44 Heartfelt Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation Messages & Ideas
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44 Heartfelt Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation Messages & Ideas

Show your employees how grateful you are for their hard work with these heartfelt Thanksgiving employee appreciation messages and ideas.

Tim Kuo

Tim Kuo

May 11th 202414 min read

conversation between coworkers - Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation

The Thanksgiving season is a wonderful time to show employees just how much they are appreciated. Employee Appreciation is a crucial aspect of any business, and Thanksgiving provides a perfect opportunity to express gratitude. Employees who feel valued are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and loyal, leading to increased productivity and ultimately, a successful business. In this blog post, you will discover creative ideas for showing appreciation to your employees during the Thanksgiving season, emphasizing the importance of recognizing your team's hard work and dedication. So, let's explore how to make Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation a memorable and meaningful experience for your team.


Why Appreciating Your Employees On Thanksgiving Matters

woman using mobile device to read Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation

Boosts Morale and Engagement

Expressing gratitude and appreciation to employees during the Thanksgiving season can have a positive impact on their morale, engagement, and job satisfaction. As a manager, taking the time to thank your employees can inspire a positive attitude and encourage them to continue to work hard.

Fosters a Positive Work Culture

Recognizing and celebrating employees' contributions helps create a culture of appreciation, where people feel valued and motivated to do their best work. Thanksgiving messages and gestures of gratitude help strengthen the bonds between managers, leaders, and their teams, improving overall workplace relationships.

Reduces Stress and Increases Productivity

Showing appreciation can lower employee stress levels and inspire them to be more productive. People who feel appreciated are likely to work harder and be more productive, especially during the busy holiday season.

Strengthens Relationships

By showing gratitude and appreciation, you will strengthen the bond between you and your employees. In turn, this will improve overall workplace relationships. By taking the time to acknowledge your employees' hard work, you will show that you care about them and appreciate what they do for your company.

Retains Top Talent

Employees who feel appreciated are more likely to stay with the company, reducing turnover and helping retain valuable team members. Companies with a recognition program in place enjoy on average a 22 percent lower turnover rate than companies that do not. By appreciating your employees, you can improve their morale, engagement, and job satisfaction.

Employee Appreciation DayEmployee Appreciation WeekEmployee Appreciation MonthEmployee Appreciation Gifts


9 Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation Ideas

idea walls with plans for Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation

1. Extended Thanksgiving Holiday

Offer both Wednesday and Friday as paid holidays to give employees an extra day off, or even just a half-day to focus on their well-being and enjoy the holiday a bit early. Providing both Wednesday and Friday as official company holidays or “well-being days” allows employees to recharge and reconnect to what’s most important to them.

2. Volunteer Time Encouragement

Encourage volunteer time during November, the national month of gratitude. Volunteering has been linked to longer life, lower depression levels, decreased stress, and a lower risk of heart disease. Employees can choose to volunteer for their preferred causes or work with a team your organization collaborates with.

3. Gratitude Workshop

Hire a guest speaker to lead a gratitude workshop in November. A Limeade Institute study found that employees with high levels of gratitude and mindfulness have high levels of well-being, engagement, and productivity, and low levels of stress at work. This initiative can align with National Gratitude Month in November.

4. Thanksgiving Recipe Contest

Invite employees to share healthy renditions of their favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Host a potluck featuring the winning recipes before the holiday. Encourage sharing recipes made from indigenous foods in commemoration of Native American Heritage Month.

5. Flag Football Game

Host a flag football game outdoors, weather permitting. Encourage employees to participate as getting outside has been linked to improved mood, mental health, and emotional well-being.

6. Turkey Trot Coordination

Incentivize employees to participate in a Turkey Trot 5K that benefits a local cause. Offer points in your wellness program for participating and match the cost of registration to promote team building and positive brand awareness.

7. "Thank You" Wall

Create a “thank you” wall where employees can express gratitude. Encourage managers and employees to share who they are thankful for at work. Expressing gratitude triggers a feel-good reaction in our brains, boosting happiness and strengthening our immune system.

8. Native American Heritage Exploration

Learn about Native American Heritage Month with your team to celebrate diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Encourage employees to delve into Native American history, culture, and disparities this Thanksgiving season.

9. Employee Appreciation Day

Although officially in March, have a staff appreciation day this month offering chair massages, spa water, free lunch, special gifts, etc. to show gratitude to your employees for their hard work throughout the year.

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44 Heartfelt Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation Messages

ceo reading messages for Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation

Short Thanksgiving appreciation messages for employees

1. In a season of gratitude, we are especially thankful for you and all you do for our business. Happy Thanksgiving!

2. You help our company succeed and we couldn’t be more thankful for you. Happy Thanksgiving!

3. Although we feel it all year, now is a great time to tell you we appreciate all you do. Happy Thanksgiving!

4. Happy Thanksgiving to someone we’re proud to have representing our team

5. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. We are grateful for you at Thanksgiving and all year long!

6. Enjoy this time with your family and friends, and know we’re grateful to have you on our team.

7. Your commitment is noticed all year round, but today we’re saying thanks out loud. Happy Thanksgiving to a wonderful employee!

