170 Funny Birthday Wishes & Quotes for a Coworker

Saying “happy birthday” to your coworkers using humor makes work life more enjoyable for everyone. If you’re unsure about what birthday quotes or wishes are appropriate, read on for 170 funny birthday messages and quotes for a coworker. We’ve covered all kinds of birthday greetings, including hilarious wishes to entertain your coworker on their birthday, and have included tips on writing birthday messages, along with ways to make their day extra-special.

Funny Birthday Wishes for a Coworker

Short: Every day we celebrate you... But today, you get a card.
Creative: Birthdays are like vacations. You don’t have one too often, and they come and go too quickly.
Age-related: Happy birthday! You’re one day closer to retirement.
From the team: Happy birthday! Hope your day is full of cake, fun, and zero team meetings!

Section 1 of 14:

Hilarious Birthday Wishes for a Coworker

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Use your sense of humor to make a coworker’s day better. Whether you send them a playful or sarcastic birthday message about meetings, the company coffee, or work projects, it’s important to keep your coworkers smiling no matter whose birthday it is. These hilarious messages poke fun at the many issues people face at work. Hopefully, your coworker will also get some birthday cake after reading your wishes.
- I hope your day is filled with as much joy as a glitch-free video call. Happy birthday!
- Here’s to another year of dodging boring meetings and pretending to look busy!
- Happy birthday to a colleague who makes work feel less like work and more like a stand-up comedy performance!
- Wishing you a fabulous day filled with birthday cake, extra coffee, and minimal work. You deserve it!
- Happy birthday! Thanks for having a birthday, because now we all get cake!
- Happy birthday! Wishing you an empty calendar, the best parking space, and (hopefully) a free lunch!
- Happy birthday, friend! Does this special day warrant a drink with lunch?
- Another year, another excuse to eat cake in the office. Happy birthday!
- Wishing you the best on your birthday and everything good in the year ahead.
- Happy birthday to one of the few coworkers whose birthday I can remember without Facebook reminders.
- From coffee hour to happy hour, I’ll always be by your side. Happy birthday!.
- Congrats on surviving another year of meetings, deadlines, and coffee-fueled mornings!
- Happy birthday! I got you the best gift: another year of tolerating me at work.^{[1]
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- There’s really only one true birthday. The rest are anniversaries of the day of a person’s birth.
- You’re a really hard individual to shop for… so I didn’t get you anything. Happy birthday!^{[2]
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Section 2 of 14:

Short Birthday Wishes for a Coworker

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Be brief while still making them laugh. Your funny happy birthday wishes don’t have to be long or complicated. An entertaining joke or pun will brighten their day from start to finish. If you’re signing a group card, short messages get your point across and show you care, while not taking up too much room.
- Every day we celebrate you... But today, you get a card.
- Congratulations on leveling up... err—happy birthday!
- Have a grate birthday! (Hope that’s not too cheesy.)
- For the record, you're not old, you're a classic.
- At least you're not as old as you'll be this time next year.
- You know you’re getting old when caution is the only thing you exercise.
- Happy 29 (again)!
- Remember that age is just a number… in your case, a really high one.
- In banana years, you're bread. Happy birthday!
- I was going to get you the best birthday present ever, but I’m too big for the gift box.^{[3]
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- Here's to another year of surviving our meetings! Happy birthday!
- Happy birthday to the coworker who’s always there to share a laugh.
- On your birthday today, sit, relax, and let us do the work for you. Just kidding!
- Happy birthday to the coworker who makes work feel like a party.
- Birthdays are like deadlines, but way more fun. Have a blast!^{[4]
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Section 3 of 14:

