August 15, 2023
While most work anniversary messages come from a good place, they can sometimes seem lacklustre and generic. This doesn't mean every message needs to be poetic, but it should have enough sincerity and individuality to resonate with the recipient.
But you’re busy. We get it. Writing a unique, inspired message for every employee or colleague could easily become a full-time job.
We’re here to help.
Here, we've compiled a list of 37 distinctive happy work anniversary messages you can use as inspiration. Use these templates in emails, team meetings, or anniversary cards. Just be sure to add specific achievements to these messages to keep them from feeling impersonal.
Happy Work Anniversary Messages
The right anniversary message will depend on the person, relationship, and nature of the anniversary. Some people might celebrate everything from 6-month to 2-year anniversaries, while others will only share 1-year and 5-year anniversary updates.
To help cater to a variety of situations, we've compiled happy work anniversary messages into the following categories:
- Universal Work Anniversary Messages
- 1-Year Work Anniversary Congratulation Messages
- 3-Year Work Anniversary Congratulation Messages
- 5-Year Work Anniversary Congratulation Messages
- 10-Year Work Anniversary Congratulation Messages
- Happy Work Anniversary Quotes
- Funny Work Anniversary Messages
Universal Work Anniversary Messages
Use these messages to celebrate smaller anniversaries or random milestones.
- Congratulations on finishing your first week with the team. We're lucky to have you, and I can't wait to see what we accomplish next.
- Happy 1-month work anniversary. Time is flying by! Cheers to many more.
- Happy half-year work anniversary. Can't believe it's already been 6 months. Let's celebrate again in 6 more.
- Yay! You finished your onboarding—congratulations. Excited to see what you accomplish now that you're up and running.
- Congrats on finishing your first day at work! I know it probably seems a little overwhelming, but we're so excited to have you join us.
1-Year Work Anniversary Congratulation Messages
Personalise these 1-year work anniversary messages to celebrate when an employee or colleague has reached that magical 12-month milestone.
- A big shout-out for making it to 1-year. It's been a pleasure working with you, and I'm hoping for many more years to come.
- Cheers to your 1-year anniversary! The team has greatly benefitted from not only your skill set but your overall presence in the office as well.
- Let's toast to your 12-month milestone! It's been a pleasure working with you for the last year.
- Congratulations on your 1-year anniversary. You've been a truly significant addition to the team, and I can hardly remember what it was like working without you.
- Congrats on your work anniversary. You've already made a huge impact. Can't wait to see what you do next.
- Congrats on your amazing first year. You've set a high bar—can't wait to see what you do in year 2.
- One year down, and many more to come. Thanks for being an incredible teammate, and congratulations on your first work anniversary.
3-Year Work Anniversary Congratulation Messages
3-year work anniversaries often get overlooked. However, frequent recognition directly ties to higher employee retention and morale. That's why we believe in recognising 3-year milestones, too.
- Congratulations on your 3rd anniversary with us. We're lucky to have you on the team!
- Three years and counting! Congratulations on your milestone anniversary. You've changed our team for the better, and we're grateful to have you.
- Time flies when you're having fun—or at least it did for me. Thanks for making work not feel like work. Congrats on your 3-year work anniversary.
- Three years and still going strong! You've contributed so much to the company, and we're grateful for your hard work and commitment. Here's to many more years of success.
- Wow—3 years already! Congratulations on a huge milestone, and thanks for being an incredible teammate.
5-Year Work Anniversary Congratulation Messages
Five years is a major milestone that deserves recognition. Your employee has now spent half a decade working at your company, and this is your opportunity to make them feel valued.
- Congratulations on your 5-year work anniversary. It seems like you just joined yesterday, but it's already been half a decade. Thanks for spending it with us!
- Thank you for your 5 years of service and hard work. We couldn't have made it to where we are without you—and we're grateful to have you on the team!
- Five years—what a major accomplishment! You should be proud of what you've helped build. Here's to more success in the future!
- Congrats on reaching 5 years! You've worked hard to get here—now go and celebrate.
- Woah! You just reached 5 years today. Thanks for spending a significant part of your career with us. We're better because of you!
