How can we honor veterans at work on Veterans Day?

Ask veterans privately how they'd like to be recognized, then keep it sincere: a handwritten note from their manager, a short thank-you at the all-hands, time off or flexible hours, and a team volunteer or letter-writing activity. Year-round commitments like veteran hiring and mentoring matter most.

What are some Veterans Day activities for the office?

Write letters to a local veterans home, build care packages through an established organization, hold a volunteer story session, pause together at 11 a.m., match donations to veterans charities or volunteer as a team. Keep every activity optional.

What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

Veterans Day, on November 11, honors everyone who has served in the US armed forces, especially living veterans. Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, honors service members who died in military service.

Do you get Veterans Day off work?

Veterans Day is a federal holiday, so federal offices and the Postal Service close. Private employers decide for themselves, and many stay open. When November 11 falls on a weekend, federal employees get the nearest Friday or Monday off.

What should an out of office message for Veterans Day say?

A good Veterans Day out of office message says that you or the office are out for the holiday, gives the date you'll be back and names a contact for anything urgent. A short thank-you to veterans is a nice touch. There are 12 ready-to-copy versions on this page.

What do you say to a veteran coworker on Veterans Day?

A simple, specific thank-you works best: thank them for their service and mention something you value about working with them. Avoid questions about combat or injuries, and follow their lead on how much they want to talk about it.

Is it Veterans Day or Veteran's Day?

The official spelling is Veterans Day, with no apostrophe. It's a day for honoring veterans rather than a day that belongs to them.

Holidays
Recognition

Veterans Day ideas for work: 20 respectful ways to honor veterans

Practical, respectful ways to thank the veterans you work with, plus out of office replies and thank-you notes to copy. Nothing salesy, nothing political.

KraftyLab TeamUpdated Oct 20269 min read

Four coworkers writing thank-you cards at a round break room table with a small American flag.

Good Veterans Day ideas for work have one thing in common: they let veterans decide how visible they want to be. Veterans Day 2026 is Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Below are 20 ways to recognize the veterans on your team, from a handwritten note to hiring and mentoring commitments, 12 out of office messages for offices that close and ones that don't, 15 thank-you notes for veteran coworkers, and the mistakes to avoid.

What Veterans Day is, and what it isn't

A few facts worth getting right before you plan anything.

Who it honors. Everyone who has served in the US armed forces, in war or in peace. It is mostly a day to thank living veterans.
How it differs from Memorial Day. Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, honors service members who died in military service. Veterans Day honors all who served.
Why November 11. It began as Armistice Day, marking the end of fighting in World War I at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. It was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
Always the same date. It moved to a Monday in October for a few years in the 1970s, then returned to November 11 in 1978, whatever the weekday.
No apostrophe. The official spelling is Veterans Day, with no apostrophe: the day honors veterans rather than belonging to them.
Who gets the day off. Federal offices and the Postal Service close. Private employers decide for themselves, and many stay open.

Veterans Day dates for the next five years

2026Wednesday, November 11
2027Thursday, November 11
2028Saturday, November 11Federal day off Friday, November 10
2029Sunday, November 11Federal day off Monday, November 12
2030Monday, November 11

20 ways to recognize veterans at work

Start with the first one. These ideas for Veterans Day all work better once you know who wants to be included.

Things to do on Veterans Day itself

Small, sincere and opt-in. Most veterans would rather have a real thank-you than a big show.

1. Ask before you recognize. Send a short, private note asking veterans whether and how they'd like to be recognized. Some would rather not be named, and that's their call.
2. A handwritten note from their manager. Two or three specific sentences in a real card. It means more than a company-wide email.
3. A moment at the all-hands. A leader thanks the veterans and military families in the company, naming only the people who said yes.
4. A minute of quiet at 11. Many people mark the hour the World War I armistice took effect with a minute of quiet. Invite anyone who wants to join.
5. Time off or flexible hours. Make it a paid holiday, or let veterans take the day or a few hours to attend a ceremony or see family.
6. A veterans group spotlight. If you have a veterans employee resource group, give it the newsletter or the all-hands slot, but only if its members want it.
7. Recognize military families too. Spouses, partners and children of service members carry a lot. Include them in the thank-you.
8. A volunteer story session. Veterans who want to share their experience speak for a few minutes each, in their own words. No questions about combat unless they invite them.

Commitments that last past November

The recognition veterans tend to value most is a workplace that works for them every month.

9. Hire with intent. Write job posts that translate military roles into civilian skills, and train interviewers to read a military resume.
10. Pair new veteran hires with a mentor. A peer who has made the same move from service to civilian work answers the questions nobody puts in an onboarding deck.
11. Host SkillBridge interns. The Department of Defense SkillBridge program lets service members train with civilian employers near the end of their service.
12. Support Guard and Reserve members. Make military leave easy to take and easy to come back from, and check your policy against federal reemployment rules (USERRA).
13. Buy from veteran-owned suppliers. Look for veteran-owned caterers, printers and contractors for your next order, and tell the team you did.
14. Start a veterans group, if there's interest. Give it a budget, an executive sponsor and the freedom to decide what it does, including nothing for Veterans Day.

