27 Employee Anniversary Gifts to Celebrate Milestones with Meaning

Work anniversaries can be hard for a few different reasons.

First, employees deal with all that comes from reflecting on their time at a company. This is similar to how all of us feel during milestones, and there’s not much that can be done about it on the actual day. It’s just a normal, natural emotional response.

However, the second one is where we do have an impact. Employees may feel their work anniversaries aren’t as important as others’. They might also feel like the way the company acknowledged the milestone was underwhelming. 

We can’t speak for everyone, but these perceived slights aren’t always about actual favoritism or money–they’re about meaning. Thoughtfulness and personalization always win over size and cost.

With this in mind, keep reading to learn more about employee anniversary gifts, with ideas and tips for maximum meaning. 

Why work anniversary gifts still matter

Celebrating work anniversaries helps keep retention and morale high because it bears a direct link to employee engagement. Engaged employees know: 

• What their purpose is at work 
• How their work benefits their employer
• That their employer values their contributions

That’s why celebrating work anniversaries is important, but why are gifts a big deal?

Not every company buys physical gifts on milestones, and in many workplaces, that’s okay. Using different forms of recognition is the real milestone must. 

When an employee receives a gift that they have no use for instead of meaningful recognition, it hurts. Genuine appreciation would have been more effective for retention and morale than a seemingly random object. 

A random (or even unwanted) object that now represents their dedication to an employer. 

How to choose the right employee anniversary gift 

Not every gift idea we share will be the best choice for every employee. They’re merely options to weigh against the following factors.

One-size-fits-all vs. personalized

Whether or not it’s a company value, equity is always important to employees. That alone makes the case for one-size-fits-all gifts, like company swag or a gift card. An exception would be employees with longer tenure. Teams DO understand why someone who has been there much longer gets a bigger gift.

But even that doesn’t make it meaningful. Use various types of (free, but very thoughtful) recognition we share here today to personalize any traditional gifts everyone gets. 

Remote vs. in-office

Tailor celebrations and gifts to different work models. Peer recognition is key in remote environments because it strengthens a sense of belonging. Authenticity is invaluable when you’re face-to-face with an in-office employee. 

Team size

Milestone celebration strategies must be sustainable. You’ll definitely have some explaining to do if one round of honorees gets the red carpet on their day, only for employees further on the calendar to receive far less.

It’s okay if large teams get small, similar gestures on their individual anniversaries. It can always be personalized with a handwritten note or shout-out from leadership.

Company culture

Incorporate cultural values into your gifting decisions. Resources and opportunities make sense for growth-oriented cultures. Peer involvement is important for inclusive cultures, and so on.

Bonus: Fine-tune your celebrations and find out how much you should actually spend with more meaningful work anniversary ideas.

📆 Employee anniversary gifts by year: 1 Year, 3 Years, 5+ Years

Not basing gifts on years of service is a major faux pas. Too much can be confusing and unsustainable for newer employees. Too little can be insulting to company veterans. Choose tiered gift ideas that grow with tenure. 

1. First, use automated HeyTaco Milestones to ensure everyone gets recognition right on time, no matter how many years they’re celebrating.
2. Gifting platforms like Goody and Snappy offer a range of gifts, from little treats for a year or two of service to designer goods appropriate for 3+ years.
3. The Taco Shop features everything that’s most meaningful. Instant gift cards, experiences, team celebrations, and more. Customize your rewards to suit the employee and their service length.
4. Monetary rewards like cash bonuses or stock options can be suitable for valued employees who’ve been around for 5+ years.

💸 Low-cost, high-impact employee anniversary gift ideas

What are you, made of money? Let your heart guide you where your budget cannot with these low-to-no-cost, thoughtful gifts. You can also tack the free ones onto gifts that do cost money to add more meaning.

