Why you should not waste money on Valentine’s Day at the office?
It’s that time of the year again when the scent of roses threatens to overpower the aroma of copier toner and chocolate becomes the unofficial currency of affection. Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day, and companies might be tempted to ride on Cupid’s coattails, sprinkling love and heart-shaped confetti across the office floor. We thought it might be interesting to see why it’s good to be Anti-Valentine’s Day at the office.
Avoid Sparks in the Break Room
Firstly, while love may make the world go round, in the office, it’s more likely to make heads spin – and not in a good way. The introduction of love-themed gifts might just set the stage for unnecessary distractions. After all, when the possible side effects include awkward glances at the water cooler and having to conduct an emergency evacuation of sparks flying in the break room, it’s just prudent to minimize the risk of Cupid’s misdirected arrows.
Keep the Focus
Moreover, why endorse the idea of obligatory affection? There is already enough pressure on employees to remember passwords, meeting deadlines, and the names of their co-workers’ pets. Adding the duty to remember to bring in Valentine’s cards is likely one responsibility too many. After all, who needs an additional day of mandatory merriment when every day is a party when your spreadsheets balance on the first try?
HR Disasters
Additionally, while office romances may seem like complementary subscriptions to daily soap operas for some, they’re potential HR disasters waiting to happen. Do companies really want to give employees the ammunition to mistext I-love-yous intended for their partners to their bosses? That’s one way to ask for a raise that nobody needs.
Alternative Corporate Gifts
On the topic of alternative corporate gifts, why not ditch the ephemeral roses for something that says, “We appreciate you all year round” without the risk of wilting? Ergonomic office chairs might not scream passion, but they do whisper “We care about your lumbar support,” which is almost the same thing.
If companies really must celebrate, it’s time we champion the celebration of solitude and self-indulgence. Encouraging employees to invest in a good book or a solo spa day is more in tune with the spirit of independent joy than forcing communal celebrations of romance.
The Chocolate Opportunity
Finally, yes, buying chocolates for oneself beats having to share a generic box of company-provided sugary mementos. After all, the only thing better than a piece of chocolate is not having to pretend you’re thrilled about getting yet another candy heart that says “Be Mine” when you’d rather it just said, “Be Quiet.”
But, life is too short to sulk
Do you believe anything about the Anti-Valentine Day at the Office reasons that have been splurted around so far? Maybe if your life sucks and you need an excuse to get everyone around you to believe that their life sucks too. Let’s face it, life is short. Enjoy every moment of it. Join the positive crowd. Ditch the cringy grungers who always see the negative first.
It is OK to have fun now and again. And if you do not have someone to spoil on Valentine’s Day, spoil yourself!
After all, “if you do not take the risk, you might lose the chance.”
