Administrative Professionals Day

Administrative Professionals Week is an unofficial secular holiday observed during the last full week of April with Administrative Professionals Day falling on the last Wednesday of the month (i.e. April 22, 2009; April 21, 2010; April 27, 2011). The holiday was created to recognize the work of administrative professionals. An administrative professional is anyone whose function it is to support the people who work in an office environment. This includes executive assistants, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals.

National Secretaries Week was created in 1952 through the work of Harry F. Klemfuss of Young & Rubicam, a marketing and communications company. Klemfuss worked in conjunction with the National Secretaries Association, now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) to found the holiday. His goal was to encourage more people to consider careers in the secretarial/administrative support field. Using his skill and experience in public relations, Klemfuss promoted the values and importance of the job of administrative assistants.

The official period of appreciation and celebration was first proclaimed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer as "National Secretaries Week" and was held June 1-7 in 1952, with Wednesday, June 4, 1952 designated National Secretaries Day. The first Secretaries' Day was held in that year by the National Secretaries Association (now the IAAP) along with the support of an association of corporate groups.

In 1955, the observance date of National Secretaries Week was moved to the last full week of April. The name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981 and then became Administrative Professionals Week in 2000 in order to keep pace with changing job titles and the expanding responsibilities of today’s administrative workforce.

Today, Administrative Professionals Day is one of the largest workplace observances outside of employee birthdays and major holidays. The event is celebrated worldwide, bringing together millions of people for community events, educational seminars and individual corporate activities recognizing support staff. Currently, there are more than 4.1 million administrative assistants working in the United States according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, and 8.9 million people working in various administrative support roles.

The Administrative Professionals Week theme for 2009 is Excellence in Action.
The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) is the official sponsor of Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day. They suggest that employers show their support for the holiday and their staff by offering training opportunities for their administrative professionals, whether through continuing education, self-study materials, or seminars. In the United States, it is also customary to give gifts of appreciation to administrative professionals. This holiday is just the time to reach out and say thank you to those who coordinate calendars, schedule important meetings and events, draft urgent and confidential documents, and support the executive teams in any other way possible. The most common ways of recognizing your Administrative Professional(s) are:

• Flowers
• Desktop Accessories
• Tickets to an Event
• Cards, Often with Shopping Gift Certificates
• Special Catered Lunch for Entire Administrative Group
• Paid Time Off From Work
• Candies or Chocolates
• Gift Baskets

Basket Affair offers a wide selection of unique, made to order basket designs that are perfect for Administrative Professionals Day. Whether you are interested in sending a Pittsburgh themed basket, or a custom designed basket, Basket Affair has gourmet baskets which can be delivered anywhere in the country.