National Employee Appreciation Day 2012

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. 

Funny Employee Recognition Awards

Funny Employee Recognition Awards

Fact: Employees love recognition. Most prefer positive recognition, but sometimes any recognition is a good thing.

The above photo is from a recent employee recognition program I hosted. I'm handing out the classic "TGIFriday's Award for most excited about the weekend". This recognition always gets a good response because every workplace has (at least) one person who can't wait to punch out on Friday.

This is also a great example of a funny employee recognition award that doesn't embarrass or overly poke fun at the recipient.

My awards are all about having fun without making fun.

Need more funny employee recognition awards? I've got dozens of them. You'll find them all here:
Funny Employee Awards

"As far as more recognition goes, I am happy with the amount of love and respect I have received from other artists and the public. Of course, I would love more, and think I deserve it." - Suzi Quatro

Funny Awards Show on YouTube

I just posted a new video for my Funny Awards Show on YouTube. Here's the transcript:

Hi, I'm comedian Larry Weaver. If you're looking for something truly unique for your next meeting or event, have me host your own Awards Show gala. But this won’t be your typical Awards Show, we’ll be handing out my exclusive line of Fun Awards!

Just like the Oscars or the Emmys, we'll kick off your event with a hilarious opening comedy routine.

After the opening comedy monologue, I’ll start handing out the awards. And we've got tons of great awards to choose from. Recognize that member who is always running late, can never be found, or just can't stop going on about their pet.

Most of the awards poke light fun but we've got plenty of "job well done" awards to choose from, as well. The important thing to remember is to pre-select the biggest “characters” from your group for a really unforgettable event.

This show is perfect for office parties, teacher banquets, volunteers, church staff -- any event that could use a highly-interactive and hilarious presentation.

So don’t settle for another boring meeting. Give your group something to talk about all year long with my Fun Awards!

Learn more about my Funny Awards Show

Administrative Assistant Day 2011

Administrative Assistant Day is actually a misnomer for Administrative Professionals Day, which is the holiday formerly known as Secretary's Day. No matter what you call it, the unofficial holiday occurs on the Wednesday of the last full week of April.

Administrative Assistant Day 2011 falls on Wednesday, April 27, 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 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".

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 gift certificates, lunch, and gift baskets. Some companies cater lunch because hey, somebody has to stay in answer the phones (sad, but true). Best of all, bosses clumsily attempt to plan their own office party.

Fun Awards for Staff

Need more ideas?
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 2011 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 Employee Appreciation Day 2011

Do you ever find yourself asking "When is Employee Appreciation Day?"

National Employee Appreciation Day occurs annually on the first Friday of the month of March. This year, it falls on Friday, March 4, 2011. If you miss it, don't worry, the entire month of March is also Employee Spirit Month!

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.

We're all about fun here at FunAwards.com, but showing appreciation to your employees is serious business. Companies should try harder than ever to retain and reward their best employees.

If you need National Employee Appreciation Day ideas, gift certificates are a good place to start. Most any drug store or supermarket will sell a wide range of gift certificates in any price range. Look for gift certificates with wide appeal. While Starbucks may not be everyone's cup of tea (or coffee), almost anyone can enjoy a popular restaurant or bookstore.

Here are some additional Employee Appreciation Day ideas:

• Gag Gifts for Under $10
• How to Choose Employee Award Winners
• Awards Show Presentation Tips

And remember: show your employees that you care. And not just on National Employee Appreciation Day, but year-round.

National Nurses Day 2010

National Nurses Day 2010, also known as simply Nurses Day or National RN Recognition Day, always occurs on May 6 in the United States. National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, the birth date of Florence Nightingale, a pioneering nurse. For jettsetters, International Nurses Day is always on May 12.

To make matters slightly more confusing, National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday during National Nurse Week. This year, National School Nurse Day 2010 falls on May 12, 2010. According to the National Association of School Nurses website, National School Nurse Day has been set aside to recognize school nurses since 1972.

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.

	Baryshnikov Award Navigating the medical system takes great skill and prowess - especially in the public school sector. Celebrate a nurses' mastery of dancing around the issues with this fun award certificate. Download Free Printable Certificate
	Running with the Bulls Leadership Award Taking care of patients requires courage and boldness. Within every staff there is one fearless leader - a bold risk taker who isn't afraid to step out of the pack and take on new challenges. Celebrate their Fearless Leadership with this funny gag certificate. Download Free Printable Certificate
	Raisin Pay Appreciation Award Every nurse deserves a raise in pay - or maybe they just think they do. Show them you care without breaking the bank with this funny gag certificate of appreciation. Download free Certificate of Appreciation
	Download 101 Funny Awards Certificates! PDF download includes 101 Hilarious Printable Certificates + 6 Award Templates for making up your own Funny Nurses Awards! Download now and start using right away!