Creative Birthday Wishes for a Coworker

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Craft a funny message that stands out from the rest. It’s easy to complain about the annoying parts of the workday; make your happy birthday wishes ones that the person celebrating will remember long after the cake is eaten. Be specific when you talk about the copy machine, your parking spot, or how terrible Mondays are. They’ll be laughing hard about your greeting for a very long time.
- Statistics show that those who have the most birthdays live the longest. Happy birthday!
- Birthdays are like vacations. You don’t have one too often, and they come and go too quickly.
- Happy birthday! May your day be filled with more surprises than accidentally hitting “reply all”!
- Happy Birthday! May your inbox be light, your coffee be strong, and your cake be calorie-free (wishful thinking, we know). Here’s to surviving another trip around the sun together!
- Congratulations on leveling up another year! May your birthday be filled with fewer meetings and more cake-eating opportunities. Here’s to another year of surviving the work jungle together!^{[5]
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- Happy birthday to the colleague who makes me look forward to coming to work, or at least not dread it as much!
- Another year older, another year wiser…or at least that’s what HR tells us. Happy birthday!
- I hope your birthday is as fabulous as you are, colleague, but not as stressful as our Monday morning meetings.
- Happy birthday to the coworker who always brightens up my day, even when the boss is breathing down our necks.
- Happy birthday to the colleague who’s always up for a good laugh, even when the joke’s on them.
- Another year of working together, another year of pretending we like each other. Happy birthday, coworker!
- Another year of working together, and I still don’t know who stole my stapler. Happy birthday, colleague!
- Another year of working together, and we still haven’t made our commute less miserable. Happy birthday!
- Another year of working together, and we still haven’t figured out how to make the copier work. Happy birthday.
- Happy birthday to the coworker who’s always there to remind me why I hate Mondays but also why I love my job.^{[6]
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Section 4 of 14:

Funny Birthday Wishes For Female Coworkers

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Show your female coworker how much fun she is. Focus on whatever makes her important to you personally, whether it’s being someone to gossip with or your happy hour partner. Let her know how much of a positive difference she makes for you and others you work with, while making her smile from ear to ear.
- “Work wife” isn’t a strong enough term for how much you mean to me. Happy birthday!
- Here’s to celebrating your special day with loads of cake, laughter, and maybe a little too much confetti. Let’s make this birthday one for the books!^{[7]
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- Happy birthday to the colleague who’s always willing to share their snacks even if I secretly want to steal them all for myself.
- Happy birthday to the coworker who’s always down to grab a drink after work, even if we end up oversharing.
- Happy birthday to the coworker who’s always there to share a joke, a cup of coffee, and maybe even some office gossip.
- Another year of working together, and we still haven’t figured out how to make the vending machine less tempting. Happy birthday, coworker!
- I hope your birthday is full of all your favorite treats, chocolates, cookies, and maybe even some healthy snacks. Happy birthday!
- Happy birthday to the coworker who’s always there to make work feel less like work, whether it’s with a funny meme, a good story, or a delicious snack.
- I hope your birthday is full of all your favorite things: good food, good wine, and maybe even a little bit of productivity.^{[8]
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  Brenden Kumarasamy
  Executive Communication Expert
  
  Expert Interview} Happy birthday, coworker!
- Happy birthday. I hope your day is as nice as your snack drawer.
- To someone who knows the difference between reply and reply all. Happy birthday!
- Happy birthday to my favorite coworker! I can't wait until we're old enough to be terrorizing the senior home nurses together!
- Happiest of birthdays to the "she" to my "nanigans” at the workplace!
- Here’s to a day of minimal tasks and maximum cake. Enjoy!
- Another year older and still as sharp as a tack stuck in a drawer nobody wants to open. Happy birthday!^{[9]
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Section 5 of 14:

Funny Birthday Wishes For Male Coworkers

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Celebrate your male coworker’s sense of humor by being just as funny back. Talk about how he doesn’t take anything seriously, how he tells dad jokes, or discuss the way he sometimes naps at work. Whatever offbeat things make him special to you are where you can focus your funny birthday wishes. Your funny birthday messages for men can inspire them to keep making everyone laugh even more.
- Happy birthday, partner! Remember to smile awkwardly while the entire office sings to you!
- Happy birthday! May your day be as “punny” as your dad jokes and your cake as sweet as your humor.
- Another trip around the sun means another year to perfect your dad joke game. Keep ’em coming! Happy birthday!
- Another year older, another reason to make you laugh with corny humor. Happy birthday, you’re ‘pun’-believable!
- Wishing you a birthday filled with dad jokes that are so bad, they’re good. Keep the laughs coming!^{[10]
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- Another year of working together, and we still haven’t figured out how to make the coffee taste less like dirt. Happy birthday, coworker!
- Happy birthday! I’d get you a present, but I’m still waiting on that raise!
- Happy birthday! If you get caught napping at your desk today, just say it’s a power birthday nap!
- It’s your birthday! Let’s turn this office into a not-so-silent disco!
- Here’s to a day with less paperwork and more party hats!
- Happy birthday! If you get caught napping at your desk today, just say it’s a power birthday nap!
- Here’s to your birthday being as eventful as the office fire drill—minus the inconvenience.
- Wishing you the joy of a full coffee pot and the serenity of a quiet email notification. Happy birthday!
- Wishing you a birthday as memorable as the office holiday party, but for all the right reasons.
- Let’s make a pact on your birthday: If we get caught, we don’t know each other. Here’s to another year of partner-in-crime moments at work!^{[11]
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Section 6 of 14:

