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Valentine’s Day: Friend or Foe of the Workplace?

Guest post by: Jennifer Loftus

Article Overview: Cupid. Candy colored hearts. Cards. Every February 14th, many people in the United States look forward to Valentine’s Day. In this issue of Astronology we offer you a smorgasbord of Valentine’s goodies. We’ll take a look at the history of the potentially amorous holiday, as well as explore some tips on office-safe ways to recognize the day.

Valentine’s Day: Friend or Foe of the Workplace?

Cupid. Candy colored hearts. Cards. Every February 14th, many people in the United States look forward to Valentine's Day. In this issue of Astronology we offer you a smorgasbord of Valentine's goodies. We'll take a look at the history of the potentially amorous holiday, as well as explore some tips on office-safe ways to recognize the day. The "Lovely" History

Like many of today's holiday celebrations, Valentine's Day as we know it now originated from a combination of rituals and holidays from various cultures. For starters, the name Valentine was associated with many Christian martyrs. In particular, the feast days of the Valentine martyrs celebrated on the 14th of February are The Valentine of Rome and The Valentine of Terni. On February 15th, the ancient Romans celebrated Lupercalia to ward off evil spirits, purify the city, and release health and fertility. It is highly believed that because Roman Christians could not completely abolish the deeply rooted celebration of Lupercalia, they decided to move the Valentine feast for the saints closer to the middle of the month.

In 1797, a British publisher created The Young Man's Valentine Writer, a publication that gave suggestions to young men as to what to say or write to the person they admired. Printers also created cards with love verses and sketches. Coupled with relatively low postage costs, the paper valentine was born. By 2001, the Greeting Card Association estimated that "approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas."

Valentine's Day in the Office

It is always important to be mindful that not all workers in an organization would feel comfortable with their office space completely decorated in celebration of the holiday. There are many reasons why some employees may not feel comfortable celebrating Valentine's Day. In some cases the reasons may have a religious basis. Others may not feel comfortable celebrating it for personal reasons. For example, Despair.com sells an entire line of "BitterSweets^TM," takeoffs on the fun Conversation Hearts with printing best suited for those, um, a little bitter about the holiday. As suggested by HelpingPsychology.com, "The workplace will have a silent undercurrent, as employees watch to see who receives deliveries and who does not...there is a third category: some will be embarrassed, and maybe a little angry, about their gifts." Naturally, human resources cannot control whether a co-worker receives flowers or gifts from someone outside the office. In many cases, the workers may not know about the gifts either! Perhaps by offering all employees the option of being included in a small office celebration with candies or other tasty treats can relieve any slight awkwardness.

While we look to the positive side of the holiday, there is always the concern about sexual harassment claims. The romantic nature of the holiday may encourage some employees to express their feelings for co-workers. Each year Vault.com runs an eye-opening study on office romance. Vault.com should be releasing the 2010 results shortly. Barbara Safani of Career Solvers also recently blogged on the prevalence of workplace romances and why people get involved with co-workers. While we can't control everyone's actions, as HR professionals, we need to ensure our employees know our organization's policies regarding sexual harassment and hostile work environment to prevent legal claims.

There are many ways people demonstrate their observation of Valentine's Day. Some include passing valentine cards, ordering flowers, and even decorating workplaces, homes, and schools. As always, your workplace should respect all workers and find a way to balance the celebration and decorations with everyone's personal needs. Some suggestions for keeping such a balance could include following:

• Candy: Leave festive candy in an open environment such as a break room or kitchen area.

• Valentine's Day Games: Create a Valentine's Day crossword puzzle or Sudoku game for all interested participants. Leave the puzzle in the break room for some lunchtime fun. To kick the energy up, gather some small gifts and at the end of the day award them to the first few people who correctly complete their puzzles.

• Gift Cards: Want to share with your employees how much you appreciate them? Give them gift cards for the holiday! Some interesting choices for gift cards include restaurants, movie tickets to a nearby theater, a candle store, or a generic credit / debit gift card.

After experiencing the economic impacts of 2009, many workplaces could use a small injection of fun. If your office wants to participate in a Valentine's Day celebration, making it inclusive and respectful for everyone will make the day enjoyable. Although Valentine's Day is considered a "Hallmark holiday," something small and subtle could brighten the mood of everyone in the office. At the same time, making the festivities optional will ensure that those who do not want to participate will also feel comfortable. Whatever options you implement, utilize this opportunity to reach out to your employees and let them know how much they mean to your organization!

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