Veterans Day activities with the community

Ways for the whole team to give back, through organizations that already know how to help.

An office reception counter with red and white carnations, small American flags, blank cards and a plate of cookies.

15. Write letters to a veterans home. Call a local veterans home or hospital first and ask what kind of mail they welcome, then write as a team over lunch.
16. Build care packages. Collect the items an established organization asks for, pack them together and ship through that organization.
17. Volunteer as a team. A VA medical center's volunteer office or a local veterans service organization can tell you where help is actually needed.
18. Match employee donations. Match gifts to veterans charities for the month of November. Check a charity rating site before you pick one.
19. Attend a local ceremony together. Many towns hold a Veterans Day parade or ceremony. Offer the time off for anyone who wants to go.
20. Help a veteran job seeker. Offer mock interviews or resume reviews through a local transition program for people leaving the military.

Planning a give-back day for the whole team? Our charitable team building ideas has more ways to give back together, and our employee engagement calendar puts Veterans Day next to every other date worth planning for.

12 Veterans Day out of office messages

Each one gives a return date and, where it helps, someone to contact. Replace anything in brackets.

When the office is closed

Thank you for your email. Our office is closed on [date] in observance of Veterans Day. We'll reply when we reopen on [return date].
Our team is out today for Veterans Day, honoring everyone who has served. We'll be back on [return date]. For urgent matters, contact [name] at [email].
Thanks for reaching out. [Company] is closed on [date] for Veterans Day. Your message is safe with us, and we'll respond on [return date].
Our offices are closed for Veterans Day. To the veterans reading this: thank you for your service. We reopen on [return date].
In honor of Veterans Day, our office is closed on [date]. Support requests submitted today will be answered on [return date] in the order received.
We're closed on [date] so our team, including the veterans among us, can mark Veterans Day. Back on [return date]. Urgent? Call [phone].

When you're out but the office is open

I'm out of the office on [date] for Veterans Day and will reply on [return date]. If it's urgent, please contact [name] at [email].
I'm taking Veterans Day off to spend time with family. I'll be back on [return date]. For anything urgent, reach [name] at [email].
I'm out today to attend a Veterans Day ceremony. I'll respond when I'm back on [return date]. Thank you for your patience.
I'm away on [date] for Veterans Day. Our office is open, so for anything that can't wait, [name] at [email] can help.
Thanks for your message. I'm off for Veterans Day and back on [return date]. I'll get to your email then.
I'm out of the office on [date], volunteering with my team for Veterans Day. Back on [return date]. For urgent requests, contact [name] at [email].

Want something lighter for the rest of the year? Our funny out of office messages are for ordinary days off. Keep Veterans Day replies straightforward.

15 thank-you messages for veteran coworkers

Sincere and short, for a card, an email or a chat message. The best ones add one specific thing you value about working together.

Thank you for your service, [name]. I'm glad you're on this team, and I'm grateful for what you gave before you got here.
Happy Veterans Day. Thank you for serving, and for the calm you bring to every hard week we have.
[Name], today I'm thinking about the years you served. Thank you. It's an honor to work with you.
Thank you for your service. The way you lead in a crisis makes more sense to me every time I see it.
Happy Veterans Day, [name]. Thank you for everything you've done for this country, and for everything you do for this team.
On Veterans Day, I want to say thank you. Your service matters, and so does the person you are at work every day.
Thank you for serving, [name]. Your steadiness and your sense of humor make this a better place to work.
I know Veterans Day can mean many things. However you spend it, thank you for your service.
Thank you for your service and for the sacrifices your family made alongside you. We're lucky to have you here.
Happy Veterans Day. You never make a big deal of it, so I will, quietly: thank you for serving.
[Name], thank you for your service. You taught me more about planning and follow-through than any training ever did.
Thank you for the years you gave in uniform. I hope today brings some rest and some good company.
Thank you for serving, [name]. Whatever today means to you, I hope you know how much you're respected here.
Happy Veterans Day from all of us. Thank you for your service and for bringing the same commitment to our team.
On behalf of the team, thank you for your service, [name]. We're grateful, today and every day.

For thank-yous the rest of the year, see our thank you messages for coworkers.

What not to do on Veterans Day

Well-meant recognition can still land badly. Seven things to steer clear of.

Don't single anyone out without asking. Calling a veteran up in front of the room can be uncomfortable. Ask first, every year.
Don't assume who served. Veterans are every age and every background. Guessing based on someone's age or looks gets it wrong both ways.
Don't ask about combat or injuries. Questions like whether someone was deployed or saw combat are personal. Let people share what they choose.
Keep it apolitical. Thank people for their service. Leave opinions about wars, policies and politicians out of the day.
Don't turn it into marketing. A Veterans Day post about your products reads as using veterans. Keep the day about them.
Don't mix it up with Memorial Day. Veterans Day thanks the living. Memorial Day remembers the fallen. Wishing someone a happy Veterans Day is fine.
Don't make veterans organize it. If your veterans group wants to lead, wonderful. If not, the planning belongs to someone else.

The habit underneath all of this is noticing people and saying thank you. Our gratitude activities help a team practice it the other 364 days of the year.