Holiday message to employees: 30 emails, posts and card notes
Complete emails, channel posts and card notes from a CEO, a manager or HR, each with a copy button. Plus a fill-in block for closure dates and who’s on call.
A good holiday message to employees thanks people for specific work, admits what was hard, gives the break dates and tells everyone to rest. Below are 30 complete messages, sorted by who sends them and what kind of year it was. Copy one, fill in the brackets with real details, and sign it with your own name. Looking for one-line greetings instead? Our holiday messages for work have 150.
CEO holiday message to employees: 4 company-wide emails
From the CEO or founder to everyone. Swap every bracket for something real; the specifics are what make it read as yours.
1. The classic thank-you
Any company, any year.
Subject: Thank you, and enjoy the break
Hi everyone,
Before we all log off, I want to thank you for this year. Three moments stand out to me: [win one], [win two] and [win three]. Each one happened because people across [Company] did careful work, often without being asked.
It wasn't all easy. [One honest sentence about what was hard.] You handled it with more patience than anyone could have asked for.
The office is closed from [date] to [date]. Please take the whole break: turn off notifications and let the work wait.
In January we start on [one thing ahead]. I'm looking forward to it, and to doing it with this group.
Happy holidays, [Name]
2. Short and personal
A founder of a small company. Under 100 words.
Subject: A short note before the holidays
Hi all,
I started [Company] hoping to build a place where [one sentence about why you started it]. This year, you made that real. I think about [one specific moment, like the week the team rebuilt checkout in four days] more than you'd guess.
Thank you for choosing to spend your working days here. Rest well, see the people you love, and I'll see you on [return date].
[Name]
3. The year in results
A year-end message to employees that lists what they built.
Subject: Our year, and what comes next
Team,
As we close the year, here is what you made happen: [Result one] [Result two] [Result three]
Behind every line is someone who [stayed late to finish a migration, took a hard customer call, trained a new hire]. Thank you.
Next year we'll focus on [priority], and I'll share the full plan at our [January meeting and date]. For now, the only plan is rest.
Wishing you a peaceful holiday season and a good start to the new year, [Name], [Title]
4. A 60-second video script
For a recorded message to a large or spread-out company. Post the text with it.
Hi everyone. I wanted to say this face to face, or as close as I can get.
This year we [biggest result]. I could list the numbers, but what I'll remember is [one specific moment involving the team].
To everyone who [joined us this year, covered for a colleague or worked a weekend to get something out the door]: thank you. It mattered.
We're closed from [date] to [date]. Please actually rest. The work will be here in January, and so will I.
Happy holidays, and thank you.
End of year message to your team: 4 manager emails
From a manager to a team they know well. The best ones name people and contributions, not just results.
5. Thank each person by name
A team of up to about ten people.
Subject: Thank you, team
Hi team,
Before the break, a proper thank-you, one by one: [Name], for [specific contribution]. [Name], for [specific contribution]. [Name], for [specific contribution].
Together, that added up to [team result]. I know [hard thing] made parts of the year harder than they should have been, and you still showed up for each other.
My last day online is [date], and I'm back on [date]. Please set your out-of-office and take every day you've booked.
Happy holidays, [Name]
6. Our year in three lines
When the team prefers short and plain.
Subject: Our year in three lines
Hi everyone,
The short version: We shipped [project]. We helped [number] [customers, patients, students]. We welcomed [new teammates], and they already make us better.
Thank you for every part of it. Enjoy the holidays, and see you on [return date].
[Name]
7. Before you log off
Thanks plus the coverage details, in one email.
Subject: Before you log off for the holidays
Hi team,
Two things before the break.
First, thank you. [One sentence on what the team did this year that you're proudest of.]
Second, the practical part: Coverage: [Name] is on call [dates]. For anything urgent, use [channel or number]. Out-of-office: please set yours and give clients your return date. Deadlines: nothing is due during the break. If anyone asks, send them to me.
Have a restful holiday, [Name]
8. A team that grew this year
After a year of hiring.
Subject: Happy holidays to our much bigger team
Hi all,
A year ago this team was [number] people. Today it's [number], and it still feels like one group. That's down to the way you welcomed every new person, shared what you knew and kept asking good questions.
To those who joined this year: thank you for jumping in. To those who were here before: thank you for making room.
Enjoy the break. I'll see you all on [date].
[Name]
HR holiday email to staff: 3 notes with the details
From HR or the people team. These carry the dates and reminders people search their inbox for in January, so put the key date in the subject line.
9. Holiday schedule and thanks
The one email everyone keeps. Paste in the fill-in block below.
Subject: Holiday schedule: office closed [dates]
Hi everyone,
Thank you for everything you've done this year. Here is what you need to know before the break.
