Tuesday 28 April 2009

Why do secretaries get a week?

Why is it that secretaries get a week when everyone else gets recognition only for a day? We have Mother's Day and we have Father's Day. We have Labour Day, Teacher's Day, Children's Day, Warrior's Day and a day for lovers called Valentine's Day. Even our planet gets only a single day... Earth Day. But secretaries get a week! They must surely be a special group of people to deserve that.

I am prompted to write about this topic after seeing the pictures that a friend posted on her Facebook profile of the Secretaries Week Luncheon she attended last week. She got to go to the one hosted by Siti Nurhaliza.... hmm, lucky girl.

I attended a similar function two years ago. It was the one hosted by Malaysia's most popular male singer with that certain aura... Mawi. The company decided to buy a full table as a treat for the four secretaries, some of the senior admin staff plus some section heads. Initially, I had declined to go because I was just back from overseas posting and had tons of work to catch up on. But the section head that was meant to attend had to go somewhere else. My own secretary was pleading for me to come along so that the ticket would not go to waste and so I finally relented (err... sexytary ni semua memang ada skill memujuk, boleh cair you...).

Truth be told, I actually feel a bit uneasy to be in a room full of young and middle-aged ladies who are clamouring for the attention of a single young man. Quite unnerving. When Mawi came down from the stage to mingle with the audience, the rush of the women trying to shake his hand and take photos with him was extraordinary.

Mawi co-hosted the show with the petite and dynamic Indonesian singer named Rossa. The cross-dressing Dee compered the event. Overall, it was quite an entertaining afternoon. I have to give it to Mawi... the guy can actually sing and interact with his audience.

Secretaries Week luncheon shows are not cheap. Whoever thought of this event sure got it right. The one that I went to was sold out. I reckon that it is no different this year, economic crisis notwithstanding. Secretaries Week create a sort of dilemma for the bosses. Buying a ticket for your secretary to attend a luncheon show is expensive but if you do not do it, you risk being considered a cheapskate who is ungrateful for the work she has done.

Personally, I think this Secretaries Week thingy is overrated. I would rather reward my secretary with a special treat by taking her out to lunch or dinner where we can have the free time to talk about anything and everything other than work. This however, is not an easy thing to do... if your wife has a jealous streak. Doubly difficult if your secretary is married to a husband with a suspicious nature. So what I've mentioned is actually not good advice... please do not follow it ;-)

20 comments:

Nin said...

A good treat for your secretary would be to buy her a few thousand RM worth of gift vouchers so that she can go shopping!

If you start the trend, soon the other bosses in the company will have to follow your lead cause news travel fast among the secretaries :-D

mamasita said...

Dear Oldstock.
I am very sad for wives whose husbands have pretty, manja, pandai memujuk secretaries! Siapa tak panik right? Afterall men in general bukan keramat! hehehe
psst..tapi Mrs Oldstock jangan panik! Makcik bloggers boleh hendap dia and hantar laporan terkini! hehe

Kak Teh said...

Oldstock, that got me thinking as well...why a week? do nurses get any days at all? or are they included in hari Buruh? what about orang pencen? ada tak hari orang pencen or hari pesara? oooh, i better stop before i ....oh i just remembered: hari freelance?

Pat said...

I think you cracked this one on your own lah: 'Secretaries Week luncheon shows are not cheap. Whoever thought of this event sure got it right.'

So it's all about the money, and nothing about saying thank you for a job well done. And you're right, if you don't participate, the secretary will feel like she's/he's not appreciated.

My husband has had some good secretaries in the past. All young and pretty ;) But we became friends, and I knew they looked after Chuan when he was at work.

My own secretary was an angel and a tremendous help to me. Happy Secretaries Week, Cindy, wherever you are!

Anonymous said...

Oldstock

You are indeed sharp, my friend!

Why an entire week for secretaries? Many other segments of society are just as deserving. But why a week? How right you are.

HLiza said...

I think it's just one of those commercially-intended hype things. Memang tak aci secretary aje dapat entertainment..seminggu lak tu.

Anonymous said...

Secretary's week.. yeah! why one week, eh? Last year, I got my PA a dinner voucher to a v nice italian resto for 4 pax last year. You would have thought that it would have been a better gift than the over-priced, over-rated Sec Luncheon.

But nooooo.. and bellyached for the whole week, she did.

So this year, I gave her a choice of either 2 tickets to a Sec Luncheon or the equivalent in shopping vouchers. SURPRISINGLY, she opted for the shopping vouchers! Sheesh!

Snakebite said...

i slept with a secretary before. yes, my wife was a secretary

Oimira said...

all i want is engineer's week. we engineers need entertainment as well.

D said...

Perhaps secretaries work 'very hard' to keep their bosses' dark secrets in closets and often look after business and personal matters. For their precious commitment, they MUST be appreciated for a week or with thousands of $$ equivalent to it.

Good thing they don't have maid's day!! :)

Fadhil said...

Madam,

A few thousand RM of gift vouchers?! Tak mampu la den.

Lagipun, tak boleh nak start bagi baucer shopping ni... nanti dia expect nak dapat setiap tahun. Pening kepala.

Fadhil said...

Mamasita,

Orang lelaki ni, bila ada wanita jelita di depan mata, memang cepat tergoda.

My wife need not worry about my secretary because, for the past two years, I don't have one. Ada secretary masa based kat KL office je. Now at JB site office, I prefer not to have one.

Fadhil said...

Kak Teh,

I guess secretaries have awesome power over their bosses... that's why they can get a week!

Hmmm... Hari Freelance ye? Camna nak celebrate tu?

Fadhil said...

Pat,

That's the point of it all, isn't it? A way to make money.

Chuan had young and pretty secretaries huh? And you never felt a wee bit jealous, right? *wink*

As you said, good secretaries are a gem. The ones that I had all were special in their own way.

Fadhil said...

Salam MatB,

Nice to see you here.

I guess why there is a Secretaries Week is obvious. I do not wish to begrudge the secretaries on their effort in taking care of bosses, but I think having a Secretaries Day would suffice. In the end, it's all about an afternoon luncheon show anyway.

Fadhil said...

Hliza,

Yup, it's all about making money. Memang tak aci setiausaha dapat seminggu. Salesperson tak dapat apa-apa pun kan? :-)

Fadhil said...

Andrea,

You have one smart secretary there. Now be prepared to cough out shopping vouchers every year.

Fadhil said...

Snake,

I am assuming that you slept with your secretary after you married her, right? Heheheh...

So, sekarang ni, siapa boss? *wink*

Fadhil said...

Moira,

Jangan mimpi la engineers dapat Engineers Week. It will probably turn out to be a week of non-stop work... heheheh :-)

Fadhil said...

Salam D,

What you've said is precisely the reason why these business people create such events. It is an opportunity to make money. Bosses would feel guilty if they do not reward their secretaries who have worked hard to keep their so-called dark secrets.

Hmmm... do I have any dark secrets that is being kept by my secretary? Now, let me think... alamak! Ada la!