8. Thank you for all you do for us. We hope you enjoy this time of year with those you love. Happy Thanksgiving!

9. With sincere appreciation for all your hard work and best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving.

10. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to say how much we appreciate your contributions throughout the year. Thank you for the dedication and innovation you bring to our business every day.

Thanksgiving messages for your colleagues/coworkers

1. Is it too much to say, “You keep me sane?” Thanks for being an incredible colleague and human being! I am grateful to work beside you each day. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

2. Happy Thanksgiving to a teammate who is always doing things to make both me and the rest of the team thankful. You are wonderful, and I hope you have a great holiday with the people in your life who matter most.

3. Thank you for bringing your positive attitude to work every day. I hope you have an enjoyable Thanksgiving with your loved ones!

4. You are such a wonderful coworker. Your help has made my job much easier and more enjoyable. I really appreciate your time and effort. Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

5. Thank you for helping me develop my “can-do” spirit. I am so lucky to have someone like you to work alongside. Happy Thanksgiving!

6. Thank you for being such a pleasure to work with. I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with only good things (and LOTS of turkey!).

7. Working together has been an amazing opportunity. I’ve come to rely on you to tell me how it is and don’t know what I’d do without your sage advice. Thank you for being you and have a joyous holiday season.

8. I want to make sure that everyone gets their due credit, and that starts with you. Your thoughtful questions always help me work through problems. You’re an incredible employee and friend. Happy holidays!

9. Thank you for being my rock during the company’s ups and downs these last few weeks. [Project] has been tough but you’ve kept me steady. Now we can celebrate stress-free! I hope you enjoy a joyous Thanksgiving with your family!

10. Happy Thanksgiving, [Name]! I wanted to formally thank you for the incredible job you’ve done at [Company]. We haven’t worked together often, but whenever we do, I know it will be a well-organized and thoughtful process. Happy holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving messages to the team

1. This would be a very long message if I try to thank you all for everything this team has done for the company. That won’t stop me from telling you how much I’ve appreciated working with all of you this year. I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

2. It gives me immense pride to be a part of this team. And while times have been stressful, your diligence has set a benchmark for my own work ethic as well as the rest of the workforce. I hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving!

3. Spending time with and getting to know you all through this project has been a highlight of my year. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and a happy holiday season!

4. I am fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated team! I wish you all an enjoyable Thanksgiving day and a wonderful holiday season.

5. As managers, we are incomplete without hard-working employees like you. This holiday season, I’m giving thanks for your support and the hard work that you put in every single day.

6. Teamwork makes the dream work! And without you, our dream of [Project or Task] would still be on the drawing board. All the effort you’ve put in these last few weeks have made waves in our organization. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving team!

7. I want to let you know just how much I appreciate your hard work and dedication to our team. You’ve done an incredible job, and your support has been a huge part of our success. I’m so thankful to have you as a teammate and look forward to working with you in the new year. Happy Thanksgiving!

8. I want you all to know how thankful I am to have a team that is as hardworking and dedicated as you. Our success is not possible without you. I hope you have an enjoyable Thanksgiving with your family, friends, and the ones that you love. Happy Thanksgiving!

9. Your willingness to take on every challenge is admirable. In this time of gratitude, I want to thank you for all that you do to make our team stronger and more successful day-to-day. We are so lucky to have you. Have a great Thanksgiving!

10. I appreciate your efforts and loyalty. Please continue with what you are doing and reach for better each day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Messages of gratitude from leaders this Thanksgiving season

1. To all our employees — I hope you all enjoy a joyous Thanksgiving and an amazing holiday season ahead. Your consistent efforts make us a stand-out organization with an exceptional product.

2. This year, I celebrate the passion, innovation, and joy you have brought to the company this year. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

3. As we celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S., I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you at [Company Name]. Every person here has made this a truly global community and a terrific place to work. Happy Thanksgiving and have a great holiday season, wherever you are located!

4. We value your presence and are proud to have each and everyone one of you as part of [Company Name]. I want to wish each and every one of you a wonderful Thanksgiving and happy holidays!

5. This year, along with family and friends, I am grateful for all of you who persevered through turbulent times and showed great resilience. I’m proud to count myself among professionals who have approached these challenges with passion and compassion. I wish you an abundant Thanksgiving and restful break. You deserve it.

Thanksgiving appreciation to direct reports

1. A good employee inspires his or her boss. Thanks for being my inspiration and one of the unsung heroes of our success. Happy Thanksgiving!

2. Your hard work is admirable, and it guarantees a continuing successful relationship between us and more good things to come from our team. I hope you have a joyous holiday season.

3. I must be one hell of a lucky manager to get someone like you working for me. It makes me so happy to see the progress you make in all your endeavors. Let’s close out the year as strong as we started it!

4. I’m so grateful to be working with such a great employee. You confront challenges with a refreshing positivity. It gives me the energy boost to work with you. I hope you have a great holiday with your family.

Thanksgiving messages for your boss

1. Thank you for everything you do to make this a successful and terrific place to work. Have a wonderful long weekend filled with good things. Happy Thanksgiving!

