National Fun At Work Day

Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Dec 22, 2023 By Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Originally Published on Mar 16, 2022
Fact-checked by Naman Khanna
National Fun At Work Day will bring that breath of fresh air to your office life.

Where is National Fun At Work Day celebrated?

National Fun At Work Day is celebrated in the United States of America on the last Friday of every January. This year it fell on January 28.

Who is National Fun At Work Day celebrated by?

National Fun At Work Day is celebrated all across the United States of America by the millions of American office employees who look forward to adding a little spark to their office life.

When did National Fun At Work Day first start?

We do not have the information regarding this.

Who started National Fun At Work Day?

The information surrounding who or what started National Fun At Work Day remains unknown.

History And Timeline

It has become an established truth by now that a company that takes care of its employees performs better in the long run. A lot has changed from the days of the Industrial Revolution in Europe when factories used to run by exploiting the labor of men, women, and children.

In the modern period, a company plies its trade by working in tandem with its employees.

A little injection of fun here and there goes a great distance in paying back great dividends. Let us look at some of the developments that have taken place in the field of work over the last few centuries.

The Term 'Office' Is Coined

Noted English author, Geoffrey Chaucer, is credited with having coined the term 'office' for the first time in the English language. In his acclaimed work, 'The Canterbury Tales,' Chaucer described a place where people would come and buy and sell goods and called it an 'office.'

1395

First Office Building

The Old Admiralty building in London, United Kingdom, came up this year. It was the first building in the world to have designated office rooms, a board room, as well, as lodging facilities for the officials who worked there.

1726

Open Plan Space Introduced

The concept of an open-plan space in office buildings came from the mind of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. He used this concept while designing the Larkin Administration Building in Buffalo, New York.

1906

Office Cubicles Introduced

Another American designer and inventor, Robert Propst, came up with the idea of installing cubicles in the office space. Although he intended to make the office floor space more productive and less intrusive, he went on to regret his invention in later life.

1963

Office Culture During Pandemic

The year 2020 will go down in history as the year that changed modern office culture forever. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the office home. It has affected the big company and the small business enterprises with similar breadth.

2020

Traditions And Customs

We could not find any particular custom or tradition that people associate with this day. But let that not stop you from having all the fun you deserve.

You can always go ahead and prepare a list of fun activities and then start celebrating with your coworkers on this special day. These fun games and activities would eventually become a part of your company culture. That would be a great way to become a company legend!

Ways To Observe Or Celebrate

What better way to celebrate this unique day than channeling your inner creativity to turn your office into a fun place? National Fun At Work Day gives you ample opportunities to put on your fun cap and set about making your office life and that of your coworkers an immensely enjoyable experience!

You can utilize this day to know many of your coworkers at the office you otherwise don't get a chance to talk to. You can get in touch with your coworkers in advance and plan out the whole day.

Celebrating National Fun At Work Day would require the cooperation and support of your coworkers. So, why not utilize this day to do some team-building exercises in a fun and entertaining way?

To begin with, you can divide your coworkers into separate teams and ask them to bring their ideas to the table. This day should be all about participation and cooperation. Then, you may select a theme for the day. It could be a superhero theme or a movie theme as long as it is fun.

Some of the top activities to do on this day could be a movie screening. Ideally, a comedy would suit the atmosphere.

A massage parlor could also be set up in a corner of your office. That would make a lot of exhausted people happy. Apart from the classic games such as Trivia and Bingo, you may also play a quiz based on the famous television show 'The Office.'

Again, you would need to divide your coworkers into teams before they could take part in the games. By the end of the day, be sure to see many of your coworkers finding new friends!

Before the day gets over, you could plan a grand feast! The best option would be to eat the food that people at the office bring on that day.

That would initiate a whole lot of interesting conversations. However, after an entire day of fun and merrymaking, there would be a good chance that people would run out of food. Food services would come to the rescue then!

Remember to click pictures of your favorite moments of the day and share them on social media using the hashtag given below. Happy National Fun At Work Day to all!

Facts And Stats

  • To 61% of Americans, office life is a major source of chronic stress. But, a recent study has found that happy employees working in a fun workplace increase their company performance by 37%, and that is why this day holds a lot of importance for all the office-going employees.
  • US companies lose around 300 billion dollars every year due to employees getting sick, workplace non-productiveness, regular absence of employees from the office, which can be prevented if the stigma around the office life is broken through this day.
  • A Lund University study has shown that companies that promote the well-being of employees tend to become better employers.
  • A Gallup Poll of 2020 found that employee engagement plummeted rapidly in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

What day is National Fun At Work Day?

The National Fun At Work Day is celebrated on the last Friday of January of every year. This year the fun day will be celebrated on January 28.

How can I make my workday fun?

You can make your workday fun by doing many things. You can ask your coworkers and team members beforehand about your intention to celebrate this day.

You and your coworkers can together organize fun activities at the office. You can ask your coworkers to bring their favorite board games to the office so that all the employees at the office can divide themselves into teams and then get the chance to play the games.

You may also take the permission of your company to arrange for a film screening at your office. Anything to break from the dull work cycle at the office.

Who started National Fun At Work Day?

The person who started National Fun At Work Day remains anonymous.

How do people celebrate National Fun At Work Day?

People celebrate this day by turning the workplace into a fun place. Office employees come together to showcase their creativity. They break the cycle of office monotony by doing fun things. Employees play board games, share fun ideas, and turn the office into a fun place.

Why do people celebrate National Fun At Work Day?

People celebrate this day to make the workplace enjoyable. Celebrating this day helps to develop team morale and team building. When companies encourage employees at the office to participate in fun games and fun activities, chances of increase in productivity of workers increase manifold.

What are the history and origin of National Fun At Work Day?

The history and origin of this day remain unknown.

When Is This Day Celebrated

  • Friday, January 31, 2020
  • Friday, January 29, 2021
  • Friday, January 28, 2022
  • Friday, January 27, 2023
  • Friday, January 26, 2024

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Written by Rajnandini Roychoudhury

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

Rajnandini Roychoudhury picture

Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature. 

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Fact-checked by Naman Khanna

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature

Naman Khanna picture

Naman KhannaBachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature

An English literature graduate from Delhi University, Naman's broad interests include mathematics, science, and social science. With his knowledge and expertise in multiple subjects, he is an asset to our fact-checking team. Naman is set to pursue his postgraduate degree in English literature soon.

Read full bio >