How to Write Messages for Employee Appreciation Day

Employee Appreciation Day, celebrated every year on the first Friday in March, is your opportunity to say thank you – the right way. Beyond a pat on the back or a pay check, appreciation is one of the most powerful ways to boost morale, strengthen loyalty and retain good people – and when you find them, you want to keep them. But the key is to do it the right way. We’ll show you how with 40 easy message examples, plus the ingredients that make any message a winner. 

Studies show that employees who feel recognized are more engaged, productive and likely to stay. If your company has a strong recognition culture, you’ll experience 31% lower voluntary turnover and employees who feel appreciated are more than twice as likely to say they’ll stay another year. Win, win! 

Don’t let March 6 pass by without giving your employees a little love. And here’s the thing – you don’t have to do much. Just a well-timed message with an eGift Card for employees can be enough to boost morale. 

Here are 40+ ideas for what to write on a card to an employee – whether you want to be funny, heartfelt, friendly or professional this Employee Appreciation Day. 

Funny Employee Appreciation Messages

Perfect for employees who enjoy a laugh and a little levity – but make sure you’ve got your audience right. If you have a bit of banter in your relationship, they’ll love these. 

• We’re grateful you’re here – mostly because you steal fewer pens than the rest of the team.
• Team MVP: Most Valuable Procrastinator (but somehow still deliver on time).
• If appreciation could be stapled, we’d have a whole filing cabinet for you.
• Thanks for being the reason we pretend we know what we’re doing.
• You make this place less chaotic – and that’s no small task.
• Your job description should read: “Keeper of Sanity.”
• Thank you for keeping me from moving to a remote island and setting up a tent – with you in the team, the urge disappears. 

Heartfelt Employee Appreciation Messages

These are for expressing sincere gratitude and recognition. If you’ve got some employees that you’ve got a strong relationship with, these are the perfect notes to show how much you care.

• Thank you for bringing your whole self to work every day.
• Your dedication and care make a real difference here.
• We appreciate all the effort you put in – even when no one is watching. Yes, I’ve seen all those times you’ve gone above and beyond.
• Thank you for consistently going above and beyond.
• Your contributions help shape our success – and we notice.
• We are so grateful to have you on this team.
• Thank you for being someone others can count on.
• Your work matters – and your kindness matters even more.
• We appreciate the energy and heart you bring to your role.
• Your commitment inspires us all to be better.

Friendly Employee Appreciation Messages

A good employee appreciation message for the more distant but not that distant members of your team should be warm and personal, but still light and casual.

• Thanks for everything you do – you make work a better place.
• We’re lucky to have someone like you on the team!
• Thank you for your positivity and teamwork.
• You make great things happen around here – thank you!
• We appreciate your contributions and your awesome attitude.
• Thanks for always being willing to help out.
• You bring so much to this team – and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
• Thanks for making our days smoother and brighter.
• We appreciate your hard work and your friendship.
• Thanks for being you – appreciated and valued.

Professional Employee Appreciation Messages

For your more formal relationships, you can’t go wrong with polished and respectful. These are suitable for big companies when you’re not in close contact with your team.

• Thank you for your outstanding contribution and continued professionalism.
• Your expertise and dedication have been a major asset to our team.
• We sincerely appreciate your commitment and results.
• Thank you for consistently delivering high-quality work.
• Your performance this year has been exemplary – thank you.
• We value your efforts and the positive impact you make.
• Your dedication to excellence is appreciated by the whole organisation.
• Thank you for your teamwork and leadership.
• Your reliability and drive contribute significantly to our success.
• We appreciate your ongoing contributions and look forward to continued success together.

Bonus: Pair any of these messages with a thoughtful employee appreciation card, an eGift Card or a handwritten note to make the sentiment even more meaningful. A few genuine words can brighten someone’s day – and a culture of appreciation can transform your workplace.

A good Employee Appreciation Day message isn’t about fancy wording or corporate buzzwords – trust us, it’s completely transparent. It’s about how the message makes someone feel. Research in organisational psychology consistently shows that recognition is most effective when it feels genuine. Human. When people feel truly seen, it boosts motivation, belonging and trust.

So, what actually makes an appreciation message work?

Specificity – People Want to Be Seen

Generic praise like “Thanks for all you do” is nice – but it’s far more powerful when you anchor it to something real.

Instead of:

“Thanks for your hard work.”

Try:

“Thanks for always stepping in to help the team when deadlines get tight.”

Specificity activates what psychologists call recognition credibility – people are more likely to believe and internalize praise when it reflects real behavior. Sounds complicated, but in practise it’s ridiculously easy. 

Sincerity Over Perfection

Perfectly polished messages can sometimes feel hollow. Humans are surprisingly good at detecting authenticity, even in writing – so don’t underestimate your employees. They’ll know. 

A good message:

• Sounds like you
• Avoids forced corporate language
• Doesn’t overdo the praise

Basically, keep it simple silly – it never goes out of style. 

Emotional Impact

While performance is important, appreciation messages are most effective when they also recognize effort, attitude and impact on others.

This taps into intrinsic motivation – the internal drive people feel when their work has meaning beyond KPIs.

Good messages often include:

• Effort (“we are so thankful for the care you put in.”)
• Reliability (“We can always count on you!”)
• Positive influence (“You make the team better!”)

Appropriate Tone for the Relationship

Tone matters just as much as content. A great appreciation message matches:

• Your relationship with the employee (manager, peer, leader)
• Your workplace culture
• The individual’s personality

There’s no single “right” tone – funny, heartfelt, friendly or professional all work when they’re intentional. Misaligned tone (too jokey or too stiff) is where messages fall flat.

Don’t Lose Meaning

Long messages aren’t necessarily better. In fact, research shows that short, focused recognition is easier to absorb and remember.

A strong appreciation message usually:

• Makes one or two clear points (What we’re saying is this is not the time for a stream of consciousness – even James Joyce knew there was a time and place!)
• Avoids listing everything someone’s ever done
• Ends on a positive forward-looking note
• Think meaningful, not lengthy

Timeliness

Employee Appreciation Day works because it provides a shared moment for recognition – but the message still feels more powerful when it’s grounded in the year that just passed.

So don’t forget to reference:

• “this year”
• “over the past few months”
• “during a busy period”

It helps the appreciation feel current and relevant, not generic.

A Simple Formula to Write Your Own Employee Appreciation Message

If you’re stuck, use this easy structure:

• Start with thanks
• Name something specific
• Acknowledge the impact
• End with appreciation or encouragement

Example:

“Thank you for the consistency and care you’ve shown this year. Your attention to detail and calm approach have made a real difference to the team, it’s no wonder you aced that accounting project! You are a valuable member of the team and you’re genuinely appreciated.”

The Bottom Line

The best Employee Appreciation Day messages don’t try to impress – they try to connect. So don’t think checkboxes or goals, think genuine.

Ready to give your employees a pleasant surprise? Write them a beautiful appreciation message paired with an eGift Card and we’ll do the rest – the sending, the animating and the confirmations. Start sending employee appreciation today and you can get it sorted well in advance of the big day.

Meet the experts

Melissa Evans

Content Writer

Ali + Julie

Co-Founders, GroupTogether.

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