50 Happy Birthday Wishes for Coworkers That Won't Kill the Vibe
Making your employees feel appreciated and valued at work is one of the sure-fire methods to boost your workforce's performance and engagement. In fact, a recent report by the American Psychological Association (APA) shows that the vast of employees ( 93% ) who feel valued at work are motivated to do their best.Opens in a new tab
Besides performance, an appreciated employee also shows a higher level of engagement with the rest of the team, which results in a more proactive team member, according to the 2022 Achievers Engagement and Retention Report.
While there is a wide range of methods to make your employees feel valued, remembering their birthdays is among the easiest. To help you with that, in this guide, we’ll walk you through a variety of meaningful birthday wishes for coworkers to get you inspired.
How to deliver your birthday message to a colleague
Back in the day, wishing an employee a happy birthday was limited to verbal communication or using classic handwritten cards. However, the rise of modern technology created a wider range of methods to deliver your best wishes to coworkers on their special days.
Choosing between these methods will depend on various aspects, including your relationship with such coworkers, the company culture, the hierarchy difference, and your personal preferences.
Recognition tools
Let’s start with one of the most reliable methods to wish a coworker a happy birthday. Employee recognition tools are helpful solutions that allow teams to recognize employee’s successes and major milestones. These tools can also provide reminders for birthdays and help you automate the process of sending birthday wishes so that you don't forget anyone.
They can also help you to personalize these wishes, allowing you to make the wishes more meaningful, sincere, and heartfelt, all the while staying professional and work-oriented.
Workhuman® Life Events is the only platform that offers tangible rewards for whoever’s birthday it is, along with the birthday wishes sent by various members of the team. Life Events also has a unique redeemable reward points system, which allows the employees to make a personalized choice while picking their rewards.
Individual or group e-cards
Another method to show appreciation and wish a coworker a happy birthday would be through sending individual or group e-cards. Take some time to make every birthday message a little more personal. Even better, you should send it along with a small gift to show that you truly care about your coworkers.
In fact, a recent Workhuman study shows that 76% of employees (from a sample of 200,000 employees) who receive monetary rewards along with their e-cards reported stronger connections with their coworkers.
Through email
Sending birthday wishes to coworkers through emails can be a simple yet highly effective way to acknowledge their birthdays and establish a positive work environment. However, there are some key consideration points you need to keep in mind before using this method.
Namely, emails can feel a bit impersonal, so you need to inject a lot of personalization into your template to make the email meaningful.
Why acknowledging employee birthdays is important
Acknowledging an employee’s birthday makes them feel valued as a human. It also makes them feel like a special part of the company as an employee. As previously established, feeling valued and appreciated can motivate employees. Additionally, creating a positive work environment that adopts a joyful and celebratory culture will improve employees' engagement and drive for innovation.
Employee recognition can also amplify the sense of wellbeing among your team, which increases retention and reduces voluntary turnover over time.
For those reasons, combining the element of acknowledgment and gratitude with rewarding your employees on their birthday can have plenty of positive impacts on the workplace.
50 happy birthday wishes for coworkers
Writing a heartfelt and meaningful birthday message for your coworkers can feel intimidating to get right, especially if you don’t know how to start and what to address.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to wish your coworkers a happy birthday. They will vary depending on the intended tone, the position of the addressee, and the type of birthday wish you want to deliver.
If you’re looking for inspiration to write a unique happy birthday wish, here are some helpful examples that you can use for various situations.
Short and simple birthday wishes for a coworker
- “Wishing you a great birthday and a memorable year!”
- “Here's to another year of hard work, dedication, and success. Happy birthday!”
- “Happy birthday to a great colleague! I'm so glad to have you on our team.”
- “Wishing you the best on your birthday and everything good in the year ahead.”
- “Wishing you a fantastic birthday and many happy returns”
- “Hoping your birthday brings you many happy reasons to celebrate”
- “May your birthday be filled with happiness, love, and all the other things that make you happy”
Thoughtful and heartfelt birthday wishes for a colleague
- “I wish all the best on your birthday and always”
- “The happiest of birthday wishes to one of my dearest coworkers and friends! May your day be as amazing as you’ve always been”
- “Wishing you much happiness on your special day. Have an unforgettable birthday!”
- “Working alongside you has always been a true pleasure and joy. Happy birthday to a true friend and an indispensable work partner!”
- “It seems such a great day to say we feel so lucky that you came our way! Happy Birthday to you! Make it grand!”
- “Wishing you a happy birthday, a wonderful year, and success in everything you set out to do.”
- “Wishing your birthday day to be as glowing and bright as you’ve always been”
- “Happy birthday to my friend and coworker! I've learned so much from you over the years, and I'm so glad to have you as a colleague of mine. Wishing you a day filled with happiness because you deserve it!”
Funny happy birthday messages
- “Happy birthday! Now brace yourself, happy birthday memes are coming!”
- “Statistics show that those who have the most birthdays live the longest. Happy birthday!”
