Adults should pretend to be happy on our birthdays, for the sake of others

[Batya33]

There is a new-ish staff member in my office who now sends around a BIRTHDAY email notice every month, announcing which days are the birthdays that month for each person in the office. He got praise for doing it, how it brings everyone together and it's such a nice gesture to cheer up the office. I overhear him talking with someone who likes it and there were the sayings "it's those little things." I guess I see their point that sometimes when you work with people, it doesn't have to be all business all the time. But I think he should have asked each person if they wanted to be included on this birthday announcement list. I think it's childish even if everyone wanted it.

 

I think month and day is fine but year is not. I also think there should be an opt out. The head of my entire organization calls every employee on his/her birthday to wish a happy birthday and in my department they do a cake for everyone's birthday -people chip in. I assume if someone did not want to be included they'd just need to say so.