A work anniversary is an annual celebration that marks an employee’s first day on the job. Depending on the organization, a team may celebrate an anniversary by going out to eat, hosting a special happy hour for the team, or another form of celebration. 

In addition to offering an opportunity to celebrate teammates throughout the year, commemorating work anniversaries can prove a valuable retention tool for employers—and is an important part of company culture. 

As mentioned above, employers can boost their team’s retention rates by celebrating employees during their work anniversaries. 

By commemorating them the right way—including thanking employees for their contributions and reiterating their value to the organization—employers can show that they are committed to improving the wellbeing of their team.

Celebrating these special occasions gives managers an opportunity to showcase their appreciation for a teammate. 

There’s no one way to celebrate a work anniversary for a teammate. Between taking employees out for lunch, inviting everyone to an after-work happy hour, and simply sending an internal email thanking them for their contributions, what matters is that your intentions are genuine and meaningful.

These gestures go a long way towards improving worker quality-of-life and can even boost retention rates. 

Related Terms: Company Culture