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Praise and celebrations

Birthday messages for work

Birthday messages for a channel post, a note to teammates and a private message, for people who choose to share.

Celebrations settings. Opens Celebrations settings with the channel post filled in. Nothing is turned on until you save it.

Use in Shuffl

Not everyone wants their birthday shared. Ask first, and give people a private option.

In Shuffl each person is asked before their day whether to share it.

Shuffl · HR by the numbers

Ask first, then celebrate

Ask first, then celebrate. 10% of employees are asked how they like to be recognized and appreciated (Gallup, 2023) (Gallup, May 29, 2023 (updated February 16, 2026)). 20% of employees worldwide felt lonely a lot of the previous day (Gallup, 2024) (Gallup, June 11, 2024). 2 in 10 US employees report having a best friend at work (Gallup, 2022) (Gallup, August 16, 2022 (updated January 19, 2024)).

Sources: Gallup, May 29, 2023 (updated February 16, 2026)1; Gallup, June 11, 20242; Gallup, August 16, 2022 (updated January 19, 2024)3Download PNG

Birthdays in a channel

A post on each person’s birthday, for people who add it and say yes to sharing. Shuffl replaces {name}.

Happy birthday, {name}! Wishing you a wonderful day.

Tell the team about birthdays

Use in Shuffl

A direct message to each teammate on someone’s birthday, if they say yes. Shuffl replaces {name}.

It’s {name}’s birthday. Wish them a happy birthday!

Private birthday notes

Use in Shuffl

A private birthday note from Mello to each person who added a birthday. Nobody else is told. Shuffl replaces {name}.

Happy birthday, {name}! We hope you have a great day.

How to adapt it

  • Keep it short. The colleagues who reply make it personal.
  • Never mention age.
  • Choose a private note for teams where people prefer less attention.

What the research says

People rarely get asked how they like to be appreciated. Gallup and Workhuman research found only 10% of employees are asked how they like to be recognized.1 Birthdays are a clear case: some people enjoy a channel post, others would rather nobody knew.

Small moments of connection still count. One in five employees worldwide said they felt lonely a lot of the previous day in 2024, rising to 25% among fully remote workers.2 In the US, just two in ten employees report having a best friend at work.3 A short, opt-in birthday message is an easy way for colleagues to reach out.

Common mistakes

  • Joking about getting older. Age is a protected characteristic in the UK,4 and US federal law protects workers aged 40 and over from age discrimination, including harassment.5
  • Remembering some people and missing others. Use a calendar so nobody is left out.
  • Collections or gifts that feel compulsory. Keep contributions optional and private.
  • Posting a full date of birth from HR records. Information about an identifiable person is personal data under UK GDPR,6 so share the day only, with the person’s say-so.

Common questions

Should you celebrate employee birthdays at work?
Yes, if people want it. Ask each person first, offer a private option, and keep it short so it doesn’t become a burden for the team.
What do you write in a birthday message to a coworker?
A warm, simple line is enough: happy birthday, a hope that they enjoy the day and, if you know them well, a nod to something they love. Leave out age and in-jokes others won’t get.
Is it OK to share an employee’s birthday?
Only with their agreement. A birthday is personal information about an identifiable person, so ask before sharing it and use only the day, never the year.

Sources

Read on . Numbers change as new studies come out, so check the source before you quote it.

  1. Gallup, A Great Manager’s Most Important Habit, May 29, 2023 (updated February 16, 2026). The recognition figures are from Gallup and Workhuman research.
  2. Gallup, 1 in 5 Employees Worldwide Feel Lonely, June 11, 2024. By Ryan Pendell. From Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report.
  3. Gallup, The Increasing Importance of a Best Friend at Work, August 16, 2022 (updated January 19, 2024). By Alok Patel and Stephanie Plowman. Web survey of 16,586 U.S. employees on the Gallup Panel, June 13-23, 2022.
  4. GOV.UK, Discrimination: your rights, No date stated; read October 2026.
  5. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Age Discrimination, No date stated; read October 2026.
  6. Information Commissioner’s Office, What is personal data?, No date stated; read October 2026.

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