National Employee Appreciation Day 2010

National Employee Appreciation Day occurs on the first Friday of the month of March. This year, it fell on Friday, March 5, 2010. But don't worry, the entire month of March is also Employee Spirit Month - so it's not too late!

We're all about fun here, but showing appreciation to your employees is serious business. Companies should try harder than ever to retain and reward their best employees.

If you need National Employee Appreciation Day ideas, gift certificates are a good place to start. Most any drug store or supermarket will sell a wide range of gift certificates in any price range. Even Amazon.com has gotten into the game with a huge variety of gift certificates to choose from.

Look for gift certificates with wide appeal. While Starbucks may not be everyone's cup of tea (or coffee), almost anyone can enjoy a popular restaurant or bookstore.

Here are some additional Employee Appreciation Day ideas:

• Gag Gifts for Under $10
• How to Choose Employee Award Winners
• Awards Show Presentation Tips

And remember: show your employees that you care. And not just on National Employee Appreciation Day, but year-round.

Low-Cost Employee Recognition Ideas

The Chicago Tribune praised the benefits of employee recognition ideas like the funny awards found on this site in their article, "Improving employee morale with incentives a challenge in tough economic times".

The article explains that recognition and prizes - no matter how small - tend to pay off when they reflect a positive work environment.

"When budgets become tighter, you have to become more creative and we have creative people," said Jennifer Zuri, a marketing communications manager at Aquascape. Zuri resurrected a dormant committee in charge of boosting employee morale.

Zuri has planned no-cost employee recognition programs like a "wallyball" tournament and office Olympics. Prizes range from bobbleheads bearing the likeness of the company's founder, to certificates she printed and framed.

"It can be very shallow stuff..." said Tom McMullen, an expert in incentives at management consulting firm Hay Group. But even hanging a picture of an employee of the month can be meaningful if it contributes to a healthy workplace. "If that picture on the wall is part of a bigger thing -- a work climate -- it's very powerful," McMullen said.

As we've said on this blog before, employee recognition doesn't have to break the bank. If you have a positive work environment, even the smallest of employee recognition can pay big dividends.

When is National Nurses Day 2009?

Nurses Day, also known as National Nurses Day or National RN Recognition Day, always occurs on May 6 in the United States. National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, the birth date of Florence Nightingale, a pioneering nurse. For jettsetters, International Nurses Day is always on May 12.

To make matters slightly more confusing, National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday during National Nurse Week. This year, National School Nurse Day does happen to be on May 6, 2009. But National School Nurse Day 2010 is on May 12, 2010. There's also a Certified Nurses Day, which was held on March 19, 2009.

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.

Download 101 Funny Awards Certificates! PDF download includes 101 Hilarious Printable Certificates + 6 Award Templates for making up your own Funny Nurses Awards! Download now and start using right away!

Administrative Professionals Day Ideas for 2009

The holiday formerly known as Secretary's Day, now known as Administrative Professionals Day, occurs on the Wednesday of the last full week of April. This year, Wednesday, April 22, 2009 is Secretary's Day. 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 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".

Despite the push for the name change, the top Google searches for this holiday are (in order) secretary day, secretary's day, administrative professionals day, secretaries day, administrative professional day, secretarys day.

Typical gifts for Secretary's Day include gift certificates, lunch, and gift baskets. Some companies cater lunch because hey, somebody has to stay in answer the phones (sad, but true). Best of all, bosses clumsily attempt to plan their own office party.

If your ExecutiveAdminProfessional-etary has a sense of humor, you can always bring a few laughs into the office with these funny awards:

	Sample Certificate of Appreciation It's free. Get it now!
	Sample Excellence Award Certificate Download for free.
	Sample Recognition Certificate Hey, did we mention it's FREE?

Need more ideas? Celebrate Secretary's Day 2009 with our eBook of 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.

Employee Appreciation Day - Ideas

Employee Appreciation Day occurs on the first Friday of the month of March. This year, it falls on Friday, March 6, 2009. The month of March is also Employee Spirit Month, whatever that means.

We're all about fun here, but showing appreciation to your employees is serious business - especially in this economy. Now more than ever, companies need to retain and reward their best employees.

If you need Employee Appreciation Day ideas, gift certificates are a good place to start. Most any drug store or supermarket will sell a wide range of gift certificates in any price range. Look for certificates with wide appeal. While Starbucks may not be everyone's cup of tea (or coffee), almost anyone can enjoy a popular restaurant or bookstore.
Here are some additional Employee Appreciation Day ideas:

• Gag Gifts for Under $10
• How to Choose Employee Award Winners
• Awards Show Presentation Tips

And remember: show your employees that you care. And not just March 6, but year-round.