10-Year Work Anniversary Congratulation Messages
10 years is an impressive amount of time to stay with a company - especially in today's climate. Don't let this milestone go unnoticed. Be sure to take the time to celebrate and highlight some of the major (and minor) impacts this person had on the company over the course of a decade.
- Happy 10-year work anniversary! You've been a game-changer here, and I couldn't imagine the business without you.
- Congratulations on reaching 10 years with the company—I only wish we had been on the same team for more of it!
- A 10-year anniversary calls for a special celebration. Whether you take a day off or treat yourself, don't forget to celebrate—you've earned it.
- Congrats on an entire decade of success! Thanks for all you've done for the company and your colleagues.
Happy Work Anniversary Quotes
Sometimes, a tried-and-true quote can sum it up better than original thoughts. Check out the following happy work anniversary quotes and see if they might fit the person and situation better.
- "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." - Confucius
- "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." - Robert Louis Stevenson
- "Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection." - Mark Twain
- "Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out." - Robert Collier
- "Alone, we can do so little. Together, we can do so much." - Helen Keller
- "Success is best when it's shared." - Howard Schultz
- "I'm not the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Funny Work Anniversary Messages
Want to go for humour? Here are a few funny thank-you messages you can send when you want to lighten the mood.
- Another year already? Wow. Congrats on sticking around with us! We know it's not always easy.
- You made it another 12 months—congratulations! Thanks for never giving up on us.
- You know it's been another year, right? That means we worked together for around 2,000 more hours (and I loved every minute of it).
- "Woot woot! You did it. You made it through your first year! High fives all around. Congrats on your work anniversary!"
Why It's Important to Celebrate Work Anniversaries
Work anniversaries come and go, but they're an opportunity to engage your employees, strengthen relationships, and say "thank you." These individuals could work anywhere in the world, but they've decided to work with you—and that shouldn't go unnoticed.
Here are a few reasons why it's important to celebrate work anniversaries:
- Recognition: Recognise your employees for the hard work they've contributed. A work anniversary means the employee has spent another 365 days (around 2,000 working hours) dedicated to your business. That's saying something.
- Morale boost: Show that you care and recognise employees. Whether you're a manager, CEO, or human resources (HR) department member, employees want to feel seen, and a short congratulatory message goes a long way.
- Engagement: Boost engagement and productivity by recognising milestones. Employee engagement tends to be 14% higher where recognition occurs.
- Reflection: Allow your employees to reflect on the last 12 months or years with your company. It's a special time to remember the good memories and celebrate the obstacles they've overcome.
Best Practices for Writing Happy Work Anniversary Notes
Whether you're writing a work anniversary note from scratch or using one of the templates above, keep the following best practices in mind:
Personalize
No congratulatory message should look like a copied/pasted template. Personalise every note so that it's unique to the recipient.
If you don't have the time to make it personal, you might as well not send anything at all. Your recipient will likely receive dozens of congratulatory messages, but they'll probably only look at (and care) about the ones that go beyond bland and generic.
Add Flavour
Spice up every work anniversary note with a bit of your unique touch and flair. You have a special voice—use it.
Don't be afraid to use jargon or inside jokes only your recipient will understand. This message is for them and not anyone else. If you've nailed this step, your recipient will know it's from you before they even read the 'from' field.
Keep It Short
You don't need to write a novel for a congratulatory message. Keep it short and sweet. This will help you write more messages in less time and give your recipients an opportunity to read and respond without feeling overwhelmed.
Show Investment
Prove that you care. "Congratulations!" or "Happy anniversary!" messages don't require much thought or investment—and it shows. Put a little bit more effort into your work anniversary messages. You're already doing that by reading this article, so you're off to a great start.
Celebrate Employee Work Anniversaries with Terryberry
Want to show that you really recognise your employees and their work anniversaries? Celebrate milestones and achievements with a gift to accompany your unique message.
Terryberry can help you provide work anniversary awards for every employee milestone—from 3-month milestones to retirement.
You can opt for traditional plaques and trophies or employee-choice reward platforms. Whether you're a start-up or an enterprise, we'll work with you to create a special rewards program tailor-made for your employees.
Ready to get started? Download our brochure to learn more.