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Anniversaries do not mean you have to put on a show, demonstrating your affection with needlessly expensive trinkets and dinners. They’re an opportunity to convey how much you appreciate receiving commitment, support, and consideration from that special someone. In other words, anniversaries are an opportunity to say in your own beautiful words: I’m lucky to have you.
By the way, we’re not talking about relationship anniversaries. We’re talking about work anniversaries. And those special “someones” in question are your incredible employees, colleagues, coworkers, bosses, and so on.
Their hard work has earned a happy work anniversary. You can look at providing anniversary best wishes as an inseparable part of your overall employee appreciation and recognition initiatives.
By showing appreciation for the years of service they’ve already put in, you have a chance to motivate them to stick around for more. These milestone moments are make-or-break moments for employee retention and satisfaction, and their impact spreads beyond the individual you’re celebrating.
Here’s what one company leader told Bonusly about work anniversaries:
Other leaders agree with this sentiment, including the employee-favorite team at Zappos and some leaders at Quartet, who told Donut that “Celebrating anniversaries creates a moment for people to talk about why they’re still at Quartet.”
Pro-Tip: Celebrate your colleague’s next work anniversary with CareCards!
CareCards allows your entire team to wish them a happy workaversary, send them a work anniversary gift, and share personalized congratulations all on one easy-to-use platfrom.
Use every work anniversary as a moment to make an impact. To help you say what you need to say, we’ve listed a variety of appreciation messages below, ranging from a casual “congrats” to a sentimental proclamation. Use these messages as your inspirational starting point or feel free to copy and paste them into your emails, letters, anniversary cards, social posts, and more.
Work Anniversary Wishes & Messages To Congratulate Your Colleagues
General Work Anniversary Messages & Wishes
1) “Happy anniversary! Where would we be without your work ethics and winning attitude? I’m thankful I don’t have to answer that question. Thank you, thank you, for making this place everything it is.”
Best for Boss or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A customized desk plant.
2) “Another anniversary — another exemplary year of exceeding all my expectations. I have no idea how you do it, but I can tell you I appreciate it more than words can say. Thank you for being amazing.”
Best for Direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A celebration! (You can easily adapt one of these virtual birthday party ideas to create an anniversary extravaganza.)
3) “Thank you for always, always making each year better than the last. I can say with absolute certainty that you inspire everyone you work with. We all feel so grateful to have you on our team.”
Best for Boss or coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: A Work Anniversary Box
Pro-tip: At SnackNation, we’ve also leveraged Bonusly’s work anniversary bot to automatically give a bonus to teammates when it’s their special day to celebrate. Since it’s automated, it’ll show up on the bonus feed and also serves as a reminder so the rest of us pile on to mention achievements, special moments, inside jokes, and more.
4) “Looking back on the year we shared, I find it hard to pick just one standout accomplishment. A highlight was definitely the [specific accomplishment or memory]. That really [results or impact]. Example: A highlight was definitely that presentation you gave at the East Coast Conference. That really got everyone buzzing about our brand for days.”
Best for Direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A personalized mug.
Pro-tip: Don’t get caught in the trap of having to purchase one-off gifts for each employee’s anniversary. Set up an employee milestone program through Caroo, where you can input all your employee birthdays and anniversaries, and ship gifts out all in one easy (and free!) to use platform
👉 Check out their dedicated Work Anniversary Box to start celebrating!
Milestone Work Anniversary Messages & Wishes
1-4 Year Message
5) “I can’t believe you’ve been here only X years. It feels like you’ve been part of our team forever, and I mean that in the best way possible. Your work ethic, talent, and gumption fit our culture to a T, and it has been so satisfying to watch every member of our team embrace you from your first day on. We’re all so glad you’re here.”
Best for: Direct report, colleague, or coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: One of The Escape Game’s delightful escape rooms.
5-9 Years Message
6) “How time flies! It has been so rewarding to watch you grow along with this company, and honestly, it’s no coincidence that the two of you have grown side by side. Your leadership, vision, and commitment have directly enabled this company to become what it is today. Have a wonderful work anniversary!”
Best for Direct report or your employee of the month
This celebratory message pairs well with: Virtual charades
7) “I realize it’s YOUR work anniversary today, and I need to celebrate YOU, but to be honest, this feels like a celebration for me since I get to have you on my team. Cheers to you, the one person I know I can count on to [skill/talent/characteristic]. Example: Cheers to you, the one person I know I can count on to find every single math error on every spreadsheet, every time.”
