A heartwarming workplace gesture has struck a chord online after a new employee shared the touching surprise organized by colleagues to celebrate their birthday.
In a Reddit post, the employee shared that a birthday party at work marked the first time the occasion had been celebrated for them in years. The poster’s genuine appreciation was contagious, and the post has been upvoted by more than 66,000 Reddit users.
Posting on the r/MadeMeSmile community, the worker explained their situation: “Started a new job last week. Today is my birthday! Walked in to this. First time my birthday has been ‘celebrated’ in years.”
The worker elaborated on why birthdays usually passed unmarked, citing “lack of people to do anything with and being too stressed and broke to plan anything anyways.”
But the contrast at their new job was stark and deeply moving. “I almost cried!” the worker wrote, along with a picture of their decorated work station. “Everyone was so kind, wishing happy birthday throughout the day, someone even brought me a giant (honestly amazing, like best one I’ve ever had) cupcake from a local bakery!”
This level of acknowledgment was entirely new for the employee, who added that they had never had a job where they felt appreciated or genuinely cared about. The effort resonated even more deeply with them given personal circumstances.
“My own mom didn’t even remember my birthday today, and my kids are too young to acknowledge it really, so my work remembering meant even more,” the poster wrote. “Felt absolutely giddy all day.”
‘Wouldn’t Change a Thing’
Beyond the birthday surprise, the poster also expressed immense satisfaction with the new role itself, despite its more novel demands.
“It is the most mentally challenging job I’ve had,” the worker said in the comments. “I have been having dreams of excel documents and data entry and pricing formulas for the last week literally every night, but I wouldn’t change a thing!”
The potential for advancement and a positive environment were key factors, and Reddit users definitely picked up on the good vibes. It even helped some have hope for their own careers.
“I’m so happy for you!” one commenter wrote. “Congratulations. Been a horrible week for me and who knew seeing something like this will bring back light to my eyes.”
Another user reflected on the value of positive workplace interactions: “And people complain that they HATE work culture when the company encourages stuff like this. They just want to work from home, not talk to anyone for 8-plus hours, get their stuff done and leave,” they wrote. “Good work culture is something you don’t realize you wanted until you have it.”
Source – https://www.newsweek.com/worker-new-colleague-awe-what-they-do-week-later-2058495