift Award

For the Boss who is a Fearless Leader

Download this free Boss Day Gag Gift Award

For the Boss who Talks a Big Game

Download this free Boss Day Gag Gift Award

Consider supplementing the humor with a real gift. Serious gift ideas for Boss Day include cards, flowers, lunch, gift certificates, or balloons. Or go in with your coworkers to get a gift from the entire office.

Just don't forget National Boss's Day 2012. Without your boss, you'd be forced to surf the Internet and NOT get paid. Oh, the horror!

Further reading: How to Toast Your Boss at the Office Party

Paper Plate Awards

Does anyone know who came up with the idea for paper plate awards? Apparently the concept involves a paper plate, a Sharpie (magic marker), and... well, that's it. You come up with a funny award idea and write it on the paper plate. Is that it?

I guess you could break out some glitter or stickers if you're feeling fancy.

I'd love to know the origin of paper plate awards. Did they start at camp or scouts? Aren't they pretty much just a variation of funny superlatives and most likely to awards? If you have any insight, please post it in the comments section.

Paper Plate Awards

Lots of people are begging for funny paper plate award ideas - please help! And since this site is FunAwards.com, it only makes sense that I should chime in. Here are a few funny paper plate award examples to get you started...

• Peacocking Award for biggest show off (from Funny Award Certificates)
• Foot-in-Mouth Award for always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time (from Funny Employee Awards)
• Little Miss Sunshine Award for the brightest smile (from Funny Teacher Awards)

There are tons of free printable certificates, examples, and categories on this website. But if you'd rather forgo a beautifully printed certificate in favor or scribbling on a Chinet plate, then so be it. Who am I to stop the fun?

Regarding good paper plate awards for sports, keep in mind the awards don't have to be directly related to swimming, hockey, basketball, cheerleading, golf, volleyball, softball or to any sport at all. Don't get hung up on puns. Instead, think about the characteristic of the award recipient. Here are a few more ideas from FunAwards.com that work:

• Selective Hearing Impairment Award for the player who never listens to the coach
• Loch Ness Award for the team member who is always missing practice
• Running with the Bulls Award for the person who takes the most chances.

These aren't necessarily sports-related, but they can work with a little creativity. And hey, they're FREE!

Please share your paper plate award ideas in the comments section.

Teacher Appreciation Day

Teacher Appreciation Day occurs on Tuesday of the first full week of May in the United States. Also known as National Teacher Day, Teacher Appreciation Day is on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. The entire week is known as Teacher Appreciation Week (May 7-11, 2012). Outside the U.S., many other country celebrate Teacher Appreciation every October 5, World Teacher's Day.

Click Here to Download Free Award (PDF)

FREE Teacher Award Certificate - In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Day 2012, we are giving away a FREE Best Teacher Award Certificate. You can type directly onto the certificate template before printing. Within seconds you'll have a unique award that will bring smiles to your favorite teacher! Just click the link below to download the PDF and enjoy!

According to the National Education Association (NEA) website, Congress declared March 7, 1980, as National Teacher Day - but for that one year only. NEA continued to unofficially celebrate the day every March, until the NEA Representative Assembly voted to change the event to Tuesday of the first full week of May beginning in 1985. To help you celebrate, the site offers artwork, Sample proclamation, sample news release and activity ideas

Typical Teacher Appreciation Day gift ideas include cards, pins, letters, gift certificates, lunch, and gift baskets. Here are some unique ideas for Teacher Appreciation Day 2012:

Teacher Appreciation Awards Show - Give your entire staff some much-needed laughter with a performance by comedian Larry Weaver. Full of customized jokes, everyone will love participating in this highly-interactive and hilarious presentation!

Funny Teacher Appreciation Certificates - Our exclusive line of funny teacher awards range from teacher superlatives to classroom awards. They reference common classroom objects, literary figures, noted scientists, fairy tales, popular culture icons, and much more. While some fall under the category of "poking light fun", the vast majority are creative ways to say "job well done". They are G-rated and appropriate for all types of schools around the World. 

Administrative Assistant Day

Administrative Assistant Day is actually a misnomer for Administrative Professionals' Day, although no one really calls it that. Some folks still call it Secretary's Day, but they're probably really old or watch too much Mad Men. No matter what you call it, the unofficial holiday occurs on the Wednesday of the last full week of April.

