Administrative Professionals Day or Secretary's Day, Hug An Australian Day, Richter Scale Day, National Pretzel Day, April 26th

If you have something against Administrative Professionals Day or Secretary's Day you don't have to celebrate with us today. Instead you could celebrate Hug An Australian Day, Richter Scale Day, or National Pretzel Day. But, you probably won't have as much fun.

"There are more than 3.9 million secretaries and administrative assistants working in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, and 8.9 million people working in various administrative support roles."(Secretary Week 123 Holiday.net)

8.9 million secretaries. That's a pretty big party. And even though it is supposed to be a whole week set aside to honor and love us, really, we only get one day. Unlike some people who get a whole month.) Because really, a good administrative assistant/secretary would not let the office go to pot for a whole week simply for a week of gifts and adoration. So, forgive me for dragging it out in blog world, I have been basking in blog popularity since last week's blogs have doubled my site traffic. I haven't had traffic like this since Master Fob linked to me on Tell A Fairy Tale Day. I'm up to a whole 40 hits a day. :)

So, for those of you who are stopping by and just really were looking for ways to celebrate, and if you have read this far and are wondering if there is really a point to this blog, the International Association of Administrative Professionals recommends:

• Tuition reimbursement to attend college classes and work toward a degree.

• Membership and participation in professional organizations.

• Reimbursement for online training programs in technology, administrative, and management skills.

• Registration for appropriate conferences, seminars, and continuing education workshops.

• Attainment of professional certification.

About these "gifts." First, they are boring. Second, if you have a secretary with a low self-esteem or if your timing is wrong, you could unintentionally imply that she is not the epitome, ideal, model, paragon, and shining example of a perfect secretary. Which in not what you want to her to infer from your gift on Secretary's Day.

This site recommends:

• Art, sculptures engraved with a "Thank-you" (Bad idea, art tastes are subjective, and engraveable art, mostly cannot be qualified as "art.")
• Company logo gift (Believe me, your secretary already has the company logo burned onto the inside of her eyelids, she doesn't need anything logo-y
  
• Boxes of chocolates distributed by the company to all employees. (And why would this be celebrating the administrative staff? Way to make them feel un-special.)
• Buttons that everyone in the office can wear Celebrating The Assistant. (Buttons, really? Who does this? Please, please, please, no... and can we add a HELL NO!)

So, what would Absent-minded Secretary recommend as the perfect Secretary's Day recognition? Lunch out, and a verbal thank-you. Guess what, I will get at least one, and that will be perfectly perfect.

My favorite quote of the day?

"Administrative professionals are well-positioned to take on expanded responsibilities involving project management, communication, use of office technology and other vital business functions." !(Making It Click)

And my favorite person of the day: LL because she is A) Coming to visit me, and B) she believes that someday I will have my own secretary! (Love you!) WAHOO!