Here are a few interesting stats about working dads: Did you know that two-fifths of all families in the U.S. have children under the age of 18? And that 89% of fathers work full-time? Or that 82% feel they should work full-time for personal reasons, like having a family.
While it’s no secret that working mothers struggle more with unfair work policies and balancing home responsibilities with the demands of a career, nowadays, most fathers also juggle working from home and managing childcare responsibilities. And with the future of remote work shifting, this may remain the case for some time.
Parenting is an important part of many of your employees’ lives, and it’s important to acknowledge — but there are also members of your team who might prefer not to celebrate Father’s Day for whatever reason. If you’re an HR professional or boss trying to figure out how to celebrate the holiday in an inclusive way, you’ll likely want to start planning early. Here are a few ideas to celebrate this Father’s Day at work with an eye to a more inclusive workplace for all.
How to Celebrate Father’s Day at Work
1. GIVE THEM A FATHER’S DAY GIFT OF GRATITUDE
It’s not easy being a full-time employee and a full-time parent! Support your father coworkers by giving them a small token of gratitude. A few father’s day gifts for coworkers that we like:
- Try a great dad-sized mug to use every day for morning coffee
- Or put together a gift basket with snacks for dads —maybe a barbeque or hot sauce-themed gift basket?
- A gift card to the best local coffee shop would be a nice gesture as well
Other Corporate Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Coworkers & Employees:
- Travel coffee mugs
- Audible subscriptions
- Gift cards to Amazon, Visa gift cards or other open-ended gift cards
- Tickets to your local baseball team
- Puzzles or cool board games for playing with the kids (We like Bananagrams!)
- Embarrassing ’90s style sunglasses branded with your company name
- A snack box full of summer favorites
- A box full of throwback candy
- Portable chargers for their phone
- Money to use on a babysitter (for a night out with their partner)
- Barbecue-themed or “cooking with kids” cookbooks
- Reusable water bottles
It’s great to think outside of the box about how to show gratitude to working dads. There are plenty of small gifts and ways to thank them, and they don’t have to be expensive!
2. Send a Father’s Day Message to Employees
Rather than providing Father’s Day gifts to coworkers and employees, you could send a simple Father’s Day message to employees via email or intranet to express appreciation. Here’s an example message that you can copy and paste to edit as you see fit:
SUBJECT LINE: Let's Hear It for the Working Dads
In recognition of this weekend's holiday, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate the fathers on our team for putting in the hard work here and at home. Stop by the break room for donuts and coffee to celebrate with our working dads — all dads love donuts, right? We wish you a brilliant weekend (free of temper tantrums!) with your family. Happy Father's Day to you, your own dads, and all the other father figures in your life.
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3. GIFT AN EXPERIENCE FOR FATHER’S DAY
Your employees care about their work, and they have lives, too. What matters to dads at work? Their kids! Provide them with complimentary tickets to the zoo or a new kid-friendly museum experience. Or organize a bring your kid to work day.
Working from home? Consider giving dads a Doordash gift card or gift card to a local restaurant to get dinner together as a family after work. In addition to this special occasion, consider offering them some at-home kids activities and work-from-home support resources to set them up for success.
3. SET UP A FUN FATHER’S DAY (IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL) EVENT
Have a family-oriented workplace? Have a few dads on the team? Make it a company affair to celebrate parenthood with them! Set up activities like bingo or quizzes with prizes to get the dads feeling appreciated and recognized while getting the whole team together.
4. OFFER A STRONG MATERNAL/PATERNAL LEAVE POLICY — And Remind People to Use it!
Welcoming a newborn into the family is a beautiful and challenging experience for moms AND dads. Consider adding some new comprehensive maternal/paternal leave benefits for both parties to use to care for their newest family member, and announce it on Father’s Day. If you already have such policies in place, Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity for the HR team to send out some educational materials around these offerings.
5. MAKE FATHER’S DAY A COMPANY HOLIDAY!
If your team works on Father’s Day Sunday and the time and capacity are available, consider offering your team a full or half-day off. This perk gives fathers on your team a chance for some focused quality time with their families, and they will be sure to appreciate you for it.
Note: If you do offer this policy, make sure you do the same on Mother’s Day.
6. PLAN A “BRING YOUR KIDS TO WORK” PARTY
It doesn’t have to take up the entire day, but closing the office early for an end-of-day social hour with kids and parents is a great way to encourage employees to bond with other working parents — which is great for team morale! You’ll want to offer this same event on Mother’s Day, too, or plan a “Parent’s Day” on a different date to include both working dads and moms. (You can still announce it this Father’s Day!)
And remember, not everyone wants to be — or can be — a parent. For anyone without kids, invite them to enjoy the party and also offer them the chance to leave the office early. Not everyone wants to celebrate parenting!
7. BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR FATHER’S DAY CELEBRATIONS
You likely have some, if not many, employees who may have lost their fathers, are unable to become fathers, or who don’t wish to observe the holiday for another reason. Be sensitive and flexible. Allow them to opt out of any communications, events, or celebrations. When planning Father’s Day activities, ask yourself whether anyone will feel excluded. Be aware of the fact that not everyone will want to participate in the observance of this holiday and incorporate that mentality into your Father’s Day celebrations at work.
Bonus: Build Resources for Parents into Your Onboarding
No matter how you choose to celebrate Father’s Day at work, recognize their efforts! They are true superheroes!
When hiring working dads or employees in general, provide them with a comprehensive onboarding experience to set them up for success. Working from home, starting a new job, and juggling parenting responsibilities can be overwhelming! Consider implementing an onboarding best practice checklist to help make their transition into the role more seamless and manageable.