[Paste the holiday schedule block here.]
Questions? Reply to this email or reach [HR contact] by [date].
From all of us on the people team, happy holidays. [Name], [Title]
10. Invitation to the year-end celebration
When the thank-you comes with an event.
Subject: You're invited: our year-end celebration on [date]
Hi everyone,
To say thank you for this year, we're celebrating together on [date] at [time, with time zone]. [It's at the office with a virtual session for remote teammates.] OR [It's one virtual event for everyone.] Expect [a hosted game, food and prizes], and no speech longer than two minutes.
Please RSVP by [date] at [link], and tell us about any dietary or accessibility needs.
Can't make it? That's fine. The thank-you stands either way.
See you there, The People Team
11. Looking after yourself over the break
Support resources, sent a week before the break.
Subject: Taking care of yourself over the holidays
Hi all,
The holidays are joyful for many people and hard for some. Whatever this season looks like for you, here is what's available: [Employee assistance program], [how to reach it and when]. [Wellbeing benefit or app], [what it covers]. Your manager and the people team, before and after the break.
And please don't check email while you're off. Rest is part of the job.
With thanks for this year, [Name], People Team
Fill-in holiday schedule block
Paste it into the schedule email, the team channel and the intranet, so every copy says the same thing. Delete any line you don’t need.
Holiday schedule
Holiday schedule Office closed: [first day] to [last day]. We reopen on [date] at [time]. Last day for [orders, shipments or client requests]: [date]. On call: [Name], [dates], [phone or channel]. Backup: [Name]. Urgent IT or building issues: [contact]. Payroll: paid on [date]. [Say so if it's earlier than usual.] Time off: requests for [dates] approved in [system] by [date]. [Carryover rule, with a link to the policy.] Benefits: [any deadline or reminder, with a link].
Announcing a celebration with the invitation above? A virtual holiday party with a live host needs about 2 weeks’ notice, and December dates fill first.
Holiday messages for a hard year, a record year and more
Six letters for the years and teams a generic note doesn't fit. Most come from the CEO; the last one is for a new manager.
12. After a hard year
After layoffs, cuts or a reorganization. Plain and honest; no promises you can't keep.
Subject: Thank you, at the end of a hard year
Hi everyone,
This year asked more of you than any of us wanted. [One plain sentence naming what happened, like the restructuring in June.] [If people left: Colleagues we valued are no longer here, and I know their absence is felt across the company.]
Through it, you kept [serving customers, shipping work, supporting each other]. I don't take that for granted.
I won't promise next year will be easy. I will promise to keep you informed, starting with our plan at [meeting, date].
For now, please rest. The office is closed from [date] to [date].
With gratitude, [Name]
13. After a record year
When the numbers are the best you've had.
Subject: A record year, and it's yours
Hi everyone,
The numbers are in: [the record, in one line]. It's the best year in [Company]'s history, and it didn't come from a strategy deck. It came from [what people did: the extra customer calls, the releases tested twice, the new market you opened].
Celebrate it. Tell the people at home what you built. Then take the break and come back rested, because next year we [goal].
Thank you, and happy holidays. [Name]
14. Our first holiday season
A company in its first year.
Subject: Our first holiday season
Hi all,
A year ago [Company] was [an idea and two laptops]. Now we have [customers, a product and a team of number]. Every one of you took a chance on something unproven. Thank you for that.
We'll get things wrong next year too, and we'll fix them the way we did this year: quickly, and together.
Have a wonderful break. I'll see you on [date].
[Name]
15. A remote or distributed team
Teams spread across cities and time zones.
Subject: Happy holidays, wherever you are
Hi everyone,
This year we worked across [number] cities and [number] time zones, mostly through a screen, and still [result]. Thank you for the clear written updates, the early and late calls you took for each other, and your patience with my video freezing at the worst moments.
Holidays fall at different times for different people here. Whenever your break is, please take all of it and log off.
[A small thank-you is on its way to your home address; watch for it around [date].]
Happy holidays, from my desk to yours, [Name]
16. Staff working through the holidays
Support, operations, healthcare, retail and anyone on shift.
Subject: Thank you for working through the holidays
Hi [team name],
While many people are off over the holidays, you're keeping [stores open, patients cared for, systems running, customers answered]. It's noticed, and it's appreciated.
To make the stretch a little easier: [what your company is doing, such as meals on shift or a later team celebration everyone can attend].
On [date], [leader] and I will [stop by or join the call] to thank you in person.
Thank you for showing up when it counts. [Name]
17. My first year as your manager
A new manager's first year-end note.
Subject: My first holiday note as your manager
Hi team,
This is my first year-end note as a manager, so I'll keep it simple and honest. You made this year easier than I expected. Thank you for [your patience while I learned, the direct feedback in [month], covering for me when I got something wrong].