Funny Birthday Wishes From the Team

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Come together as a team to make your colleague laugh. When you send a birthday wish from a specific team at work, keep your jokes centered on the things you have to deal with. It might be work emails, new projects, or deadlines they’d rather not deal with.^{[12]
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Brenden Kumarasamy
Executive Communication Expert

Expert Interview} Your lighthearted greetings will be a breath of fresh air before they have to get back to working hard.
- Congrats on surviving another year with our team! Happy birthday—now let’s eat cake and pretend we’re working.
- Happy birthday! Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you’re distracted just enough today to forget the to-do list!
- Don’t panic—the team won’t sing “Happy Birthday”… loudly. Happy birthday, and may your day be as epic as you are!^{[13]
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- Happy birthday to our collective partner in crime, who makes it possible for all of us to pretend to work harder.
- Happy birthday! Time to relax, celebrate, and not think about our next team deadline.
- Wishing you a birthday full of fun and zero spreadsheets. Love, your team.
- Happy birthday! Here’s to hoping no one asks you to join a Zoom call today!
- Hope your birthday is filled with lots of cake and none of the usual work chaos that comes with our projects.
- Happy birthday! We promise not to send you any work emails today—enjoy your day!
- Happy birthday! Hope your day is full of cake, fun, and zero team meetings!
- Happy birthday! Let’s celebrate like it’s a team offsite—no work allowed!
- Hope you have a fantastic birthday filled with cake, laughs, and no “reply all” emails from the team!
- Wishing you a birthday filled with laughter, cake, and zero project deadlines.
- Hope you have a fabulous birthday (and don’t worry, we won’t tell the team lead where you are)!
- Congrats on surviving another year on our crazy team! Happy birthday!^{[14]
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Section 7 of 14:

Funny Birthday Wishes For the Boss

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Treat your boss like a colleague you appreciate. Their birthday may be the one time you feel comfortable having or using a sense of humor around them. If you know they like to laugh, let your boss know you appreciate them while making them chuckle about vacation days, staying late, or how massive their paycheck is. Be sure they can take a joke, of course; appropriate humor is the best kind while at work!
- Happy birthday! I was going to get you a gift, but I figured your paycheck was enough. Just kidding...mostly!
- Happy birthday! Hope your day is as productive as you are... which is to say, not very productive at all. Just kidding (again)!
- Happy birthday! May your day be free of TPS reports and full of cake.
- Happy birthday! I was going to get you a funny card, but then I remembered you're already a comedian.
- Happy birthday! May your day be filled with things you love... and things that don't require a lot of effort.
- Happy birthday! I was going to write something witty, but I figured I'd just let you enjoy your day.
- Happy birthday! I thought about getting you a gift, but then I realized the best gift is just having me around. I know, I know—you’re welcome!
- Happy birthday to the boss who’s always in control… except when it comes to choosing the office temperature. May your day be as warm as you like it!
- Happy birthday to the boss who makes every day feel like a Friday! May your birthday be filled with all the fun and none of the meetings.
- Cheers to you on your birthday! Remember, today is the one day you’re allowed to act as immature as the rest of us—don’t let it go to waste!
- Wishing you a birthday that’s just as fantastic as you pretend to be when you’re reading through our leave requests. Enjoy your special day!
- Happy birthday to the boss who handles stress better than we handle our deadlines. May your day be filled with relaxation and absolutely no meetings!
- Wishing a fantastic birthday to the boss who makes every workday feel like a holiday—except for the part where we still have to work. Enjoy your day of no work!
- Happy birthday! I’d get you a cake, but I’m afraid it would be too sweet to compare to your leadership. So here’s to a day as great as you are!
- Happy birthday! Just think of today as a workday where you’re the only one who gets to be the boss of fun and relaxation. Enjoy it to the fullest!