Best for Boss, direct report, or coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: A box of goodies from Carol.
10-19 Years Message
8) “It would be far easier to list things you haven’t done than it would be to list your extensive accomplishments on anything smaller than a paper scroll. Your expertise in [skill area] has revolutionized our [service or project] and your mentorship and leadership have been formational to our workforce. Wishing you many more years of success. Example: Your expertise in analytics has revolutionized our scheduling efficiency.”
Best for Boss or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A whiskey cocktail kit
20 Years+ Message
9) “I can say with absolute certainty that you will go down in company history. The relationships and bonds you’ve formed will surely echo in our culture for years to come. We are grateful for all you’ve accomplished in your XX-year tenure, from [accomplishment] to [accomplishment]. Example: We are grateful for all you’ve accomplished in your 30-year tenure, from opening a global office to winning at least ten of our top clients.”
Best for: Boss, direct report, or colleague.
This celebratory message pairs well with: A pack full of customized swag from SwagUp.
Funny Work Anniversary Messages & Wishes
10) Create your own work anniversary memes. Just find a template in your favorite generator and use any of these text options:
- Here’s to XX years of doing a bunch of stuff I don’t understand
- XX years at [company] … gets this lame meme
- Work anniversary … a birthday dressed in business casual
- Great job doing … your job!
- XX years? Good luck surviving one more
Best for Coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: A box of snacks
11) Do an anniversary message “mad libs.” Source a list of nouns and adjectives from other coworkers and use them to fill in the following message:
- “Your favorite [noun] decided to drop in to wish you a [adjective] work anniversary. They wanted you to know you are [adjective], [adjective], and [adjective] and deserve all the [noun] in the world. Example: Your favorite elephant decided to drop in to wish you a wet work anniversary. They wanted you to know you are squishy, fancy, and inexpensive and deserve all the chairs in the world.”
Best for Boss or coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: A pack of minimalist swag
12) “Since it’s your special day, we wanted to let YOU know that WE know it was you. (And we love you anyway.)”
Best for: Coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: Virtual Pictionary
13) “Happy anniversary! A question when you have a moment: What would you say…you do here?“
Best for: Coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: An elderflower spritz
14) Write a humorous definition to describe the employee:
- [Employee name] (noun): An adult human who dreams of [interest], eats [pet peeve] for breakfast, and has big plans to take over the world with powers of [skill]. Example: Ron Swanson (noun): An adult human who dreams of grizzly bears, eats hugs for breakfast, and has big plans to take over the world with the powers of woodworking.
Best for Coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: A conveniently packaged “cheers-in-a-box” from Priority Experiences.
Sentimental Work Anniversary Messages & Wishes
15) “We strive to bring out the best in our employees, but the true gift is finding employees who can do the same for us and then some. Thank you for bringing out the best in all of us.”
Best for: Direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A wireless speaker
16) “I can never tell you enough how much your contributions impact this company in both big and small ways. Your support and dedication make this company, and everyone who works here, stronger, happier, and more driven.”
Best for: Boss or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A party. Adapt one of these office birthday ideas for an anniversary.
17) “Over the last XX years, your steadfast work has made me realize not only that big achievements are possible, but also that, with the right team, one can actually reframe what is possible.”
Best for: Boss or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A Caroo Unplugged Box
18) “It’s a rare honor and a privilege to work with someone who not only shines during the high moments but who also finds ways to uplift and inspire through the challenges and setbacks.”
Best for: Boss, direct report, or coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: A round of trivia
19) “The way you work and live your life reminds me of a line from Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist: “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” (Find the perfect variation of this quote by browsing our lists of motivational quotes and employee recognition quotes.)”
Best for: Boss or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: Some beautifully customized desk accessories from Swag.com.
Formal Work Anniversary Messages & Wishes
20) “Happy XXth work anniversary. I’m deeply impressed by and appreciative of all you’ve accomplished in the last XX years, especially [accomplishments]. I can say with absolute sincerity that I can’t wait to see what you will accomplish next. Example: Happy 10th work anniversary. I’m deeply impressed by and appreciative of all you’ve accomplished in the last 10 years, especially all you’ve done to modernize our research and development processes.”
