7 Terrific Office Birthday Celebration Ideas

Employees feel happy when appreciated. And what can be a more effective way than to have a wonderful office birthday celebration on their special day? Appreciation of an employee with an office birthday celebration is always a great idea.

And trust me. The birthday person is going to love you for it.

It not only helps the employee to take some well-deserved time off on their special day, but it also allows their coworkers to express their gratitude.

Here are some great ideas for an awesome office birthday celebration:

1. Sugar? Yes, Please!

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What even is an employee’s birthday without a cake? Or a pie? Or anything sweet, for that matter.

For a more fanciful birthday party, you can readily get an extremely customizable cake. Alternatively, ask the team members of the birthday person to investigate what they like the best. A football-shaped cake, for example, would make any fan feel special.

Dark forest, lemon tart, cream meringues, red velvet- here is no shortage of sweet, crumbly desserts. You can substitute the cake for something more savory if the birthday boy or girl is not a big enthusiast of sweet things. We highly recommend the ramen cake for all the savory lovers out there.

Recommended Article: 23 Awesome Ways To Make Every Employee Work Anniversary Memorable

2. Desk Decorations

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Birthdays are important in the sense that they are vital to make an employee feel valued and appreciated.

One effortless and effective way to celebrate an employee’s birthday is to decorate the said birthday person’s desk.

Imagine when the birthday person comes in and discovers that his/her desk has been decorated. It is guaranteed to make every employee feel appreciated on their special day.

The bonus point for desk decorations is that it’s really, really inexpensive. Even with a tight budget, you can really pack in a punch.

Tape up some rainbow-colored balloons. Hang up some quirky origami decorations. Bring in a big banner with “Happy Birthday” written on it. Leave some fun party hats for the team members to don. Also, drop off a company swag such as a t-shirt or mug.

Recommended Article: 25 Office Decor Ideas for a Stunning & Productive Workspace

3. Ice Cream Bar

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We are firm believers that every office birthday party is incomplete without an ice-cream feast. Because boozy office parties are never a good idea, an “Ice-Cream Bar” is our favorite alternative. By bar, yes, we mean an actual bar.

Set up a wooden table by the side in the break room. To make it more celebratory, provide options for different toppings. Chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, actual berries, M&Ms- the possibilities are endless!

Get a bit creative and ask the birthday person to create the “Sundae Of The Day.” Additionally, you can invite team members to have a competition of creating custom sundaes and letting the birthday person select the winner sundae.

Recommended Article: 6 Ways Managers Can Build A Fun At Work Culture

4. Gift Card Works Great

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Putting the hypothetical icing on an office birthday celebration cake is giving an incredible gift to the employee. And we happen to think that a gift card is the most useful and resourceful gift that you can give to any employee.

When you don’t know what an employee likes or what sort of gift they’d appreciate, a gift card with a wide range of applications is an excellent choice.

Employees will get to pick what they want with a gift card or coupon, and you will save time finding the ideal gift.

Gift cards purchased in bulk are also really effective tools for large organizations to reward and recognize their employees.

It is beneficial not only for birthdays but also for other occasions such as work anniversaries. It helps in saving cost, money and doesn’t require too much effort.

Recommended Article: Why Gift Cards Are The Perfect Employee Rewards

5. Birthday Breakfast

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This is a great idea for office birthdays, team motivation, and also employee engagement as a whole.

A birthday breakfast tradition can do amazing things for your company culture. Order in some toast, eggs, juice, and pancakes. Ask the birthday boy or girl what is their favorite breakfast item and serve it to their team members.

Not only is this whole activity fun, but it is also a great team-building exercise that allows the team to bond over something as simple as breakfast.

Recommended Article: 5 Team Lunch Ideas To Boost Employee Engagement

6. Make A Donation In The Charity Of Their Choice

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This is one of those great ideas that rarely gets pitched.

If the birthday person is a bit of an introvert and doesn’t like to mingle, this is perfect for that occasion. A birthday donation is perhaps the noblest way of celebrating an employees’ birthday.

After all, who wouldn’t like to feel good about doing good for others?

Additionally, people actually like working for companies that are big on doing charity.

Additionally, it requires minimal planning, no loss of productivity, and increased motivation.

Step 1: Ask the birthday person what their favorite charity is or on what issue they are really passionate about.
Step 2: Donate a certain amount to the said charity.

There, it’s that simple.

Recommended Article: Foster Your Business With Corporate Social Responsibility

7. A Nice Signed Card

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The CEO of Belfor, Sheldon Yellen, writes about close to 7,400 employee birthday cards a year to show his gratitude.

Yellen is now bringing stacks of birthday cards with him on planes.

According to Yellen, this tradition that he has been following for 32 years helps increase compassion in the company.

It might not necessarily be a card from the CEO. A signed card from the birthday person’s supervisor or manager works just as well.

Recommended Article: 33 Remarkable Birthday Wishes For Employees

Finally

Do you have any additional tips for your office birthday celebration? Tell us in the comments below!

This article is written by Barasha Medhi who is a part of the marketing team at Vantage Circle. Barasha can be found either searching for interesting HR, company culture, and corporate buzzwords to write about or looking at pictures of cozy Bel Air mansions. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com.