Can I send a funny employee birthday card?

Even after you see the impact sending employee birthday cards can have, there are still questions.

Should they be signed or printed?
Should they be mailed or handed out?

One common question is about whether a funny card is appropriate to give an employee for their birthday.

Most of us like giving and receiving funny birthday cards when it's between family or friends. But when you're looking for an employee birthday card, the rules are different. Why?

• A funny card that mocks the recipient's age, marital status, religion, ethnic group or sexual orientation could be used as proof of discrimination should that employee be dismissed or passed over for a promotion
  
  
  
  
• A card with sexual humor could come back to haunt the giver as evidence of sexual harassment or the creation of a hostile or sexually charged workplace
  
  
  
  
• A birthday card that could be construed to make light of a physical or mental challenge could be used in an ADA claim.
  
  

While there are probably some workplaces, or some individuals within the workplace, who would genuinely appreciate a funny birthday card, as a business it's far safer to choose a less edgy card for your employees' birthdays.

A casual. lighthearted greeting from the group or from the manager will be just as effective and meaningful, but will by-pass some of the risks.

Happy birthday to your employees

Do you have time to recognize your employees' birthday? Really, the question should be...do you have time NOT to?



Productivity is directly tied to employee commitment to the organization and its goals.

And commitment comes from employee engagement and feeling of being a significant and essential part of the organization. A valued member of the group or "tribe."

Right now, there's not a lot of money for creating that "belonging" through raises, cash rewards, training trips or other expensive perks. But there is money for a very simple yet very effective tool for drawing employees into the group...honoring each employee's birthday.

Here are some ideas for recognizing an employee birthday;

Send them a card already! (Hey, you knew I would say that! It's in the title, right?) But serious, a personally signed birthday card does a lot to make an employee feel like part of the group! Go funny or serious, but make sure the card is signed by at least the manager or group supervisor. For an even more effective result, pass around the cards for everyone in the work group to sign.

Create and share birthday lists. Create a company-wide birthday list and share it each month. Post it on bulletin boards or e-mail it to all employees. If you have weekly announcements, mention that week's birthday celebrants as part of the announcements.

Allow little celebrations. Allow and even encourage teams to celebrate employee birthdays with cake and beverages. Having your team members sings (albeit off key) Happy Birthday may be slightly embarrassing, yet it goes a long way towards creating a team feeling in each employee.