Workplace Humor - Humor in the Workplace

CIO magazines outlines the benefits of workplace humor in their recent article, "Making IT Fun Again". While we've long been huge advocates of the topic, this article presents a good in-depth case study of how one specific company used humor in the workplace to achieve specific morale and productivity gains.

Dave Patzwald, CIO of Schneider Electric N.A., a provider of energy management solutions, understood the benefits that workplace humor can bring: greater productivity, better camaraderie, happier workers. And now is a critical time to make humor a priority, says Stuart Robertshaw, retired psychology professor and author of DrHumor.com. "With the bad economy, people need a reason to look forward to coming to work," he says. "Happy people go the extra mile; they're more creative and ultimately produce better products."

Read the full article at CIO.com. And for further reading on the topic of humor in the workplace, check out these books:

There's No I in Office: 4293 Meaningless Phrases to Keep Your Coworkers Smiling While Avoiding Actual Conversation Contrary to conventional wisdom, the greatest challenge in today's office environment is not how to keep from being stabbed in the back by corporate climbers; it's how to avoid burdensome friendships with well-intentioned but energy-sucking office mates.

	The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance The authors advocate creating a "carrot culture" in which successes are continually celebrated and reinforced. Dozens of recognition techniques include the obvious ("When a top performer is going on a particularly long business trip, upgrade her ticket to business class") to the offbeat ("Hire a celebrity impersonator to leave a congratulatory voice-mail message on an employee's phone").
	Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace Creativity is crucial to business success. But too often, even the most innovative organization quickly becomes a "giant hairball"--a tangled, impenetrable mass of rules, traditions, and systems, all based on what worked in the past--that exercises an inexorable pull into mediocrity. Great for any manager looking for new ways to invigorate employees, and any professional who wants to achieve his or her best, most self-expressive, most creative and fulfilling work.
	101 Funny Employee Awards: Your Complete Guide to Organizing a Humorous, Entertaining, and Rewarding Recognition Ceremony Around every place of business, there comes a time when it’s necessary to give those who toil there a “thank you” that’s bigger than just dental coverage. And that’s where the employee recognition awards ceremony comes in. Just make sure your ceremony isn’t dry and boring by handing out creative and funny certificates. "Funny Employee Awards" includes 101 printable award certificates plus 6 blank award templates for creating your own funny awards. A staple of workplace humor!

Free Teacher of the Year Award Certificate Template

In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Day May 5, we are giving away a FREE Teacher of the Year Award certificate template. You can type directly onto the certificate template before printing. Within seconds you'll have a unique award that will bring smiles to your favorite teacher! Just click the link below to download the PDF and enjoy!

Click Here to Download Free Award (PDF)

There's even an area to write your own customized message. This could be serious or silly. Here are some ideas:

• For inspiring me to achieve my greatest potential.
• For your hard work, dedication, and patience.
• You deserve a raise. But for now, this free award will have to do!

If you like this free Teacher of the Year Award certificate template, we only ask that you please click the "ShareThis" button below and post this page to Facebook, mention it on your blog, or email it to your friends.

Teacher Appreciation Day 2009

Teacher Appreciation Day occurs on Tuesday of the first full week of May in the United States. Also known as National Teacher Day, Teacher Appreciation Day 2009 is on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. The entire week is known as Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3 - May 9, 2009). Outside the U.S., many other country celebrate Teacher Appreciation every October 5, World Teacher's Day.

According to the National Education Association (NEA) website, Congress declared March 7, 1980, as National Teacher Day - but for that one year only. NEA continued to unofficially celebrate the day every March, until the NEA Representative Assembly voted to change the event to Tuesday of the first full week of May beginning in 1985.

Popular Google searches for the holiday include teacher appreciation ideas, teacher appreciation gifts, teacher appreciation certificates, teacher appreciation event, teacher appreciation party, teacher appreciation banquet, and other similar searches.

Typical Teacher Appreciation Day gift ideas include gift certificates, lunch, and gift baskets. If your teaching staff has a sense of humor, you can always bring a few laughs into your recognition ceremony. These free funny teachers awards are sure to put a smile on everyone's face.

	Bermuda Triangle Award Is there a teacher at your school who just can't seem to get their stuff together? Would they lose their head if it wasn't attached? Celebrate the person who is always losing paperwork with this fun certificate. Download free Printable Certificate
	Kool and the Gang Teamwork Award When it's time to say well done to a group of teachers, single out the team that has shown excellence in Group Work. Celebrate their outstanding Teamwork with this funny gag certificate. Download Free Certificate
	Baryshnikov Award Navigating the education system takes great skill and prowess - especially in the public school sector. Celebrate a teacher's mastery of dancing around the issues with this fun award certificate. Download Free Printable Certificate
	Running with the Bulls Leadership Award Teaching kids takes courage and boldness. Within every school 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 teacher 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 Teacher Awards! Download now and start using right away!

Remember to mark May 4, 2010 on your calendar for Teacher Appreciation Day 2010.

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:

	Raisin Pay Appreciation Award Given to the employee who is Most Deserving of a "Raisin" Pay. Download this free Certificate of Appreciation
	Selective Hearing Impairment Award Given to the employee who has excelled at the skill of Only Hearing What they Want to Hear. Download this free Award Certificate
	Bermuda Triangle Award Given to the employee who has excelled at the skill of Always Losing Paperwork. Download this free Printable Certificate

 

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.