Does your company celebrate Mothers/Fathers Day?

Starr57

I work in associate engagement for my company and I plan events and activities. We try to use themes surrounding the time of year or holidays.

I was on a brainstorming call today and Mothers Day was brought up. I said I wasn't planning anything because parenthood can be a touchy subject for some people (infertility, deceased children, etc.). My teammates acted like I was crazy. I'm just thinking that if someone had mentioned Mothers Day to me when we were struggling TTC, I would have broken down.

Would you plan something for Mothers Day? Am I oversensitive because I have a personal experience relating to it?

EastCoastBride

No, my company does not and I actually would find it inappropriate.  Partially because of IF issues too.  But past that - my being a mother has nothing to do w/ my job.  Nothing.  This is a line between personal and work that I don't think should be crossed. 

 

joy143dh

For those that find it offensive for a company to celebrate mothers/fathers day with their employees, do you also find it offensive for a company to celebrate it with their customers?  (not being snarky, I'm genuinely curious.)

A few of my clients celebrate Mothers/Fathers day and offer specials to their customers - but the specials/promotions are all inclusive. You don't have to be a Mom or Dad to participate.  (Well, to get free childcare for the day, I guess you'd need to have a kid.) All women who come through the door get a flower.  Contests about being a mom or dad are open to those with pets or neices and nephews.   I've never heard of someone being offended, and we have a few locations with more sensitive members, so I'm surprised we haven't.  Reading your post and others reminds me to bring up this next year during the planning, however.    

Starr57

I think it may be different for customers, simply because it would be more voluntary. If I am giving you a flower (or treat) at work, it's pretty unavoidable. If I have an issue with Mothers Day as a customer, I can avoid that establishment. KWIM?

krissymoves

No, and I would never expect them to. Partially for the reasons you listed, but also because I don't expect my company to "celebrate" holidays beyond not having to work on the major ones (and this wouldn't even apply at many work places like hospitals, etc).

I do think it's great that your company is concerned enough about engagement to have an actual role (department?) that focuses on it. We constantly have "engagement" surveys at a company and department level, but we don't have the type of focus on actually improving it that it sounds like your company does.

emiliemadison

EastCoastBride:

No, my company does not and I actually would find it inappropriate.  Partially because of IF issues too.  But past that - my being a mother has nothing to do w/ my job.  Nothing.  This is a line between personal and work that I don't think should be crossed. 

 

I absolutely agree. And it's very different for a company to offer Mothers/Fathers Day specials to customers. Customers choose to do business with a company that is offering or not offering that type of special, and especially if it's a retail business, that's sort of expected. But I think it's highly inappropriate for a company to celebrate that sort of thing because, as ECB said, being a parent has *nothing* to do with your job and sets the grounds for uncomfortable situations and potential resentment (IF, childfree by choice, etc wont get the same special treatment).  

jlw2505

I would not.  Forget about all the people TTC without success - there are tons of people that don't want kids, are not married and don't have kids,e tc.  I could keep going with the reasons of why this is wrong as a company to do.  I honestly think anything company sponsored needs to be kept at non religous or non very specific (sch as Mom/Dads Day) holidays like 4th of July.  My company does not put up Christmas lights because not everyone celebrates Christmas so unless you are going to do something for everyone (I once worked at a hospital and they did put up holidays decorations for many different holidays in Dec) than don't do anything at all.

Marce921

We don't celebrate it, but it would actually relate to my job since I work in the Mother/Baby unit of a hospital.

emiliemadison

Marce921:

We don't celebrate it, but it would actually relate to my job since I work in the Mother/Baby unit of a hospital.

It relates to whom you care for in your job. But BEING a mother/parent is not part of your job. 

wildfloweragain

No.  I'm a teacher.  Some of the teachers don't have kids, some haven't been able to...

 

Not all of my students celebrate mother's day.  I do not celebrate any holidays in my class.  We do honor the flag on flag day and celebrate a student's bday if they want to.

 

We make a craft before winter break and I try to make sure it is before any holiday celebrated in December (in my class that year), if any. It's optional.  I've had kids use the craft for a christmas gift for their parents, hanukah gift, solstice gift and one girl kept hers for herself (wanted to make one and doesn't celebrate holidays.) We also make a craft before mothers day and before fathers day - again optional.  I do it because in case the child does want to give their parents something and doesn't have the means (money, 2nd parent, etc.) this is a way they can give a gift.