Administrative Assistant Day 2012 falls on Wednesday, April 25, 2011. If one day isn't enough time for you to celebrate, the entire week is known as Administrative Professionals Week (formerly known as Secretary's Week).

According to the infallible Wikipedia, the National Secretaries Association, now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) created the unofficial holiday in 1952  to recognize the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals. You may also know them as "Executive Admins" or "Office Managers". This job has more aliases than Sean Combs.

The International Association of Administrative Professionals has actually trademarked the term "Administrative Professionals Day", although people continue to call it whatever they want. Despite the push for the name change, the top Google searches for this holiday are (in order) secretary's day, administrative professionals day, administrative assistant day, professional administrative day.

Typical gifts for Secretary's Day include cards, pins, flowers, gift certificates, lunch, and gift baskets. The IAAP suggests that employers support the holiday by providing training opportunities for their administrative staff through continuing education, self-study materials, or seminars.

If your ExecutiveAdminProfessional-etary has a sense of humor, you can always bring a few laughs into your workplace with our exclusive line of funny awards. Celebrate Administrative Assistant Day 2012 with 101 Funny Employee Awards. It will give all of you non-admins the tools you need to throw a fun recognition ceremony for your staff.

National Volunteer Appreciation Week

Volunteer Recognition Day, commonly referred to as Volunteer Appreciation Day, always occurs on April 20. Volunteer Recognition Day is coming up on Friday, April 20, 2012.

If one day isn't enough time for you to celebrate,  April 15-21 is known as National Volunteer Week or Volunteer Recognition Week and the entire month of April is Volunteer Recognition Month.

So, you better recognize!

Ideally you would recognize your volunteers year-round. I mean, they come and go so fast. Don't wait until April to say thanks.

Typical gifts for Volunteer recognition include cards, pins, letters, speeches, parties, gift certificates, lunch, and gift baskets.

This year, throw your volunteers their own Awards Show party. You can do it on the cheap, and it's a good way to recognize and have fun at the same time.

Visit FunAwards.com to download 101 Fun Awards for employees, volunteers and staff by comedian Larry Weaver. It will give you all the tools you need to throw a fun recognition ceremony for your volunteers.

p.s. Don't forget to become a volunteer yourself. Check out sites like VolunteerMatch.org for opportunities in your area.

National Nurses Day

National Nurses Day, sometimes referred to as Nurses Day or National RN Recognition Day, occurs on Sunday, May 6, 2012 in the U.S.

National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12 (the birth date of famous nurse Florence Nightingale).

International Nurses Day is on May 12, 2012.

National School Nurse Day is celebrated on Wednesday, May 09, 2012 during National Nurse Week.

Popular Google searches for the holiday include nurses day, nursing day, nurse appreciation week, nurses day gifts, and "when is nurses day". With all the variations, it's easy to understand the confusion.

Typical Nurses Day gift ideas include flowers, gift certificates, lunch or dinner, and gift baskets. If your nursing staff has a sense of humor, you can always bring a few laughs into your recognition ceremony with funny awards.

Put a smile on a nurse's face with our Funny Award Certificates. 

National Employee Appreciation Day

National Employee Appreciation Day occurs annually on the first Friday of the month of March. This year, we'll celebrate employees on Friday, March 2, 2012. If one day is not enough, the entire month of March is also Employee Spirit Month!


Every wonder how "holidays" like Employee Appreciation Day get started? Well, according to the website recognition.org...
Employee Appreciation Day first arrived on calendars in 1995.  A Recognition Professionals International’s founding Board member, together with his publishing company, Workman Publishing, created Employee Appreciation Day as a way of focusing the attention of all employers, in all industries on employee recognition.


Typical National Employee Appreciation Day ideas include gift certificates, flowers, cards... (yawn)... I'm getting sleeping just typing this list. 


Remember that old saying "it's the thought that counts"? Well put your creativity to work and come up with something fun this year. Hand out the Barnes and Noble gift cards (remember them?) if you must, but have your own little Employee Recognition ceremony while you're at it. We'll take you step-by-step through the process with "Funny Employee Awards". 

I readily admit that the majority of images and certificate examples on the site land on the side of "poking light fun." But nearly half the certificates in Funny Employee Awards are actually "job well done" awards. Best smile? best dressed? First to arrive? Check, check, and check. We have all of those. 


So make this year's National Employee Appreciation Day one to remember. Pick up Funny Employee Awards by comedian Larry Weaver (that's me!) and you'll be halfway there.