Employee Recognition that Doesn't Break the Bank

Wells Fargo & Co. made news this week by blaming the media for having to cancel all "major employee-recognition events."

The bank that took $25 billion in federal bailout money ranfull-page ads in Sunday's New York Times and Washington Post that read "one-sided stories lead you to believe every employee recognition event is a junket, a boondoggle, a waste or that it's for highly-paid executives. Nonsense!"

The bank's sentiment is partially understandable.

One one hand, companies that receive government bailout money should both expect and receive more public scrutiny. Public outrage over exorbitant executive salaries and private Jimmy Buffett concerts are understandable.

On the other hand, Wells Fargo is correct in defending the practice of employee recognition. In fact, such recognition is vital to any company that expects to recover in this economy.

But perhaps Wells Fargo executives have lost sight of what employee recognition really means. It can be as simple as a pat on the back or a "job well done". Not only does it not have to break the bank, the best employee recognition can be low-cost or completely free.

Download 101 Funny Employee Awards Certificates! 
If you're looking for low-cost employee recognition ideas, be sure to pick up our 101 funny award certificates eBook. These awards are perfect for any worker at any type of business - even Wells Fargo executives. Download now and start using right away!

How to Choose Employee Award Winners

Your office party is coming up and you've settled on an Employee Awards Show theme. You've even decided to include some funny awards to make sure the presentation isn't a drag. So how do you decide who’s going to get an award?

• First, put together a selection committee of 2-3 people who know most everyone in the office. The key is not to do this alone. You need a group to suss out the recipients’ vulnerabilities and personalities. Something you might consider hilarious, they might consider offensive.
• When choosing your award recipients, make sure you have the biggest characters in the office covered. The awards ceremony will only be as good as the winners, and an event filled with boring acceptance speeches won’t be much fun for anyone.
• Only give the funny awards to those with a sense of humor who don’t have any problem poking fun at themselves. You don’t want to turn into Michael Scott from The Office.
• It works well to make of list of those you’d like to give awards to, then find one that’s suitable from the list of options.

If you’re worried at all that your award may embarrass the winner, you can always tip that person off ahead of time. It won’t ruin the presentation. Remember, the idea is to create an entertaining presentation for the entire audience – not just to surprise one person.

Telling the winner ahead of time will allow that person to voice any objections, and will give them time to prepare a funny speech if they choose to do so. Everyone else will still be surprised and entertained when the award winner is announced, and you won’t have to worry about any potential awkward moments!

When picking awards, remember that the intent here is to have fun — not to embarrass.

For more tips, download our Funny Employee Awards eBook.

Unique Employee Awards

The Employee Awards Ceremony is a classic office party theme. Here are a few tips to make sure you have an unforgettable evening.

Before the event, line up an emcee to keep the show flowing. If your budget allows, hire a professional comedian to host the awards ceremony. Have the comedian perform a short stand-up set before handing out the Awards. It will be just like having your own Oscar party!

If you don’t want to hire a professional comedian, ask someone who’s personable from the office to handle the duties. Or ask each department head to give out the awards within his or her department.

Awards Show Presentation Tips

• Keep everything, from the opening remarks to the acceptance speeches, short. The event should move along at a crisp pace.
• A customized PowerPoint presentation with the winners’ photos makes a big impact.
• Hook your laptop into the sound system and play music as people come up to accept the awards.
• Get a photographer to take pictures of all the winners as they accept their awards. Everyone loves pictures of themselves!
• Make sure your ceremony isn’t dry and boring by handing out creative and funny awards.

It's easy to make your awards ceremony as grand or as modest as you like. It doesn’t matter. It’s all about getting together and having a good time.

Use End of the Year Awards Year-Round

Most people who buy funny awards do so for end-of-the-year celebrations. But humor in the workplace should be used year-round, not just in December. Here's an excellent case study of using our funny recognition awards year-round sent in by Cindy Collver:

Having a fairly new sales department (we got rid of the old "barnacles" that were clogging us up), I needed something to use as an on-going way of keeping my reps motivated and laughing (because laughter is the best motivator and medicine).
Contrary to how probably many companies use the Funny Employee Awards (once a year…most likely around Christmas – when after a few cocktails everything’s funny anyway), I’m choosing to use these awards when the opportunity presents itself in the here and now….

• Could be in a sales meeting;
• Could be an impromptu "YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!" moment;
• Could be taped to the ceiling – just to see how long it takes them to notice;
• Could be just because it’s 4:34 p.m. on Wednesday.

And with 101 options to choose from, it’s a better deal than the House of Flavors 50 choices of ice cream.
- Cindy Collver Sales Administrator JTV, Inc.
Anytime. Anywhere. Live program streaming 24-7

Thanks Cindy! We'd like to hear how your company uses our awards. Please let us know by submitting a review or case study.