For a change, let the captains of Hong Kong industry, finance and administration take a note: leave your lunch hour free or devote some part of the schedule to marking Secretaries Day. In the United States, the day has become not so much a marketing gimmick for the cards and gifts trade, but an integral part of the office calendar which in some cases has stretched to a week-long event. Professional secretarial organisations are this week using the event not only to ensure administration assistants, personal assistants and others are honoured for their sterling work throughout the year, but to draw attention to the advantages of a secretarial career. The idea for an annual day in tribute to secretarial staff originated after World War II when public relations executive Harry Klemfuss set about devising a way of addressing the shortage of skilled office workers in the US. At the same time it provided an opportunity for the efficiency and loyalty shown by women in the workforce to be applauded, as it was in the war years when women played a crucial role in industry. Mr Klemfuss and C. King Woodbridge, the then president of Dictaphone Corp, were working on a council charged with finding ways of tackling the office skills shortage in the US. After months of campaigning their efforts came to fruition when US secretary of commerce Charles Sawyer proclaimed the first National Secretaries Week from June 1-7, 1952. Three years later, the National Secretaries Association changed the date of National Secretaries Week to the last full week of April. The day is now recognised by progressive bosses and organisations across the world. According to Professional Secretaries International, there are two main objectives of Secretaries Day and the week of events marked by many offices: To recognise 'the secretary upon whose skills, loyalty and efficiency the functions of business and government offices depend' and, To draw attention via 'favourable publicity, to the tremendous potential of the secretarial career'. Today the motivation behind the event is as important to the profession and the smooth running of business as ever. In Britain offices are said to be experiencing a severe shortage of skilled secretarial staff. At the height of Britain's recession, there were six candidates for every job. But now, says a US recruitment and temping firm, there are five vacancies for every three qualified, multi-skilled secretaries at the high end of the market. Secretaries once had extremely clear and defined roles. They typed, answered the phone and ran their managers' diaries. Now, technological advances have spawned a multitude of tasks related to computers and telecommunications. LEAVE A SPACE IN THE SCHEDULE TODAY Event originated in 1952 to help tackle office skills shortfall Chance to show appreciation for loyalty and hard work