Section 8 of 14:

Funny Birthday WishesAbout Getting Old

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Laugh about how your coworker (and you) are getting older. Your coworker may be aging gracefully or not at all; they could be close to retirement or just act like they’ve been working for a long time. Whatever birthday they’re celebrating, keep them smiling from the first piece of cake to the last. Help them look on the bright side while giggling about how long they’ve been at the job.
- Happy birthday! You’re one day closer to retirement.
- Another year wiser, or is it just another year older? Happy birthday, dear colleague!
- Happy birthday! Don’t worry—I won’t tell anyone your real age… unless there’s cake involved.
- You’re not getting older—just more experienced at pretending to work!
- Age is just a number—but in your case, it’s a pretty big one now!^{[15]
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- You're not old. You're chronologically gifted.
- We're both getting old, but why keep track? Happy birthday!
- So many candles, so little cake!
- You’re as old as you are brilliant, which is both good news and bad.
- Is it hot in here? Must be all the candles on your cake. Happy birthday!^{[16]
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- Happy birthday! Remember, you’re not getting older, you’re just increasing in value… like fine office furniture! Enjoy your day!
- Another year closer to retirement, and you still look like you just graduated! Happy birthday!
- Wow, another year under your belt. Just let me know how old we're telling people you are now. Happy birthday!
- Happy birthday, dear coworker—you are old!
- I wish your salary would rise in lockstep with your age, so you’d never have to worry about wrinkles. However, Happy birthday!

Section 9 of 14:

Funny Birthday Wishes for a New Employee

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Reach out to a new employee with a funny birthday message. Even if you haven’t become close with your new colleague yet, sending them a funny birthday wish will help break the ice and encourage them to feel more comfortable around their new coworkers. A hilarious “happy birthday employee” message for the newbie also lets them know you don’t have to take the job super seriously all the time, and that there is always time for work birthdays.
- Happy birthday to my new favorite coworker. You're not allowed to leave. Ever.
- Happy birthday! Probs not a good time, but the printer is not working, newbie.
- Happy birthday. May this day CTRL+C, CTRL +V for many years to come!
- Happy birthday! May your day be free of calls that could've been an email (you’ll understand soon).
- Happy birthday! Are you allowed to approve the cake we put on expenses?
- I hope your first days at work are filled with cute cat videos and perfectly targeted ads. Happy birthday!
- Happy birthday! See if you can find the secret message in the fine print. We’re big on doing things like that.
- Happy birthday! Hope your day is filled with cake, minimal work, and zero awkward onboarding moments.
- Happy birthday! Hope your day is filled with as much joy as finding a perfectly organized desk.
- Happy birthday! May your day be filled with the good kind of surprises (not like accidentally cc’ing the boss for the first time).^{[17]
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Section 10 of 14:

Belated Funny Birthday Messages for a Coworker

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Make light of being late when wishing them a happy birthday. It’s easy to forget a coworker’s birthday with everything that goes on at work. Instead of being overly apologetic, poke fun at yourself and them by transforming an otherwise generic birthday greeting into a fun one. Let them know you just needed more time to celebrate, or that you didn’t want their big day to end.
- I can't believe I missed your birthday. It's un-belatable!
- Don't think of this birthday card as late. Consider it very early for next year.
- Your birthday came, and your birthday went. Here are the wishes that I should have sent.
- Happy belated birthday! When you're as old as I am, you’ll realize how hard it is to remember things.
- Sure, you had lots of birthday wishes yesterday, but who's thinking of you today? Me, that’s who!
- Now that everyone else’s birthday wishes have worn off, here’s one from me!
- I didn’t forget your birthday, I just wanted to make it last longer.
- Let me be the last to wish you a very happy birthday!
- I really just wanted my card to stand out, so I decided to send it late.
- I may have missed your birthday, but at least I didn’t forget that I forgot!
- Late birthday wishes are just a reason to eat more cake. And you don't even have to thank me!^{[18]
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- Your birthday slipped my mind, but that just means you get an extra day of attention instead of work!
- Happy belated birthday! Let’s pretend I’m early for next year’s office cake.
- I didn’t forget; I was just extending the work celebrations. Happy (very) belated birthday!
- I’m not late; I’m just giving your birthday wishes some extra thought (instead of working). Happy belated birthday!

