Celebrating birthdays in the workplace is a great way to create a positive environment and form productive relationships between colleagues.  Every organization does things differently, but I think it is important to implement a “birthday celebration” policy that works for your business.  It’s also important to note that you don’t have to have a large budget to celebrate.  There are many different and thoughtful things you can do to that don’t cost anything.  Below are some ideas that I have either come up with or experienced and enjoyed.

5 Little to No Cost Tips to Celebrate Birthdays at Work

1. Schedule a lunch for everyone in the office on the employee’s birthday. Depending on your organizations budget you could either have a pizza party, don’t forget to look for coupons, or if there isn’t much of a budget a pot luck is a great way to save money.  Another fun tip is to find out what the birthday employee’s favorite type of food is; Mexican, Italian or American then tell everyone the theme for the potluck lunch.
2.   A card seems like such a small thing, but I think they go a long way and always put a smile on my face. It is an inexpensive method to show your fellow co-worker that you care.  You can even go as far as making your own card for an extra personal touch.
3. Who doesn’t love birthday cake? Why not instead of spending a bunch at the local grocery store, include everyone and have a bake off. This is a great way to encourage friendly competition and save money too!
4. The usual birthday celebration at work is cake, singing, and food. To add something different to the festivities how about playing a game with everyone on the team. To keep cost down bring in a board game, a deck of cards, or even create your own. It’s important to take a break to have fun and celebrate, whether you do it once a month, once a quarter or on the individual’s birthday.
5. Last but not least, giving perks to the individual whose birthday it is makes them feel special and excited to come into work on their day. A couple ideas would be to allow them to; wear casual Friday clothes even if it’s not Friday, take an extra long lunch, park in the front of the building or even work from home half a day.

These are just a few tips I’ve come up with, I would love to hear what your organization does to celebrate birthdays. I know work can get hectic, but taking the time to appreciate your employees on their special day can help boost office morale as well as produce happy employees.  Birthday’s are a great opportunity to recognize your staff but don’t forget that once a year isn’t enough.  Make sure your employees feel appreciated and important on a daily basis.