National Boss Day - October 16
National Boss Day is October 16 each year. When the holiday falls on a weekend, it is generally celebrated on the working day
closest to October 16.
National Boss Day offers employees an opportunity to recognize those in supervisory positions. Popular ways to say “thanks”
include cards, a lunch in the boss’s honor, flowers, or gift certificates.
National Boss Day was started in 1958 when Patricia Bays Haroski, then an employee at State Farm Insurance Company in
Deerfield, Ill., registered the holiday with the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. She designated October 16 as the
special day because it was her father’s birthday. Ms. Haroski’s purpose was to designate a day to show appreciation for her
boss and other bosses. She also hoped to improve the relationship between employees and supervisors. She believed young
employees often do not realize the challenges bosses face in running a business.
Patricia Haroski, a secretary from Deerfield IL, originated National Boss Day in 1958. “I had worked for a large company and
noticed that they never had a regular date set to pay tribute to our bosses,” Haroski wrote in 1970. “I made inquiries, and
through my network of secretaries, decided to establish a day in their honor. Reflecting on how my father had helped his
white-collar daughters and sons many times with their problems concerning their work, I decided to register his birthday,
October 16, as ‘The Day.’ In 1958, I gave it some authority by registering October 16 as National Boss Day with the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce. In 1962, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner proclaimed the day. This observance is fun for our bosses, and
they do a lot of smiling that day.”
Common observes of National Boss Day (aka “Bosses Day”) include giving a greeting card, gift, or some other token of
appreciation to the “boss” (managers, supervisors or executives). Some organizations hold group activities such as executive
appreciation events or boss-of-the-year presentations.
Although the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) has never been officially involved as a sponsor
of National Boss Day, some IAAP chapters hold executive appreciation events around this time. Administrative professionals
participating in IAAP’s online discussion forums cited the following examples of National Boss Day observances:
“At my company we usually have a luncheon featuring an educational or motivational speaker and we give our bosses gifts.”
“I usually give my boss a book relating to leadership or a framed motivational message.”
“I give a greeting card or note of appreciation to my executive. We work well together as a team, and he deserves the
recognition.”
“Our IAAP chapter holds an executive appreciation breakfast every year. We also award an Executive of the Year plaque. The
chapter members nominate their executives with a letter detailing their background, education, and community service
activities. The winner is chosen by a committee of the assistants of the three previous winners. The winning boss really
seems to appreciate it.”
“We are planning a National Boss Day event that will feature awards for funniest boss, coolest boss, best dressed boss and
most supportive boss. We received rave reviews for this event last year, from both the bosses and staff.”
“I surprised our branch manager with a card signed by our office staff. We also pitched in for donuts for the entire staff of
60. This is one way we celebrate little successes throughout the year — and it helps to keep morale up. I also bought a card
for my immediate supervisor.”
“Last year, a local hotel co-sponsored our IAAP chapter Bosses Day event. The VP of Human Resources of a large hotel company
spoke on stellar customer service, and related it to how we as admins regularly provide such service to our executives and
work groups. Our executives were also reminded how much they appreciate us.”
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What Makes a Good Boss?
In a recent survey of OfficePro® magazine readers, more than two thirds of administrative professionals surveyed said they
were satisfied working with their managers. Areas in which administrative professionals said their managers excel include:
Being approachable
Giving feedback and praise when warranted
Communicating with other departments
The administrative professionals surveyed said their managers could improve most by:
Communicating with them better
Utilizing their administrative assistant’s skills more fully
Doing better to plan ahead
IAAP offers the following tips on how the best bosses work most effectively with their administrative assistants:
Work with your administrative assistant as a team — and act accordingly.
Listen. Administrative assistants may have a better feel for the pulse of the workplace than their bosses.
Communicate. Offer instructions that are clear and precise. Better yet, take an opportunity each day to review tasks and
needs with the administrative assistant.
Show appreciation for a job well done.
Offer training. Realize that technological and managerial training may help an administrative assistant fill this changing
role more effectively.
Let an administrative assistant be a manager. Give this person the authority and responsibility needed to fulfill a
management role — and confirm this responsibility in the job description.
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According to a recent IAAP “Profile of Administrative Professionals” survey (3,200 total survey responses), here are ratings
of qualities that administrative support staff say are most important in a manager/supervisor/boss
(On rating scale of 0 to 10 – 10 being most important quality; 0 being least important quality)
Effective communicator 9.6
Is approachable 9.5
Stands up for employees 9.3
Knows his/her job and has an effective vision for success 9.3
Gives feedback and praise when warranted 9.1
Well-organized; gives clear direction 9.0
Delegates meaningful tasks 8.8
Understands work processes 8.7
Other responses
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MAKING IT CLICK: Study Reveals Strong Ties Between Support Staff and Their Managers
Behind nearly every great leader is an equally great support staff, which is why many managers take time to recognize their
assistants during Administrative Professionals Week. According to a 2006 research study published by OfficeTeam in
collaboration with the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), 87 percent of managers said they
believe they do an excellent job of recognizing their administrative staff’s contributions — 76 percent of administrative
professionals polled agreed. Both groups also were in sync when weighing in on topics such as work/life balance and the
increasing complexity of the administrative role.
OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals, and
IAAP, the world’s largest association for administrative support staff, developed the study to examine the evolving
relationship between managers and their support teams. More than 250 managers and 300 administrative professionals were
surveyed for the project. The findings have been published in a booklet, Making It Click, released to coincide with
Administrative Professionals Week, an annual event that highlights administrative employees’ contributions to the workplace.
Evolving Roles
Managers and employees agree the administrative support role has evolved. Eighty-six percent of both groups said duties have
grown more complex over the past two years, and now include activities such as client relationship management, budget
tracking, event planning, database management, research and training, desktop publishing, project management, and computer
support.
This trend is likely to continue — 82 percent of administrative employees polled said they want to assume more
responsibility. Likewise, 70 percent of managers feel they could better utilize their assistants’ skills and abilities.
According to those surveyed, administrative professionals must possess the following attributes in order to excel in the
role:
Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects
Interpersonal and communication skills
Computer and Internet skills
An understanding of the organization and its challenges
Teamwork skills
“The study reveals the highly collaborative relationship between managers and support staff,” said Diane Domeyer, executive
director of OfficeTeam. “These roles have become increasingly interdependent, particularly as administrative workers have
assumed greater responsibilities. Both groups are willing to go the extra mile to create a healthy, productive dynamic that
enables them to meet business and professional goals.”
Sufficient Time and Tools
Approximately nine out of 10 managers and eight out of 10 administrative professionals said the volume of work assigned to
support staff is manageable. Moreover, 93 percent of supervisors said they foster a workplace where support staff are able
to balance work and personal responsibilities; 84 percent of administrative personnel agreed.
Strong majorities of both groups also felt administrative professionals are provided sufficient office resources, education
and training. However, administrative workers may have to speak up to get what they need. Seventy-four percent of managers
said they have improved their ability to proactively provide critical office tools, but only 34 percent of administrative
staff agreed.
Constant Communication
Ensuring adequate information flow is an essential part of the administrative function — and it’s one in which most support
personnel appear to excel. Ninety-four percent of managers and 84 percent of administrative professionals surveyed rated
their communication with each other as good or excellent.
Positive relationships may help facilitate an open dialogue. Nine out of 10 managers said they have taken steps in the past
year to get to know their support staff on a personal level.
Kudos Common
When it comes to praising administrative staff, the sentiment is genuine. Ninety-six percent of managers surveyed agreed
that they value their assistants’ contributions. Ninety percent of administrative professionals felt the same.
The most prevalent method for recognizing support staff, according to both groups, is an in-person thank-you. Putting in a
good word to upper management is the second most common way supervisors show their appreciation, the study found.
The International Association of Administrative Professionals is the world’s largest association for administrative support
staff, with nearly 600 chapters and approximately 40,000 members and affiliates worldwide.
OfficeTeam is the world’s leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled administrative
and office support professionals. The company has more than 300 locations worldwide.
Readers can request a complimentary copy of Making It Click, the accompanying communication skills quiz and other materials
by calling their local OfficeTeam office at (800) 804-8367.
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STANDING UP FOR STAFF
Worker Survey Shows Traits They Want Most in Managers
To be a good communicator, a manager’s actions should speak louder than words, suggests a recent survey. In a recent poll, 28
percent of workers polled said their bosses could be more effective by standing up for their staff when needed. Putting a lid
on office politics was cited by 24 percent of respondents as a way for employers to improve communication.
The poll was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service and corporate partner of the International Association of
Administrative Professionals. The poll was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 571 men and
women, all 18 years of age or older, and employed.
Survey respondents were asked, “In which one of the following areas do you think your boss could communicate more
effectively?” Their responses:
Standing up for staff when needed 28%
Nipping office politics in the bud 24%
Talking less and listening more 22%
Encouraging people to take breaks 11%
Something else/none of the above 13%
Don’t know/no answer 2%
100%
“Most employees expect their managers to have solid communication skills to assign projects and keep the department running
smoothly,” said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. “However, more subtle behaviors can also enhance the work
experience. The best employees want someone who will be their advocate.”
Domeyer notes that communicating with staff — and on their behalf — plays a vital role in building job satisfaction.
“Managers who promote employees’ viewpoints, support their staff and limit the impact of office politics show they value and
respect their team members. In leading by example, they not only encourage staff to develop similar skills but also promote a
more positive corporate culture,” she said.
