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Administrative Assistant’s Day is next Wednesday — which, in our experience, can be a difficult time for women lawyers and executives. Women tend to get to know their assistants better (and BE known better by their assistants), so any lack of a gift or a lesser gift than expected tends to be taken as a personal slight — whereas if men forget (or purposely give cheaply), the secretary thinks, well, they’d forget their own heads were they not attached. Which is another problem in and of itself, because any woman who shares a secretary with another person or a group of people knows that it almost always falls to her to remind the others in the group. Maybe we were oversensitive here, but who knows: Our tactic was always to remind the men in our group that Administrative Assistant’s Day was coming up, and then to assign it to the most junior among us to collect the money and purchase the gift. (Fine, maybe the “assignment” was really more like asking nicely if he or she could take care of it, but either way we made sure that the sole woman in the group wasn’t the one organizing it every year.)
We’ve always been a fan of giving flowers for this particular holiday, but according to new survey results (conducted by American Express), the assistants would prefer cash — in fact, 79% would prefer a $25 reward to spend in any way they want rather than a $40 floral arrangement (20%) or $30 in chocolate (1%). Among the assistants surveyed,
feeling valued is important but if they are to be rewarded in the form of a gift, it’s important that they can put it to use. According to one administrative professional, ‘Much as I love flowers, they usually die within a week. A gift card allows me to choose something that will last longer or to indulge in something I wouldn’t normally purchase for myself.’
Our advice? Get a small floral arrangement (so the office as a whole recognizes what a great manager/boss you are) and a gift card (so your assistant actually likes you). Anyway, you lucky readers, you — American Express contacted Corporette with these very interesting survey results — and the offer to give away five gift cards, each in the amount of $100. Here are our rules (and this is our first time doing this, so bear with us):
1. Comment below, on this thread, and tell us what you’re planning on getting your assistant this year (or what you’ve given her or him in the past that went over well). You must give us a valid e-mail address to enter, as that’s how winners will be contacted.
2. We’re still going to moderate the comments and approve them manually, (as always, anything non-spam will be approved) — but the comment must be received in our mailbox by Monday at 10 a.m. E.S.T.
3. You may only comment once, unless you share the contest on your blog, your facebook, your twitter, or your favorite forum, then come back & leave a second post telling me where/how you shared — then you’ll be considered to have two entries.
3. Winners will be randomly chosen and we’ll contact the winners to get your address. We must be able to contact you by Monday afternoon (2 p.m. E.S.T.) to get your mailing address; if not we’ll select someone else randomly. We’ll also announce it on the site on Monday morning (not posting e-mail addresses, but referring to the winning comments).
4. Gift cards will ship from American Express and should be in your hands by Wednesday.
You can also visit www.americanexpress.com/gift to order a Gift Card for Administrative Professionals Day on April 22.
Ashley
I plan on getting her a gift card to the bookstore for a new cookbook. She loves cooking.
Lobbyist
I forgot to include my email. Here it is. Comment above:
After reading this, I think I will go with flowers (cheaply bought at Trader Joe’s and a Target gift card.
Judith
A small bouquet or live flowers ($10-20) and a gift card to a local lunch place I know she goes to ($30-50). The firm has a nice luncheon for them, and also gives out something logo-emblazoned.
Kristi
I’m getting my assistant a gift card to Kohls, but I also have a backup secretary one day a week… I’m thinking about just doing some chocolates for her.
A
I’ll give flowers or a flowering plant and some homebaked item, e.g., cupcakes or a quick bread.
judicial clerk
Are law clerks expected to get something for the Chambers’ Judicial Assistant or is that purely the judge’s responsibility?
cty
Last year, took my assistant to lunch. This year, maybe a gift card ($25).
Carolyn G
One year I gave my administrative assistant a certificate for dinner at a restaurant for her and her hubby. And then I also agreed to babysit her kids for one night. She loved it.
