Do you expect your work manager to acknowledge your birthday?

[Waferbiscuit]

Just that really. I work in a large organization as a member of the Exec team and report to the Director. My 50th is coming up later this year and I'm fairly confident it will pass unnoticed. On one hand we're professionals so I'm not hanging onto nor need his birthday wishes, on the other hand some kind of recognition would seem polite.

Would you expect your manager to acknowledge your birthday? Just trying to understand what's considered appropriate and reasonable.

Absolutely not!

no. no one recognises birthdays anywhere that I've worked. However if its your own birthday, folk tend to bring in cakes (only abut 20 people in office) There's no obligation though.

We don’t usually acknowledge birthdays at work beyond a happy birthday.

However the year my exh left me and my birthday was shortly after the members of my team had subtlety decorated my desk and got me some small but really thoughtful presents, a card with a candle and a cake. Didn’t make a fuss it was just there when I came in. I was really touched and it honestly made a difficult day a lot better.

I work in an office and we always do a collection and card if someone has a milestone birthday. HR will always flag it up.

At my work different teams celebrate as they choose - I worked for a very male team and no one acknowledged birthdays at all. The team I manage now put into a kitty and buy small gift, and whom evers birthday it is brings cakes to share.
One of the Directors always wishes me a happy Birthday as in a past conversation we discovered was the same as his wife's!

My manager is my husband so yeah 😉

Of course not.

I wouldn't expect my line manager to even know when my birthday is, never mind do anything to acknowledge it. My secretary generally buys me a card (we are also friends outside of work) but that's it.

Not at my work. Close colleagues will get a card and cake and management would sign it if it was a big birthday and a collection was done.

That said, I hate my birthday and no one at work remembers when it it is, after I deleted all mention off social media. The one person who did write it on calendars has moved on, so it's been forgotten.

It's ok to celebrate your birthday and it's ok to not as well. Management are on a bit of "can't do the right thing" here as you won't please everyone. I do think if there is a culture of getting an email/card etc from management and they have forgotten you, I can understand why you would be upset. But if it's not the done thing, there is nothing to be upset over.

No, I've never had any birthday recognition from my bosses in over 35 years of working life spread over several employers.

When I was 21, the office girls took me out for a pub lunch - that's it really.

There was one employer where you had to buy everyone else a cream cake on your birthday - I thought that was strange, but at least everyone did it.

No. I worked in a lovely small office where we'd go for a pub lunch and have a whip round on people's birthdays, with lots of thought going into the present. That's the only workplace I've had that's ever done that.

Different places I've worked :

1. You are expected to bring in cakes...when scoffing them, someone usually asks who they are from then people said 'Happy Birthday' as they walked past
2. Everyone puts a tenner in at the start of the year and then everyone automatically gets a card on their birthday, which has been signed by everyone they could catch - this is organised by a volunteer on the team
3. Everyone puts in a tenner at the start of the year and you get flowers when you have a '0' birthday (or if you are bereaved)
4. If you decide to arrange a party or lunch out or drinks after work, then people will have been reminded by you and usually wish you well and, if invited to a party, would be inclined (as individuals) to take you a gift if they go to the party

I've never worked anywhere where it is part of the Manager's role.

@Waferbiscuit I would absolutely expect those in a more senior position to myself to acknowledge my birthday. YANBU.

I'd rather my colleagues didn't in all honesty.

Absolutely not.

Dear god no

No. Of course not. They are work colleagues. Not friends.

I'm low management in a corporate company, a team of about 20. A card gets passed round for everybody's birthday, and every milestone birthday a collection is done, with a couple of token gifts, flowers/chocolates etc.

I don't 'expect' it but it's nice! (Although it does mean almost every week you get an email with 'collection' in the subject box!)

Me: I'll be on holiday Monday as it's my birthday
Boss: oh cool. Is it a big birthday
Me: I'm 39
We laugh about it now!

Can somebody explain this to me please? I'm obviously missing the point.

My office has a lady who always makes sure a card is passed around for birthdays. The managers join in but I can't imagine them initiating the whole thing. Birthday person traditionally brings in sweets or cake or nice fruit for the whole office.

Everyone at work gets a card, a bottle and a cake from their line managers

Everywhere I’ve worked has been similar

My current manager sends me a card, it’s nice but I don’t expect anything

No of course not! Why should they?

No I really didn’t want to be acknowledged other than the day off they would give us which was far nicer.