Domeyer offered these tips for better communication at the office:
Don’t fuel the rumor mill. It exists in every organization and goes into overdrive when managers limit top-down
communication. If your staff doesn’t hear the news from you, they will likely get it from another source.
Hold all employees to the same performance standards. Be consistent in communicating and maintaining your expectations for
quality. Letting certain employees or situations fall under the radar can fuel speculation of favoritism.
Observe and listen during meetings. How do others speak to and about your staff? If people are being questioned unfairly or
criticized, speak up in their defense.
Be accessible. Don’t let e-mails and voicemails stack up without acknowledging them. If you can’t address questions
immediately, tell your staff when you can.
Ask questions. One-on-one, impromptu discussions with team members can give you an indication of any political issues brewing
before they escalate.
It’s a tiny mystery surrounding a little-known and warily observed holiday.
But it’s a mystery nonetheless and there’s always something juicy about that.
National Boss Day is observed Oct. 16.
Legend has it that it was started in 1958 by one Patricia Haroski, a secretary in a State Farm Insurance agency office in
Deerfield, Ill. Haroski designated Oct. 16 as the celebratory day because it was her father’s birthday.
To make it official, to dot her i’s and cross her t’s, Haroski registered the day with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Or so
the story goes.
That’s efficient and thorough, but it’s news to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“No one here has records of it, and no one here knows how we would be involved,” says John Reid, director of communications
for the chamber in Washington. “We don’t have any concept of us as an organization doing that kind of thing.”
By “that kind of thing,” he means registering holidays.
You don’t want to include in a story facts that have not been confirmed, so let’s think a minute. Maybe it wasn’t the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce. Maybe Haroski registered the holiday with her local chamber.
The Deerfield-Bannockburn-Riverwoods Chamber of Commerce in Illinois has also never heard of Haroski or her boss-appreciation
registration. That’s the chamber for the town where Haroski worked and lived.
Nor, it turns out, was the Illinois Chamber of Commerce aware of these holiday-creating activities by a business employee in
its state.
“I have not heard of this person,” says Deb McCarver, director of communications with the Illinois Chamber. “She seems to be
a mystery.”
Hmm.
I’m going to interrupt this narrative for a moment, because I can hear what you’re thinking. “Why,” you’re saying, “does this
matter? You give the boss a gift or you don’t. End of story. It’s a minor day that most people have never heard of. Now,
let’s move on to Oct. 17 and Love Your Body Day.”
But it is a big deal that the story behind the holiday isn’t panning out. Or at least, it’s a deal, for several reasons.
First, money is involved. National Boss Day is a horse in the stable of the greeting card companies, along with Professional
Secretaries’ Day and Nurses’ Day. It’s the peg to which are tied numerous press releases about bosses and the workplace sent
out by companies or people wanting their name in the news — which ultimately may help their businesses. And it’s a day in
which a boss expects a gift from a worker who relies on the salary paid by that same boss.
Second, National Boss Day is just an uncomfortable idea. It puts everyone in an awkward position. It’s the ultimate
sucking-up maneuver to give your boss a card or present, as if the boss will fall for it. It’s the ultimate in bad manners
for a boss to be disappointed if no present or card appears.
Finally, there’s the desire to have the story behind National Boss Day right. If card and flower companies are going to hype
a national holiday or observance that’s only 49 years old, you want to know how it started. There are only 11 permanent
federal holidays, which legally apply only to federal employees and the District of Columbia, according to the Congressional
Research Service. Those include Thanksgiving, Labor Day and Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Many other holidays are
sponsored by special-interest groups.
But why would Haroski want to register National Boss Day with the Chamber of Commerce? The U.S. Chamber is not part of the
U.S. government. It’s a private institution that represents more than 3 million businesses. As Reid says, it’s not in the
business of making holidays official. And if that part of the story cannot be verified, what about the rest of it?
OK, now back to the hunt.
McCarver, at the Illinois Chamber, helpfully suggests calling the governor’s office. After all, in some accounts — including
Haroski’s own — the Illinois governor proclaimed the day a holiday in 1962, four years after Haroski “registered” it with
the U.S. Chamber.
Ring, ring. Summer Beck of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s press office answers the phone. She is in the dark about this proclamation.
Not surprising since it was 45 years ago. But she kindly suggests calling Dave Blanchett, communications manager for the
Illinois Preservation Association.
I’ll bet you know where this is going.
Blanchett checks with the Illinois State Archive, where all gubernatorial proclamations are kept.
“I had them search the entire 1962 proclamation archive and they didn’t find anything pertaining to Boss’ Day,” Blanchett
reports. “So if he made some proclamation it wasn’t in an official capacity.”
Meanwhile, the International Association of Administrative Professionals in Missouri has a tantalizing tidbit on its Web
site. It’s an excerpt from a letter written to the organization by Haroski in 1970: “In 1958, I gave it some authority by
registering October 16 as National Boss Day with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (italics mine). In 1962, Illinois Governor Otto
Kerner proclaimed the day.”
