This story first appeared in the August 26 issue of The Trussville Tribune…
I work in a great office with a wonderful bunch of people, and I have proof. Based on a survey of its employees, the law firm I work for was recently named one of the Best Places to Work in Birmingham. And who knows better than the employees? I mean it’s usually us, not the bosses, who know the real dirt. So if we deem someplace a great place to work, it really is.
But truth be told, it’s not necessarily the bosses, the pay or the benefits that make our firm such a special place to work – even though all those things are appreciated. And it has little to do with personal fulfillment, the satisfaction of a job well done or the inner rewards of hard work. No, it’s something more tangible, more fulfilling, satisfying and rewarding than operating a computer or pushing papers around a desk all day. It’s the parties.
At our office, no occasion is too insignificant to celebrate, and we do our level best not to let any excuse slip past. In addition to periodic birthday cake breaks, holiday meals and wedding or baby showers, we celebrate National Cheesecake Day, Sundae Friday (an annual firm-created ice cream pig fest the week of Labor Day), We Won a Big Case Day, The Boss Is Out of the Country for Two Weeks Day (umm…maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned that last one…) and We Really Don’t Have Anything to Celebrate But Let’s Eat Cake Anyway Day.
In case you haven’t guessed, food plays a major role in our celebrations. Aw, heck, who am I kidding? Food is THE REASON for our celebrations. If not for the opportunity to overindulge in sugar-heavy, calorie-laden treats (often, courtesy of the firm) with some perfectly sound rationalizations for doing so, why would we bother?
Now don’t get me wrong. Life in our office isn’t a constant series of parties, although we probably throw more than our share. We actually work most of the time, and pardon me in advance for bragging, but we’re all pretty good at what we do.
Our four fine bosses (I’ll take that raise now) have managed to assemble a highly capable team, a mix of folks ranging from seasoned old workhorses to eager young pups ready to take on the world. And most of the time, we all enjoy each other’s company. I say “most of the time” because everybody has their “days,” right? But when you’ve got an overall friendly working environment, it makes for a pleasant place to work.
I like to think the cordial atmosphere has a lot to do with the parties. My personal theory is, you can’t help but get along with others when you’re eating ice cream or drooling over cheesecake together. And try being a bear to somebody with whom you’ve just split a brownie or shared a Krispy Kreme doughnut. It’s impossible.
Seriously, how can you not be sweet when you’re full of sweets? It certainly helps improve my attitude; I’ve heard it’s something about how sugar temporarily boosts serotonin and promotes a sense of well-being. But unfortunately, it’s also helping my hips grow bigger – and several other parts of my anatomy, as well.
So with that in mind, I had to chuckle to myself when, after receiving notice of the Best Places to Work win, I was invited to nominate the firm for Healthiest Places to Work honors. “No way!” I thought, imagining a panel of judges rolling on the floor laughing after reviewing our entry. Then it struck me that being happy on the job is healthy, so we actually might qualify.
Hmmm… I’m going to think that over while I’m making plans for the firm to celebrate National Waffle Day next week. With any luck, we can pull this healthy thing off and reel in another honor before the year is out. In the meantime, does anybody have a good recipe for chocolate waffles? I could really use one about now.
Congratulations to RichardsonClement PC for being named one of 30 metro-area Best Places to Work in 2010 by Birmingham Business Journal.
Somewhere in the Middle 