Administrative Professionals' Day

A United States Army Corps of Engineers celebration for Administrative Professionals' Day

Administrative Professionals' Day (also known as Secretaries' Day or Admin Day) is a day observed yearly (but not a public holiday). In some countries, it falls within Administrative Professionals' Week (the last full week of April in the United States).[1] The day recognizes the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals. Typically administrative professionals are given cards, flowers, chocolates, and lunches.[2]

Observance by country

  • In the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, and Malaysia it is celebrated annually on the Wednesday of the last full week of April.
  • In New Zealand, it is on the third Wednesday of April.[3]
  • In the Netherlands, it is celebrated annually on the third Thursday of April.
  • In Australia, it is celebrated annually on the first Friday of May.[4]
  • In South Africa, Office Professionals South Africa (OPSA), a recognised professional body for administrative professionals, host National Administrative Professionals' Day during the 3rd week of April.
  • In South Africa, it is celebrated annually on the first Wednesday of September.[5]

History

During World War II, there was a shortage of skilled administrative personnel in the United States due to Depression-era birth-rate decline and booming post-war business.[6] The National Secretaries Association, founded in 1942, was formed to recognize the contributions of administrative personnel to the economy, support their personal development, and to help attract workers to the administrative field.[7][8] Key figures who created the holiday were the president of the National Secretaries Association, Mary Barrett, president of Dictaphone Corporation, C. King Woodbridge, and public relations account executives at Young & Rubicam, Harry F. Klemfuss and Daren Ball.[9]

The National Secretaries Association's name was changed to Professional Secretaries International in 1981 and to the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) in 1998.[8] Administrative Professionals Day is a registered trademark with registration number 2475334 (serial number 75/898930). The registrant is IAAP.[10]

The official period of celebration was first proclaimed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles W. Sawyer as "National Secretaries Week", which was held June 1–7 in 1952 with Wednesday, June 4 designated as National Secretaries' Day. The first Secretaries' Day was sponsored by the National Secretaries Association with the support of corporate groups.

In 1955, the observance date of National Secretaries Week was moved to the last full week of April, with Wednesday now designated as Administrative Professionals' Day.[1] The name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981 and became Administrative Professionals Week in 2000 to encompass the expanding responsibilities and wide-ranging job titles of administrative support staff in the modern economy. The week-long observance was created in order to space out the bookings at restaurants, country clubs, and other places where administrative professionals would be taken out to lunch.[11]

Criticism

Some critics take an anti-consumerist stance and accuse the flower, card, and candy industries of inventing the holiday for convenient sales between Easter and Mother's Day.[12][13] The typical gifts of flowers and cards also unintentionally mark the holiday and the administrative role as a gendered one, since these are typically feminine gifts.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Administrative Professionals Day, International Association of Administrative Professionals, archived from the original on April 16, 2016, retrieved April 2, 2016
  2. 1 2 Green, Alison (April 20, 2015). "It’s Time to End Secretaries Day ". U.S. News. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  3. ↑ "2016 Administrative Professionals' Day (APD)". Association of Administrative Professionals New Zealand. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "Secretary's Day". Australian City Life Sites. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  5. ↑ National Secretaries Day, Professional Association for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, archived from the original on October 29, 2013, retrieved April 2, 2016
  6. ↑ Rothman, Lily (April 22, 2015). "A Brief History of Secretaries". Time Magazine. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  7. ↑ Bradshaw, William B. (April 26, 2014). "Secretary, Administrative Assistant or Administrative Professional?". HuffPost Business. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Administrative Professionals Day in the United States". TimeandDate.com. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Administrative Professionals Day". Hallmark Corporate Information. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  10. ↑ Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS): Administrative Professionals Day, United States Patent and Trademark Office, archived from the original on April 2, 2016, retrieved October 5, 2015
  11. ↑ Hamilton, Lisa. "Administrative Professionals Day". International Business and Management Career College. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  12. ↑ Wade, Lisa (April 27, 2011). "'Secretary's Day' and Social Control". The Society Pages. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  13. ↑ Hanauer, Cindy (March 3, 2014). "Administrative Professionals Day: Stealth holiday for floral trade". Floral Marketing. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
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