Wow. Maybe, just maybe, the folks at IAAP know how to reach Haroski. We could take this right to the source — get it all
sorted out, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce thing and the Kerner proclamation thing.
Rick Stroud, communications manager of the IAAP, answers the phone.
“I talked to her several years ago,” Stroud says of Haroski.
Fantastic.
“Is she still alive?”
“I don’t know,” he says. “I know I tried to track her down a couple years ago but she’d moved from the state.”
Agh!
OK, what do we have so far? We have a woman who may or may not have existed, claiming her made-up holiday is official because
she registered it with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which knows nothing about it and isn’t in the business of registering
holidays anyway. Then she says — even years later — that the governor of her large state proclaimed it a holiday. But the
state archive has no record of it.
What’s going on?
Which leads one to wonder what is going on. Why would someone claim these things if they didn’t happen? Did Patricia Haroski,
a woman so admiring of her father she gave him a holiday, even really exist? And if she didn’t, is National Boss Day a
legitimate holiday? What makes a holiday legitimate anyway? Does one stop observing it if its whole reason for being is a
myth or a lie?
“We produce materials based on consumer demand. And I think it’s part of our culture, now,” says Sarah Gronberg, spokeswoman
for Hallmark.
If sales of National Boss Day cards sharply decreased, she says, then the question of stopping production for that holiday
“would be explored.”
Until then, the cards will keep coming. Hallmark’s Web site says the company increased the size of its National Boss Day line
by 90 percent this year.
Onward, to the headquarters of State Farm Insurance Cos. in Bloomington, Ind.
Spokeswoman Mia Jazo-Harris introduces Dan Barringer, State Farm’s historian and archivist. Barringer has something, which he
faxes to the Herald News.
Eureka!
It’s in the Oct. 31, 1958, issue of ALFI News, an internal newsletter of State Farm Insurance Cos. ALFI is an acronym for
Auto Life Fire Insurance News.
There it is, snug against an article wondering, “Do You Need a Trellis?”
Haroski’s five-paragraph article is entitled, “S F Secretary Registers Oct. 16 as National Boss Day.” Well, now we know why
everyone keeps saying she registered it. Because that’s what she said, not only in 1970 but in 1958, too.
And there’s a photograph of Haroski. Young, seated at a desk, her two bosses looming over her in their suits and smiles. She
holds a piece of paper. Could be a letter from the U.S. Chamber. Could be a blank sheet. We can’t see the front of it.
“She wrote to the United States Chamber of Commerce and received a letter which prompted her to register October 16 as
National Boss Day,” the article states.
Once again: news to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The article goes on to say Haroski “believes we should try to comprehend the demands made on your boss, the responsibilities
he carries for the business as a whole.”
That’s pretty generous of her, since as a woman in the 1950s she had, basically, zero hope of becoming the boss.
The article also asks, “Why October 16?” And explains: “In her book, her father, Peter Bays, was always ‘head man,’ and this
particular day is his birthday.”
One wonders what her husband, Mr. Haroski, thought of that — you know, since it was the 1950s.
Her bosses, however, “rated her ‘Tops,’” but the article does not mention whether they also gave Haroski a raise.
Later, Stroud, of the International Association of Administrative Professionals, generously offers to e-mail a copy of
Haroski’s 1970 letter. Her letter is written on “National Boss Day” stationery with a drawing of a crown, and signed, “(Mrs.)
Patricia June Haroski, Originator.”
There’s one place left to go. Deerfield, Ill., and the office of State Farm Insurance. While I was waiting for a call back
from the State Farm agent there, Jazo-Harris, the State Farm spokeswoman, calls me. Turns out she had the same idea, and
found Henry Hakanan, Haroski’s boss.
The Boss, of National Boss Day.
Hakanen is 90 years old. He was a State Farm agent for 42 years.
“I was designated as the national First Boss,” Hakanen says.
Of Haroski he says, “She was an excellent secretary.”
No idea
Hakanen says he had no idea what Haroski was up to until National Boss Day became official. He says his secretary worked with
a guy who had a radio show in Chicago to get the holiday passed. But he does not know about the U.S. Chamber of Commerce or
where it fits in.
So what did the national secretary do for the national boss on his holiday? Hakanen sounds a bit surprised. “She didn’t do
anything. We just went out to dinner, just like any holiday.”
Every year, on National Boss Day, the State Farm agents and their secretaries all met for a nice dinner out, paid for by the
agents.
Haroski worked for Hakanen for about eight years. Eventually she and her husband moved to North Carolina, and Hakanen hasn’t
spoken to her since.
And no, he says, Haroski never asked for a raise. She was paid well, he says.