2. Since Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to say, “thank you,” I want to let you know how much your guidance and support has meant to me this year. I truly appreciate how you’ve taken the time to invest in me, and how your encouragement has helped me grow. Thank you for being a great mentor. Happy Thanksgiving!

3. In this time of Thanksgiving, I want to express my appreciation for you. Working for/with you has been an amazing opportunity. I appreciate your high standards, your persistence, your encouragement, and your sense of humor. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

4. Thank you for pushing me to challenge myself daily, for making [company name] an enjoyable place to work, and for being an excellent leader and mentor. I appreciate all that you do for me, and I hope your Thanksgiving is full of joy and abundance.

5. You have my immense thanks for all the support that you’ve given me. Your guidance and encouragement have helped me get to where I am today and inspires me to continue striving for greatness. I am so grateful for everything that I have learned from you. Working with you is truly a pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Bonus: Thanksgiving messages for your clients

1. Whatever is beautiful, whatever is meaningful, whatever brings you happiness…may it be yours this holiday season and beyond. Thank you for trusting me/us with providing you better service/solutions/etc. I/We look forward to continually giving you the best. Happy Thanksgiving.

2. As we get closer to the end of another year, we gratefully pause to wish you a warm and happy Thanksgiving. May the good things of life be yours in abundance, not only on Thanksgiving but throughout the coming year. Thank you for choosing us to help you find solutions. On behalf of all of [company name], we appreciate you deeply.

3. This Thanksgiving, I want to thank you for everything you've done to help us grow and thrive. We're so grateful for your partnership and look forward to more opportunities in the future. Sending wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving to you and yours.

4. In this season of gratitude, we're thankful to have you in our community and network. We're glad you've chosen us to provide you with our services. May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

5. We deeply appreciate having you as part of our work family and are grateful for your continued support within our community. As always, we value your input in our continued success. Hoping you have a beautiful holiday. Happy Thanksgiving from [company name].


How To Deliver Your Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation Message In A Meaningful Way

CEO discussing ways for Thanksgiving Employee Appreciation

Different Methods of Delivering Thanksgiving Appreciation Messages

A simple way is for the CEO or another senior leader to email a Thanksgiving message of warm wishes and positive energy to everyone who works at your company

This approach is an excellent way to show appreciation to your employees and wish them a happy Thanksgiving. Sending an email with warm wishes and positive energy can help boost employee morale and foster a sense of belonging within the organization. It also demonstrates that the leadership team cares about the well-being and happiness of their employees.

Division heads or managers can send a more personal note to members of their talented group

Sending a more personal note to team members is a fantastic way to demonstrate appreciation and show that their hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed. Personalized messages can make employees feel valued and recognized for their efforts, which can lead to increased motivation and engagement. It also helps build better relationships between employees and their managers or supervisors.

Encourage Peer-to-Peer Recognition

Empower employees to wish their colleagues a happy Thanksgiving and express gratitude. This fosters a sense of community and belonging

Encouraging peer-to-peer recognition is a great way to foster a sense of community and belonging among employees. By empowering employees to express gratitude and appreciation for their colleagues, you create a positive and supportive work environment. Peer recognition can help boost employee morale, strengthen relationships, and improve teamwork. It also allows employees to feel appreciated and valued by their peers, which can have a positive impact on their overall job satisfaction.

Utilizing Employee Recognition Platforms for Thanksgiving Messages

If your organization has an employee recognition program already in place, it becomes particularly easy to send Thanksgiving messages of gratitude to employees through your recognition platform

Leveraging an existing employee recognition program to send Thanksgiving messages of gratitude to employees can be a seamless and efficient way to show appreciation. Employee recognition platforms make it easy to send personalized messages, rewards, and tokens of appreciation to employees. This can help reinforce positive behavior, boost employee engagement, and create a culture of recognition within the organization. It allows employees to feel valued, appreciated, and motivated to continue performing at a high level.

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The Benefit of Using Giftpack for Employee Appreciation

Giftpack is a revolutionary tool that simplifies the corporate gifting process, making it easier for businesses to show their appreciation for their employees. With a vast catalog of over 3.5 million products available, Giftpack utilizes custom AI algorithms to create highly personalized gift options for recipients.

By considering individual demographics, preferences, social media activity, and digital footprint, Giftpack ensures that each gift is tailored to the recipient, whether they are an employee, a customer, a VIP client, a friend, or a family member. This personalized approach ensures that each gift makes a meaningful impact and strengthens connections across the globe.

With Giftpack, businesses can make employee appreciation easier and more effective.

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Tim Kuo

Tim Kuo

May 11th 202414 min read

About Giftpack

Giftpack's AI-powered solution simplifies the corporate gifting process and amplifies the impact of personalized gifts. We're crafting memorable touchpoints by sending personalized gifts selected out of a curated pool of 3 million options with just one click. Our AI technology efficiently analyzes each recipient's social media, cultural background, and digital footprint to customize gift options at scale. We take care of generating, ordering, and shipping gifts worldwide. We're transforming the way people build authentic business relationships by sending smarter gifts faster with gifting CRM.

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