National Boss’s Day – October 16, 2022, history, significance
October 16 is National Boss’s Day, a chance to celebrate the people who keep us gainfully employed! “Boss” has been used as slang to describe something cool or excellent, so if you are blessed with a great boss, you could call ‘em a boss boss. Whatever you call them, do a little something for the boss in your life.
WHEN IS NATIONAL BOSS’S DAY 2022?
National Boss Day is celebrated on October 16 ever year, although some choose to observe it on the nearest working day if October 16 falls on a weekend.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL BOSS’S DAY
In 1958, Patricia Bays Haroski registered National Boss’s Days as a holiday with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in honor of her father, who was also her employer. She created the holiday to improve office relationships between supervisors and their employees as well as raise cognizance to all the hard work boss’s put into their jobs.
She felt as if younger employees didn’t appreciate their bosses enough, and knowing first hand what her father went through to make a company run smooth, set out to change that viewpoint.
However, it wasn’t until Illinois Governor Otto Kerner supported Haroski’s registration four years later, that the day officially became a national holiday. National Boss Day is celebrated annually on October 16, unless this date falls on a weekend, in which case it is celebrated on the next working day.
While it may seem like a lavish position to some, it’s not easy being a boss. It’s certainly not just giving orders and relaxing. The operations of an entire business or department are shouldered by dedicated bosses, who ensure a smooth flow of work, handling major concerns of employees, and achieving the required goal of the organization.
Bosses can make or break the entire workplace, and not just from a business perspective. A boss’s managerial style and attitude impacts the work environment and morale of employees. Fair and kind bosses make work-life balance easy, and some even assist in navigating and paving career paths. This is exactly why National Boss Day was created — to express gratitude to all great bosses, and appreciate all they do to make work a collaborative effort and a success.
Whatever we may think of the bosses in our lives, one thing is for sure, it is cool to be a boss. Popular phrases such as “Like a Boss” and “Girl Boss” became internet sensations after they were first used, and now we use them to describe any task that is done well.
And of course, how can we forget some of the most beloved television bosses? in 2005 we were introduced to the “World’s Best Boss” himself, Michael Scott in the television show “The Office.” We have also enjoyed less jolly bosses such as Miranda Priestly in the 2006 movie “Devil Wears Prada,” and fast-talking Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Bugle and Peter Parker’s boss, J. Jonah Jameson.
NATIONAL BOSS’S DAY TIMELINE
1800s
Boss Moves
Americans start saying the word boss (taken from the Dutch word ‘baas’) in workplaces to avoid saying the word ‘master.’
1958
Save the Date
Patricia Bays Haroski registers National Boss’s Day with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in honor of her father, who’s birthday is October 16.
1962
Make it Official
National Boss’s Day officially becomes a holiday thanks to the help of Governor Otto Kerner.
1979
A Hallmark Moment
Hallmark starts offering National Boss’s Day cards for sale.
NATIONAL BOSS’S DAY ACTIVITIES
Chip in to make their days great
In honor of the day, why not get a cute greeting card for you and all of your coworkers to sign? Or pitch in to buy a fun gift or something that they’ve talked about needing. Have a hard-to-buy-for boss? Consider making a donation in their name to a local charity.
Tell them what they mean to you
Send your boss a heartfelt email telling them how much you appreciate them. If you’re feeling fancy, you can write an old-fashioned letter thanking them for the inspiration and dedication they’ve shown to you. Either way, they’ll appreciate you appreciating them.
Help out on the job
Unless you know your boss’s tastes in books or flowers, try an intangible gesture. Ask them what step you could take to make their job easier. The reply might be something as simple as showing up on time or making sure the printer paper gets refilled—but it could also be a chance to grow as a professional and take point on a daily report or a quarterly goal. Either way, the offer to go above and beyond will doubtless be appreciated.
5 ASTONISHING FACTS ABOUT BAD BOSSES
Bad bosses are stressful
Three out of four employees state that their boss is the worst part of their jobs.
Bad bosses lead to low employee retention
Low employee morale leads to many quitting their jobs due to poor leadership.
Bad bosses impact productivity
Employees are less likely to be productive under incompetent management.
The importance of good bosses
65% of employees say they’d take a new boss over a pay raise.
Bad bosses are abusive
44% of employees say they’ve been emotionally, verbally, or physically abused by a boss or senior in their career.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL BOSS’S DAY
They gave us our jobs
They hired us, pay us, and keep our workplace afloat. It’s a lot of responsibility to manage other people, but someone’s got to do it!
They take the blame when things go badly
When the client backs out or the contract is lost, odds are your boss is the one going under the bus. Bosses fall on their swords for us more often than we may realize, and they understand that it’s part of their position to do so. Now go and buy them some thank you chocolate!
They are mentors and more
The best bosses are excellent judges of character and can see our potential, sometimes even before we do. Many of them take immense pleasure in helping younger, less experienced colleagues develop their own abilities, network, and generally succeed in their field. And, by doing so, they can boost your career into the stratosphere. If you’ve found a boss like that, consider yourself lucky!
