What is System Admin Appreciation Day?
Most people are surprised to learn that system admin appreciation day has been going on since 1999. It really hasn't become as popular as the appreciation day for other employees but it really should be. The system administrator has one of the most thankless jobs at any company so taking one day to show your appreciation isn't asking too much.
At most companies the only time anybody ever sees the system administrator is when they have a problem. Other times they never see the person who looks after the computer network. Given the nature of the relationship that most people have with their system administrator it is a good idea to show your appreciation. Modern companies can't function without their computer network and most people just take for granted that it will work properly. In reality this is rarely the case it takes constant effort to make sure that it continues to operate the way that it should. Just because you don't see the person who maintains the network doesn't mean that they aren't there doing the work.
The other reason that you may want to show your appreciation for your system admin is that there is a pretty good chance that you have done something to make their work harder. Most of the time when something goes wrong and you call the system admin to fix the problem it is because you have done something to screw up the network. In many cases the problem is simply that you don't know how to use it properly. All this extra work that gets added to the system administrator's load should be appreciated.
Most of the time the computer network is required to work twenty four hours a day seven days a week. If there is a problem at night or on the weekend the system admin will be called to come in and fix it. If they have to stay late to make a repair on the system that is part of the job. The computer system at most companies is far too important to be able to say wait until Monday to get it fixed, it usually has to be fixed right away. This is another of the tasks that the system admin performs that most of the other employees never hear about.
Nobody expects a huge celebration for system admin day on June 12, 2011, but some acknowledgement would be nice. A little token that you do in fact appreciate the job that they do in order to make your job easier. This small effort to make the system admin feel appreciated will go a long way to making them feel like you recognize the importance of the work that they do. It really shouldn't be too much to ask given how important they are to the success of your company.