- “Happy birthday, partner! Remember to smile awkwardly while the entire office sings you Happy Birthday.”
- “Happy birthdays to one of the few coworkers whose birthday I can remember without Facebook reminders.”
- “Happy birthday! You’re one day closer to retirement.”
Birthday messages for bosses
- “Happy birthday, boss!”
- “Happy birthday to the person who’s always inspiring us.”
- “Happy birthday to the boss who keeps our ship afloat! Couldn’t do it without you.”
- “Cheers to another wonderful year to come. Have a great birthday.”
- “Happy birthday to the boss who is always there to lend a listening ear and indispensable advice. Always grateful for your support. I hope you have a day that's filled with all the love and happiness you deserve.”
- “Wishing you a birthday that's as successful and inspiring as you are. You're a true role model to us all, and I'm so lucky to have you as my boss. I hope you have a day filled with joy, laughter, and good company.”
- “You're more than just a boss to me. You're a mentor, a friend, and a source of inspiration. Wishing you a birthday that's filled with all the happiness in the world.
Motivational birthday messages
- “Happy birthday, and thank you for being such a great colleague! I appreciate all the hard work and dedication you bring to our team despite being remote and virtual. I hope this year is filled with many extra special moments.”
- “I wish you a joyous birthday! I hope your day is filled with as much joy as a glitch-free video call.”
- “Happy birthday to a coworker who is always there to lend a helping hand. You make coming to work a pleasure. I hope you have a day filled with joy and laughter”
- “May your birthday be filled with all the things that make you happy, both personally and professionally. I'm so excited to see what you achieve in the years to come.”
- “Happy birthday from afar! Even though we’re not all in the same office, we’re still a team, and we’re all celebrating you today.”
Belated birthday wishes
- “Happy belated birthday! I know I’m a little late to the party, but I hope you had a fantastic day and that the year ahead is filled with joy and success.”
- “Sorry for being late, I guess I’ve been too busy trying to keep up with you at work! Hope you had an amazing day and that the year ahead brings even more success.”
- “A belated happy birthday to the wonderful colleague who always has a smile on their face, even when faced with the most challenging workloads.”
Career-oriented birthday messages
- “We wish you an amazing year that ends with accomplishing all the great goals that you have set!”
- "Happy birthday to a coworker who is always striving for success. I know you're going to achieve great things in the years to come."
- “With warm wishes for a very happy birthday and sincere thanks for your hard work throughout the year.”
- “No one could do this job better than you. We thank you for sticking with us! Enjoy your birthday!”
Birthday messages for a client
- Happy birthday to a customer who feels like family. We hope you have a blessed day full of joy and happiness, and may all your birthday wishes come true.
- "Happy birthday to a client who’s always a pleasure to work with. On behalf of our establishment, we hope you have a day that's as amazing as you are."
- “Our sincerest wishes on your birthday. We look forward to continuing our relationship with you this year.”
- “Happy birthday to one of our favorite clients. We hope that the next year will bring more positivity to your life!"
Birthday wishes for your employee
- “Happiest of birthdays to a true asset to our company and a valued member of our team.”
- “We hope that your birthday is as special as you are to our company and for all your hopes and dreams to come true.”
- “Wishing a truly valued employee a birthday full of happiness and a year full of hope and prosperity.”
- “Happy birthday to one of the company’s most respected employees. It’s an honor to work with you, and I wish you an amazing birthday this year!”
- “The warmest wishes to a great member of our team. May your special day be full of happiness, fun, and cheer”
- “I hope you enjoy an unforgettable birthday, and I hope your year is as amazing as you are. Thanks for being an honest, trustworthy, and hardworking employee who makes this workplace a joy for everyone.”
- “The whole team wishes you the happiest of birthdays and a great year”
FAQs
What should I avoid when wishing a coworker a happy birthday?
Always avoid making inappropriate, offensive remarks or personal jokes, especially if you don’t have any off-work relationship with said coworker.
Make sure that you also personalize your birthday wish without going overboard with it. A short and sweet birthday wish will always do.
Is It okay to inject humor into my coworker's birthday message?
This heavily depends on how well you know your coworker’s sense of humor. If they generally enjoy a good joke, then a humorous birthday wish would show your sincere appreciation for their lighthearted nature.
However, if you’re not sure how they would react, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid anything that could rub them off the wrong way.
Conclusion
A thoughtful birthday message is a simple way to show your coworkers that you care and appreciate them. It’s also an excellent way for employers to make employees feel valued at the workplace.
It doesn't have to be anything grand or expensive. Just a few sincere words can make their day special. Luckily, you can also use advanced solutions like Workhuman Life Events to keep up with your employee’s birthdays and implement a reward system that keeps them engaged and excited to do their best.
About the author
Ryan Stoltz
Ryan is a search marketing manager and content strategist at Workhuman where he writes on the next evolution of the workplace. Outside of the workplace, he's a diehard 49ers fan, comedy junkie, and has trouble avoiding sweets on a nightly basis.