Best for: Direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A Caroo Sips + Snacks Box
21) “It is my pleasure that on this, your XX work anniversary, I have the opportunity, the privilege, to extend my deepest gratitude for your good work, which I value tremendously, and your attitude, which I greatly admire. Thank you for being an exemplary employee — a true role model — and for choosing to be a part of our company.
Best for: Direct report or coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: A thank-you swag pack22) “Happy anniversary, [name]. It has been an absolute honor to work with someone with your unique combination of dedication, perseverance, and talent for [specific skill]. It’s my greatest hope to retain this honor for many years to come.”
Best for: Boss, coworker, or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: Spiced rum punch
23) “In XX years, you have taught me what it means to be a true team player and an awesome human being, how to strive for constant growth in both my personal and professional life and how to [skill or strength]. I’m so grateful to know that just by having you on my team, I can learn and grow each and every day. Wishing you the very best work anniversary! Example: In 7 years, you have taught me what it means to be a true team player, how to strive for constant growth, and how to follow through on a strategy with grace and determination.”
Best for: Boss or coworker
This celebratory message pairs well with: A virtual lunch party
24) “I feel the only way to adequately celebrate your anniversary is to thank you for it. Reflecting on your years with us, I’m struck by everything that simply would not exist without you, including [company initiative]. Thank you for making your XX-year work anniversary an occasion to applaud. Example: Reflecting on your years with us, I’m struck by everything that simply would not exist without you, including our wildly successful annual conference.”
Best for: Boss or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A shout out on your company’s social recognition platform of choice, such as Nectar
Creative & Unique Work Anniversary Messages & Wishes
25) “Happy anniversary! To celebrate you, I thought I would give you a color. You are [color]—[adjectives that describe the color and the person]. Example: You are red — strong, outstanding, and absolutely memorable.”
Best for: Coworker or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A Caroo Super Snacks Box
26) “I think my appreciation for you is best conveyed through your unofficial theme song. I chose [song] because it reminds me of your [strengths and features]. Example: I chose Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan because your positivity and dedication have the power to keep the team motivated.”
Best for: Coworker or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A thoughtful work anniversary portfolio perfects to send during the holidays with a custom holiday greeting.
27) “I hereby present you with a [made-up service award] in recognition of your [strengths and features]. I have only one of these prestigious awards to give, and I choose to give it to you. Example: I hereby present you with a Golden Sandwich Award in recognition of your ability to create a unified, cohesive team using so many different ingredients.”
Best for: Coworker or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: A custom travel swag pack that says kudos like nothing else
28) “In honor of your XXth anniversary, I present my 3 wishes for you: [personal/ warm wishes]. Example: May your marketing campaign set a new record. May your last semester of grad school be stress-free. May you book that trip to Morocco.”
Best for: Boss, coworker, or direct report
This celebratory message pairs well with: Virtual wine tasting
29) “To celebrate your XXth anniversary, I compiled your top 5 all-time greatest hits: [5 specific accomplishments]. Example: Creating a brand-new department, revisioning our mission statement, launching an employee education program, making status meetings fun, and getting everyone to try meditation.”
Best for: Colleague, coworker, or yourself
This celebratory message pairs well with: One of Confetti’s expertly planned celebrations.
Humble Brag Anniversary Messages You Can Post On Social Media
1) LinkedIn Warm and Specific Post
Why we like this message: It has a graceful, warm tone, covers specific aspects of the work, and also acknowledges the rest of the team.
2) LinkedIn Capture The Journey Post
Why we like this message: It concisely captures the core of one person’s long career journey, warmly thanks the company, and closes with inspiration and wisdom that anyone in any career will appreciate.
3) LinkedIn Reflective Post
Why we like this message: It’s reflective while also being forward-thinking. It alludes to past accomplishments while keeping the spotlight on challenges and goals that lie ahead.
4) LinkedIn Celebration and Focus Post
Why we like this message: It celebrates one person’s anniversary but keeps the true focus on the team. It demonstrates a refreshing sense of co-achievement and teamwork.
5) LinkedIn Concise And Grateful Post
Why we like this message: It quickly tells a colorful and complete story of one person’s career.
6) LinkedIn Personal And Authentic Post
Why we like this message: It’s deeply personal and authentic, conveys gratitude on a variety of levels, and closes the loop to cover not only what the job has meant to the “employee,” but also to the whole complex person.