Heather
In the past I’ve done flowers. This time I have an assistant I really like, so maybe flowers and a lunch out.
beth
While I haven’t yet had the opportunity to give a gift to an assistant (just finishing law school), when I was an assistant, my favorite gift was the small flower arrangement and an amex card to use for whatever I wanted. My least favorite was the $50 gift card to Nordstrom because it felt very out of touch – what the heck is someone on an assistant’s salary supposed to buy for $50 at Nordstrom? My vote is only give a card to a specific store/restaurant if you know it is a favorite of the assistant.
beth
I also posted a note about the contest on my facebook page.
E
I won’t have this problem to worry about until next year (if my job offer and start date holds…), but I am all for a slightly more thoughtful gift than cash. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the cash-for-christmas idea–it’s more useful and appreciated. But for this kind of thing, cash would feel awkward unless in the form of a giftcard paired with flowers or some other actual token of appreciation. Something about giving money as a token of appreciation makes me cringe…
Artemisia
A few years back, another exec and I chipped in for a spa gift certificate for an assistant that had gone above and beyond. We also gave her an afternoon off to use it.
This year, the admin wouldn’t want to be recognized as such (she’s a “program manager”) so I’m off the hook.
Clarissa
Since I have a few different assistants, who help with photo sessions, I would take them out for Starbucks and we’d hit up the mall :)
Steph
I share my assistant with two other attorneys, we will probably get her flowers and a lunch out. She does a great job, but the time to really express appreciation for that is the holiday season. It is more appropriate to give a small token of thanks now, rather than a large gift.
Michele
I plan to give my assistant an Amazon gift certificate. I’ve given her these in the past because she enjoys shopping online for books and music. A small floral arrangement is a good idea too.
Cristy
I think flowers are the more selfish gift – they’re partly to show off that you got your assistant an awesome flower arrangement…..fess up. Also, they are expensive, and most assistants would rather have the cold hard cash. Plus, if I had a male assistant, flowers would be inappropriate.
So I would do a universal gift card (something like Amazon, AmEx, or a Visa giftcard where they can buy whatever their little heart disires) AND some food (cake or breakfast – some form of public recognition at the office but much cheaper than flowers and more delicious).
Erin
I am still in law school, but if I did have an administrative assistant I would give her a gift card to a spa, or perhaps just cash so she could purchase whatever she wanted.
teresa
Hi! I am giving my assistant a flower arrangement in bright colors and a gift certificate to Starbucks. She loves colors and coffee.
m
I tend to give flowers or chocolate for admin day but go the gift card route for the Christmas holiday.
bl1y
I think Steph is spot on. Bonus season (aka: Christmas) is the time for cash/gift cards, not Secretary’s Day. Being at the bottom of the totempole doesn’t entitle you to an extra bonus.
Laur
$50 and a floral arrangement. It seems like all the admins have bunches of flowers on their desks so I do not want mine to have an empty-looking desk.
Kasey
I am without an assistant right now (boo), but in the past I have always tried to come up with a gift certificate that was either pretty universal or to somewhere I knew she loved to shop, along with a card and maybe a couple of nice chocolate truffles.
newassociate
cristy- it’s not always true that it’s inappropriate to get a male assistant flowers.
i share my male assistant with a midlevel and a rainmaker and that’s exactly what our assistant wants. he hates getting actual gifts or any form of money (he thinks it’s crass). while i’m new so i’d have no idea if he is honestly anti-gift/money, he looked so happy when we got him flowers for his birthday in the fall that i believe he really does prefer flowers. he’s been getting flowers from his attorneys for years. so, we’re getting our assistant a really nice floral arrangement.
of course, we wouldn’t get roses or anything like that.
Rec(ession)ipes
I was going to go with flowers, but I like the idea of giving a plant instead b/c it will last longer . . . Think I’m going to go with that!
Steph T.
