National Boss Day is celebrated on October 16 ever year, although some choose to observe it on the nearest working day if October 16 falls on a weekend.
In 1958, Patricia Bays Haroski registered National Boss’s Days as a holiday with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in honor of her father, who was also her employer. She created the holiday to improve office relationships between supervisors and their employees as well as raise cognizance to all the hard work boss’s put into their jobs. She felt as if younger employees didn’t appreciate their bosses enough, and knowing first hand what her father went through to make a company run smooth, set out to change that viewpoint. However, it wasn’t until Illinois Governor Otto Kerner supported Haroski’s registration four years later, that the day officially became a national holiday. National Boss Day is celebrated annually on October 16, unless this date falls on a weekend, in which case it is celebrated on the next working day.
While it may seem like a lavish position to some, it’s not easy being a boss. It’s certainly not just giving orders and relaxing. The operations of an entire business or department are shouldered by dedicated bosses, who ensure a smooth flow of work, handling major concerns of employees, and achieving the required goal of the organization. Bosses can make or break the entire workplace, and not just from a business perspective. A boss’s managerial style and attitude impacts the work environment and morale of employees. Fair and kind bosses make work-life balance easy, and some even assist in navigating and paving career paths. This is exactly why National Boss Day was created — to express gratitude to all great bosses, and appreciate all they do to make work a collaborative effort and a success.
Whatever we may think of the bosses in our lives, one thing is for sure, it is cool to be a boss. Popular phrases such as “Like a Boss” and “Girl Boss” became internet sensations after they were first used, and now we use them to describe any task that is done well.
And of course, how can we forget some of the most beloved television bosses? in 2005 we were introduced to the “World’s Best Boss” himself, Michael Scott in the television show “The Office.” We have also enjoyed less jolly bosses such as Miranda Priestly in the 2006 movie “Devil Wears Prada,” and fast-talking Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Bugle and Peter Parker’s boss, J. Jonah Jameson.
