Appropriate Workplace Valentine’s Day Activities
With Valentine’s Day celebrations coming up, it can be tempting to express your affection for one of your co-workers in the workplace. Even though you both might like each other, and there could potentially be more than a working relationship between you, it is better to keep things business-appropriate, as your employer or other co-workers may not care for your displays of affection.
If you are already involved with a co-worker, regardless of whether you just started dating, are ready to pop the big question on February 14th, or are married, it is better to keep your love life separate from your work life. Rather than send flowers, candy, cards, or other items to him or her at work, have them sent to his or her home.
Although, that does not mean you cannot still celebrate Valentine’s Day at work; it just means you and everyone else need to consider activities and events that include everyone, to avoid hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and other disastrous outcomes. To better illustrate, think back to when you were in grade school or middle school, and the school might have promoted exchanging Valentine’s Day cards between students.
Certain students typically got a much larger number of cards, compared to others, even though the school intended for there to be an equal one-to-one exchange, which almost never happened. Furthermore, some students would go above and beyond and buy gifts of chocolates or other mementos to share with those that they really liked. As a result, there may have been students in your class who had hurt feelings, got upset, or even cried.
The same situations often arise in the workplace, so it is best to avoid them by finding other ways to celebrate this holiday. The best ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the workplace is to focus on team building opportunities, where everyone can participate and have fun, including:
- Celebrate Milestones and Achievements – Use the day to celebrate the milestones and achievements of all employees. Find something unique about each employee to celebrate, like the top sellers, best customer service agents, least missed work days, and so on.
- Office Decorating Challenge – For larger offices, break out into teams to see which one can decorate their work area the best. Focus on specific sections of the office, rather than individual offices or cubicles. The winners should get some sort of special reward, but also remember to reward everyone who participated.
- Employee Pot Luck Luncheon – Have employees bring in their favorite dishes to share with one another. Rather than exchanging Valentine’s Day cards, have the employees make up recipe cards they can exchange with each other.
- Baking Competition – Host a baking competition where employees can volunteer to bring in their favorite dessert item. Have the other employees serve as judges to choose a winner. Encourage all participants to provide their recipes, which you can turn into a small dessert cookbook that you give to everyone.
As you can see, celebrating Valentine’s Day at work can still be fun and exciting when you focus on events and activities that get everyone involved. Remember to contact Prudential Overall Supply at (800) 767-5536 for all of your work uniform, cleanroom, and facility product needs. We offer a wide range of leasing, rental, and purchasing options.