An office baby shower is a thoughtful way to celebrate an expecting parent’s good news. Create a low-key event that everyone at work can enjoy with these tips for preparing an office baby shower.
1. Get Approval From the Parent and Management
Once your coworker announces they are expecting a baby, congratulate them! Let your coworker share how they are feeling and offer them support and well-wishes. Then, discuss the idea for an office baby shower with them. Some people won’t feel comfortable with a baby shower, in which case, you certainly shouldn’t host one.
But if the expecting parent is interested in a baby shower, you’ll need to talk with management personnel. Ask for permission for the event and find out the rules you need to follow.
At this point, you’ll also need to know who is responsible for various aspects of the party. It might be a collaborative effort with multiple team members, the HR department might plan and schedule it, or it could be an individual who works closely with the expecting parent.
2. Choose the Time and Place
You can hold the baby shower on-site in your office’s break room or conference room, or you can choose a nearby restaurant with enough space to accommodate all the attendees.
Generally, the best times to host a work event are during lunchtime, at the end of the workday, and on Friday afternoons before everyone goes home for the weekend. The shower should only be about an hour long. People are already used to relaxing during these times, so you’ll be able to fit the shower into people’s schedules more naturally than at other times of the day.
3. Send Invitations
The next tip for preparing an office baby shower is to send invitations that include the time, place, and any additional must-know info. Traditionally, only employees receive an invitation to a company baby shower. But in some cases, you might have permission to invite the parent’s spouse, so consider if this would be good for your shower.
If you work in a small company with everyone in the same building, invite everyone. If your company has multiple locations, invite coworkers who work at the same location as the parent. If you work in a large company, invite people who work directly with the expecting parent.
4. Keep the Shower Simple
A simple shower will make the most of your short time. Greet the attendees and let everyone mingle. You can have people play icebreakers or a work-appropriate baby shower game.
Depending on the time of the event, you might have a catered lunch or savory and sweet snacks. Follow the parent’s registry to give them a great gift. You can give gifts individually, give gift cards, or give one big gift from all the coworkers. Adorable parental leave gifts for employees show your thoughtfulness and support for the expecting parent’s well-being.