What I learned from you: [one lesson]. What I'll do better next year: [one promise, like clear priorities every Monday].
Enjoy the break. I'm offline from [date] and back on [date].
[Name]
Short holiday posts and card notes
For the team channel or a card on someone's desk, when an email would be too much.
Short holiday posts for Slack or Teams
18. Team, that's a wrap on the year. Thank you for [one win] and for being people I genuinely like working with. Notifications off, out-of-office on. See you [date].
19. Before everyone disappears for the holidays: thank you to [Name] for [contribution], [Name] for [contribution], and all of you for [team result]. Rest well.
20. A quick reminder that the office is closed [dates], and a not-so-quick thank-you for a year of great work. Have a restful holiday season, everyone.
21. To everyone covering the holidays: thank you. [Name] is your contact if anything needs a decision, and we'll celebrate you properly in January.
22. Happy holidays to all [number] of you. Whether you're celebrating, traveling or just sleeping in, I hope the break gives you what you need. Thank you for this year.
Holiday thank you notes for employees' cards
Handwritten, to one person. One specific thing beats three general ones.
23. [Name], thank you for [specific thing] this year. It made a real difference to [who or what]. Happy holidays, and enjoy the break.
24. [Name], I don't say it enough: you make this team better. Thank you for this year, and happy holidays.
25. Your first year with us, and you've already [contribution]. We're lucky to have you. Happy holidays, [Name].
26. [Name], thank you for the steady, careful work all year, the kind that keeps everything else running. I hope the break is a real rest.
Christmas messages to employees
For a company where Christmas is how the break has always been marked. If you aren't sure everyone celebrates it, use the versions above.
27. Merry Christmas from the CEO
A short company-wide Christmas email.
Subject: Merry Christmas, and thank you
Hi everyone,
As Christmas gets close, I want to thank you for this year, especially [one or two specific wins].
The office closes on [date] and reopens on [date]. I hope you spend the days with the people who matter most, eat something wonderful and switch off completely.
Merry Christmas, and see you in January, [Name]
28. Merry Christmas, team! Thank you for a year of [result]. I'm logging off now and hoping you all do the same. See you in the new year.
29. [Name], merry Christmas, and thank you for everything you brought to the team this year. Enjoy a well-earned rest.
30. [Name], wishing you a merry Christmas and a bright start to the new year. Thank you for [contribution]; here's to more of it.
How to write a holiday message to employees in five minutes
Every message above follows the same six steps. Use them to write your own from scratch.
- Thank them first. Open with the thank-you, not with the calendar.
- Name two or three real wins. A launch, a hard month, a customer saved. Specific reads as sincere.
- Say what was hard. One honest sentence. Skipping it makes the rest sound like a press release.
- Give the logistics. Closure dates, who's on call and the return date, in plain lines.
- Look ahead briefly. One line about January, then tell people to rest.
- Sign as a person. Your name, not "Management" or "The Leadership Team".
When to send it, and how
Send it the week before the break, while everyone is still working, not on the last afternoon. This season, Christmas Day is Friday, December 25, and New Year's Day 2027 is Friday, January 1. Send your note in the week of December 14 to 18.
- Email, for anything company-wide or with dates in it. Keep it under 200 words.
- A team channel post, for a manager's thanks. Two or three sentences.
- A handwritten card, for one person. It's the one people keep.
- A short video, for a large or remote company. Under 90 seconds, with the text posted alongside.
Leave out:
- Promises about bonuses, raises or next year's headcount.
- Calling the company a family.
- January deadlines tucked into the last line.
- Religious wording in a message to everyone.
- Sending it on the last afternoon, when half the team has already left.
Writing to clients and partners too? Use our business holiday card messages. Logging off yourself? Here are holiday out of office messages. Thanking the team in November is covered in our Thanksgiving messages.
Pair the message with a party or a gift
The note says thank you. A shared hour or a gift on the doorstep says it again.
- A hosted party. A live host runs an hour of holiday games on Zoom by default (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request). See every virtual holiday party; teams split across time zones can have it run as two sessions.
- Hybrid teams. Run an in-person format at the office plus a virtual session for remote staff, or one virtual event for everyone.
- A gift with your note inside. Corporate holiday gifts start at $22 and ship to each home or office. Order about 2 to 3 weeks ahead, or 4 to 6 weeks for 100+ or branded gifts.
Three year-end sessions, with today’s price. Book hosted games about 2 weeks ahead and kit workshops 3 weeks ahead; December dates fill first.
More ideas for the last weeks of the year are in our end of year celebration ideas. Send your date and headcount and get a free quote; we reply within 24 hours.
