Someone got creative with the office supplies. Photo: Thingspondered, Flickr
Boss Day, which has absolutely nothing to do with Bruce Springsteen (unless you've been hired to drive the E Street Band's bus or wrangle guitars), was registered with the US Chamber of Commerce by Patricia Bay Haroski in 1958, according to the official Boss Day website.
Haroski worked for the State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Ill, and her boss just happened to be her father. Unlike other less grateful daughter-employees, Patricia truly appreciated the effort her father put into managing the company and sought to recognize it with a holiday. Thus, she designated Oct. 16 (which just happened to be her dad's birthday) as National Boss Day, a day in which all underlings can (and should) stop and appreciate their boss or bosses.
What's the best way to go about honoring your boss? If you have a hankering to give your boss a coffee mug warmer, personalized paper weight, or any other of the countless tacky Boss Day gifts available, please be advised: Emily Post recommends employees not give the boss a gift individually. "It could easily be perceived as trying to win favor," she writes.
Instead, Post says you should go for a "pooled gift" from a group of employees, and that you should keep in inexpensive. Of course, if you're trying to win favor and make your co-workers look bad, you should feel free to go with a pricey personal gift. What have you got to lose?
One important thing to remember: National Boss Day is always celebrated on Oct.16 in honor of Patricia Haroski's hardworking daddy -- even when it falls on a weekend! If you plan to seize this holiday to secure your next big pay raise, promotion, etc., you must realize that this year's Boss Day falls on a Saturday.
So what does that mean, exactly? It depends on the boss ... and of course how well you know that boss. Since Boss Day falls on a Saturday this year, you might want to go for a deliverable gift. Cards and flowers are classics, if not a little boring, but they work well with spa gift cards. Or, if you work for a Don Draper-type, take up a collection and buy your boss a Scotch of the Month Club membership. Or you can just take your boss out to lunch on Friday and call it square.
Just don't make the mistake of assuming that you're off the hook because Boss Day is on a weekend. You're not.
Are you the boss? PopEater has eight lessons you can learn from famous TV bosses, including Michael Scott and Mr. Burns. We suggest you take notes.
MaxwellR,10-14-2010, 1:59AM
National Boss's Day is a recognized holiday in the United States since 1962 or so. October 16 is acknowledged as National Boss's day in at least six countries.
National Boss's Day - Celebrating without a brown nose. Dependent upon your office, honoring National Boss's Day might be required. However, you should tread carefully.
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