Praise and celebrations
Work anniversary messages
Work anniversary messages for a channel post, a note to teammates and a private thank you.
Celebrations settings. Opens Celebrations settings with the channel post filled in. Nothing is turned on until you save it.
A work anniversary is a chance to thank someone for the time they have given.
In Shuffl each person is asked before their day whether to share it, and can keep it to a private note.
Shuffl · HR by the numbers
Tenure worth marking
Tenure worth marking. 4.1 yrs median time US wage and salary workers had been with their employer, January 2026 (BLS) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 24, 2026). 3.0 yrs median tenure of US workers aged 25 to 34 in January 2026, vs 9.6 for ages 55 to 64 (BLS) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 24, 2026). 2x as likely to say they’ll quit within a year if they don’t feel recognized (Gallup, 2016) (Gallup, June 28, 2016 (updated January 12, 2024)).
Work anniversaries in a channel
A post in a channel on each person’s anniversary, for people who say yes to sharing. Shuffl replaces {name} and {years}.
Happy work anniversary, {name}! {years} years with us. Thank you for everything you do.Tell the team about anniversaries
A direct message to each teammate on someone’s anniversary, if they say yes. Shuffl replaces {name} and {years}.
Today is {name}’s work anniversary: {years} years with us. Say congratulations!Private anniversary notes
A private note from Mello to each person on their anniversary. Nobody else is told. Shuffl replaces {name} and {years}.
Happy work anniversary, {name}! {years} years with us. Thank you for everything you do.How to adapt it
- Mention the number of years when people are happy to share it.
- Ask their manager to add a line about what they did this year.
- A private note suits people who would rather not be the center of attention.
What the research says
Most anniversaries are early ones. In January 2026, the median US wage and salary worker had been with their employer for 4.1 years, up from 3.9 years in January 2024. Tenure rises with age: 3.0 years for workers aged 25 to 34 and 9.6 years for those aged 55 to 64.1 So the first, second and third years deserve as much attention as the round numbers.
Feeling noticed affects whether people stay. Employees who don’t feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they’ll quit in the next year.2 Gallup and Workhuman found well-recognized employees were 45% less likely to have left two years later.3
Common mistakes
- Only marking round numbers. Year one and year two matter to people too.
- Getting the date wrong for rehires or people who moved from a contract role. Check which start date they count.
- Gifts that only start at five years, so most people never see one.
- Forgetting people on leave on their anniversary. Send a private note anyway.
Common questions
- What do you say on a coworker’s work anniversary?
- Thank them for the time they’ve given and name one thing they did that made a difference this year. A sentence or two from their manager means more than a long generic message.
- Which work anniversaries should you celebrate?
- Every year, if the person is happy to share it. With median tenure around four years in the US, many of the anniversaries on your team will be the first few.
- Should companies give gifts for work anniversaries?
- A gift is optional. A specific thank you from the manager, and a public message when the person wants one, does most of the work. If you do give gifts, make sure early anniversaries get something too.
Sources
Read on . Numbers change as new studies come out, so check the source before you quote it.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Tenure Summary, September 24, 2026. Current Population Survey supplement, January 2026. USDL-26-1532.
- Gallup, The Importance of Employee Recognition: Low Cost, High Impact, June 28, 2016 (updated January 12, 2024).
- Gallup, Employee Retention Depends on Getting Recognition Right, September 18, 2024. By Rachael Yi. Gallup and Workhuman research tracking nearly 3,500 employees from 2022 to 2024.