There is a nice restaurant my secretary likes that we go to twice a year: Prof. Assistant’s Day and her Birthday. She refers to it as our place. My assistant does not prefer cash. She likes to get gifts that recognize that we are friends. So I try really hard to get something that reflects that I know her personally (for Christmas, I got her a framed copy of the frontpage when Obama was elected, she was a big supporter). She likes to go to lunch so we can talk about things other than work. So for this day. we go to lunch and then I generally get her a plant or flowers or something that goes on her desk. I also share two paralegals and I usually get them flowers or a plant.
T
A nice lunch out (her choice) would be the start, and then a gift card, giving her more of choice (if I knew a clothing chain, that is 1 option, otherwise, Amazon is a great backup).
Erica
I’m getting my assistant a box of fannie may chocolates and a card. She loves chocolate, so I can’t go wrong! I gave her a hot chocolate gift basket (hot chocolate, fluffy marshmallows, peppermint stirring spoons, and hot chocolate mugs) from Crate and Barrel for christmas and she love them!
noname
I usually forget this “holiday,” so thanks for the reminder. I disagree with the notion that a gift is required for this day, as long as the lawyers/execs have given something nice during the winter holidays (and by nice, I do actually mean an AMEX gift card). A simple thanks and a card should be sufficient.
Ette
My boss’ assistant (I have no assistant myself) and I have both been trying to lose weight, eat better and generally improve ourselves this year. We’ve been sources of comfort and support for each other in these efforts. I recently bought a few pairs of jeans from a designer sale. One pair looked awful on me, but I thought they would look great on her so I gave them to her as an early gift. I was right and she is over the moon about them and is wearing them today. She said they are her new favorite jeans. It made my day to see how happy she is in them and how great they look on her.
Katie
I am a first year associate, and had been thinking about doing flowers and lunch with the other associate who shares my secretary. However, when I asked the other associate’s opinion on this, she said that a lot of the support staff don’t feel comfortable socializing with the attorneys and wouldn’t like a lunch out. I had never even thought of that possibility, and it’s a little sad to me that I won’t have the chance to get to know my secretary a bit better, but we’re doing a gift card and flowers now.
Stefanie
I think flowers and a giftcard to the local coffee shop are perfect for the administrative assistant of my office… she is always at her desk, and who wouldn’t love cheery flowers to look at, and she’s always running in a bit late with Starbucks in hand.
I’d say any present that recognizes her daily efforts in the office would be appreciated! And I also think that somebody whose job is to enable me to do my job deserves that day of appreciation.
legallyblonde83
This is my first year having an assistant, but I think I am going to do a plant and some kind of gift card.
Hillary
I got my assistant a certificate to Bliss Spa. My dad has assistants and he has gotten them nice bowls from Tiffany’s, but they have been with him for many years.
Vanessa
I don’t yet have an assistant but I’m helping my boyfriend pick stuff out for his two – probably a nice potted plant each, lunch, and a gift certificate to target or whole foods.
Jackie
I’m an associate that shares an assistant with one of the partners at a small firm. I plan to take her out to lunch.
Holly
I have many, many assistants to gift this year as I am a state court judge. The secretary is getting a gift from all the judge’s in the courthouse including Red Sox tickets (great ones) and a dinner gift certificate, my Case Flow Coordinator is getting a flowering plant for her desk because the one she has is long dead and for the 14 clerks a party pack from the Dancing Deer Bakery.
Kate in Chicago
A small flower arrangement (~20) and a gift certificate. I just lateraled here though, so I’ll check with others to see what the protocol is.
T
My assistant looooves bed bath and beyond. whenever she gets a chance she buys something from there. I plan to get her a giftcard from there, a small flower arrangement and a card telling her I appreciate her. If I win this contest, I will use the $100 amex card to pay for these things :-)
Marie
I’m getting my secretary a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant in an amount sufficient for her to take her husband and two grown boys who also love the place. We’ll also do a lunch at the office.