Administrative Professionals’ Day is a day to celebrate the work done by administrative professionals and others who do office work. In North America, it is always held on the Wednesday of the last week in April and is part of the larger Administrative Professionals’ Week. However, it is held on other days of the year in other parts of the world. It is common for employers to celebrate Administrative Professionals’ Day by doing such things as taking workers to lunch, rewarding them with time off, and providing paid workplace seminars.
History
Administrative Professionals’ Day began in 1952. Originally, it was called "National Secretaries Day". The title was eventually changed to "Administrative Professionals Day" in 2000 to reflect the expanded job duties of office professionals.
It was created by Mary Barrett, who was the president of what is now called the International Association of Administrative Professionals, and corporate president C. King Woodbridge. The two were at a conference together and were discussing the need for skilled office workers and the importance of recognizing the contributions secretaries make to any successful business. The first Secretaries Day in 1952 was made official by United States commerce secretary Charles Sawyer. The Association of Administrative Professionals takes the lead to this day in promoting and organizing Administrative Professionals’ Day.
Why It Should Be Celebrated
It is important to celebrate Administrative Professionals’ Day because administrative professionals work behind the scenes and do not always get the recognition they deserve. By definition, administrative professionals work in a supporting capacity so it's unlikely that they will be recognized with awards or commendations from outside of where they work.
A little bit of appreciation goes a long way, and showing the office administrative professionals that they are valued and needed on Administrative Professionals’ Day will contribute to overall job satisfaction and retention in any office environment. Also, Administrative Professionals’ Day draws attention to the work that office professionals do and attracts new talent to the field.