5. Take the time to draft a handwritten note expressing gratitude for their dedication to the company. 
6. Have the entire team sign a work anniversary card as a reminder that they’re right where they belong.
7. Pay for a month or more of their subscription to Strava, Headspace, Apple Music, or anything else they’re into. And if you can spring for the ad-free version? 👏
8. Surprise tacos! 🌮 Celebrate in Slack by raining digital tacos on the honoree, getting them that much closer to yet another well-deserved reward.
9. Cool device accessories like chargers, cases, or speakers. 
10. A little time off, even if it’s just clocking out a few hours early. It’s one of the most beloved budget-friendly employee gifts of all time.

👩🏽‍💻 Remote-friendly work anniversary gifts

Remote teams can be even more productive than in-office teams. However, they have to work harder at maintaining a connection and sense of belonging. These thoughtful work anniversary gift ideas for employees help companies create a community from anywhere. 

11. Personalize digital gift cards by making them redeemable for fitness classes, restaurants, and other events and services local to the employee.
12. Video tributes! Longer-tenure employees will be touched by a montage of their coworkers sharing fond remembrances.
13. Give tacos for charitable causes as part of our collaborative rewards feature. 
14. Use a meal plan or delivery service to hook everyone up with a celebratory virtual team lunch.
15. Equipment upgrades and other resources are a great idea for employees celebrating a few years on the job.
16. Create a care package and send it via snail mail with company swag, snacks, and a hand-signed card of appreciation.
17. Reimbursing a loyal employee for certification updates or other continuing education shows you’re invested in their growth. 

🤭 Funny and playful milestone gifts to keep it light

A culture that includes lighthearted humor keeps spirits high, no matter the budget. Add a dash of funny to milestone celebrations with some of these ideas.

18. Celebrating someone who’s super serious about their Tacotars and leaderboard position? Some taco-themed swag is a great way to reward excellence in peer recognition.
19. Sharing funny work anniversary GIFs and memes in the team chat sets a light, positive tone.
20. Celebrate the honoree with a paper plate award that recognizes their quirks and strengths, not just their time. 
21. A lot of gag gifts collect dust. But when you make it functional AND highly relevant to the recipient, it can be their favorite ever. Like a personalized journal for all of their brilliant ideas.

👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏾Team & peer recognition as a gift 

The people we work beside help make a job worth sticking with. Tight-knit teams form even tighter bonds by congratulating one another on their work anniversaries. 

23. Hip-hip-hooray! Dedicate a portion of a team meeting to an employee’s anniversary, where coworkers can openly celebrate all of their hard work. 
24. Teams can share shoutouts on the company’s social media accounts. Telling the whole world how much an employee contributes to an awesome workplace is sure to make them feel appreciated.
25. The team can choose to pool their tacos for a collaborative reward. Consider an anniversary lunch of real tacos or a virtual mystery room experience. 
26. Collaborate on a display for a virtual or physical employee wall. They can share fun facts about the honoree, favorite work memories, and what makes them great to work with.
27. Team bonding activities like games, trivia, karaoke, or even hikes can make the best employee anniversary gifts. You just have to let the honoree choose how they’d like to celebrate.  

BONUS: Need more recognition ideas? Here are a whole bunch of ways to lift morale at work (for FREE).

When and how to give employee work anniversary gifts

Before you go on a gifting spree, here are some final tips on delivery:

Pair automation with personalization 

There’s nothing wrong with automating work anniversary well-wishes. Just make sure there are custom options that allow you to personalize it. This way, the recognition is both timely and specific. 

HeyTaco’s Milestone feature is built for this. 

Creating company rituals 

Larger teams or unconventional schedules can get in the way of effectively celebrating a milestone on the actual anniversary date. Create rituals where milestones like work anniversaries are given the attention they deserve. 

For example, a portion at the end of a weekly or biweekly meeting is dedicated to showing gratitude to those who’ve just cleared another year. 

Thoughtful > expensive, every time

In the workplace, employee anniversaries hold more weight than birthdays. It’s a milestone that exists exclusively between employer and employee. Prioritizing recognition over spending addresses the emotional aspects of the occasion–the years-worth of time, loyalty, and effort an employee gives.

Ultimately, if companies want employees to deliver consistently and with intention, they have to do the same. Putting some thought behind employee anniversary gifts is one way to do so. Personalization, peer recognition, and automation help ensure it’s a hit.