Section 11 of 14:

Funny Birthday Wishes for Remote Workers

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Help remote workers feel like part of the team by sharing a laugh with them. It’s not easy to work apart from others who spend their days together in an office or worksite. When you remember a remote worker’s birthday, they’ll feel just as appreciated as others on the in-person team. When you also make them laugh in the process, they’ll be thankful to have you as coworkers even more than they are already.
- Wishing you a birthday filled with productive meetings that don't require your camera to be on. Happy birthday!
- Congrats on surviving another year of remote work! May your Wi-Fi stay strong and your coffee strong on your special day.
- Another year older, another year of questionable background choices. Happy birthday!
- Happy birthday! May your cake be as big as your “away” message.
- Happy birthday! Hope your day is filled with more “on mute” moments than “on camera” moments.
- Happy birthday! May your day be filled with more fun than a team-building exercise gone wrong.
- Happy birthday! I hope your day is free of technical difficulties... or at least, ones you can't blame on Zoom.
- Happy birthday! May your day be filled with as much joy as successfully sending an email without attachments.
- Happy birthday! I promise not to judge your questionable Teams backgrounds... too much.
- Happy birthday! May your productivity be low and your snack supply be high.

Section 12 of 14:

Famous Funny Birthday Quotes

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Share a funny birthday quote to get you started. If you’re unsure of what to say or need a little inspiration, these well-known quotes about birthdays, aging, and time passing by are enough to make anyone smile. You can include them in a group birthday card, with a gift, or in an email or Slack to your coworker on their special day.
- "Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the hell happened." — Cora Harvey Armstrong
- "As you get older, three things happen: The first is your memory goes, and I can't remember the other two." — Norman Wisdom
- "You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake." — Bob Hope^{[19]
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- “The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.” — Lucille Ball
- “Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.” — Jo Brand^{[20]
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- “At my age, flowers scare me.” — George Burns^{[21]
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- “I remember when the candle shop burned down. Everyone stood around singing 'Happy Birthday.'” — Steven Wright ^{[22]
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- “My mother still sends a cake to the office for my birthday. — David Ulevitch^{[23]
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- “You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely.” — Ogden Nash
- “The older you get, the better you get. Unless you're a banana.” — Betty White

Section 13 of 14:

Guide to Writing Birthday Messages to Coworkers

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Choose how you’re going to say “happy birthday.” Decide beforehand if your funny birthday quote for a coworker will end up in a group card, a personal email, or a Slack message. If it will be seen by others at work, be sure the humor you’re using is appropriate for the audience (and the birthday celebrant themselves). Some ways to send birthday wishes for a coworker are ahead:^{[24]
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- Send an email if you want to write a lengthier, more formal birthday greeting (or a personal one).
- Sign a card along with others if you’re not super close to the person celebrating, so you can share short and sweet birthday wishes more easily.
- Chip in or help out if coworkers are planning to have a birthday cake and/or office gathering instead.
- If work doesn’t allow you to take part in the moment, smile and wish them a happy birthday in person when you next see them.
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Consider your work relationship. If you’re writing a funny birthday quote to your work bestie or someone you’ve known for a long time, it’s easy to know their sense of humor. But if you’re sharing a birthday greeting with a new worker, manager, or someone you’re not very familiar with, keep your humor somewhat safe, positive, and lighthearted.^{[25]
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- If you’re good friends, it’s fine to include a funny nickname for your coworker as long as you both use it regularly and don’t mind others seeing it.
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Add something personal, if possible. If you have a funny story about the time you both had to meet a particular deadline or want to share a memory about them, add it to your birthday message. Be sure that it’s appropriate for other coworkers to hear, and focus on putting the person celebrating in a positive light.^{[26]
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- It’s OK to not include something personal if you don’t share that kind of relationship with your coworker. They’ll appreciate your well wishes, even if they’re mostly generic comments about the office.

Section 14 of 14:

Best Ways to Celebrate Your Co-Worker's Birthday

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Group birthday cards A group birthday card is one of the most common ways to say happy birthday to a coworker. It’s usually passed around ahead of time for everyone who wishes to add their message and sign the card.
- Avoid taking up too much space, even if you’re good friends with the person. It’s not fair to others who also want to include a birthday message.
- If donations for a gift are requested, it’s fine to include money in the card or hand it to the person in charge. If you’re not able to give, it’s also OK to just sign the card to mark their birthday.
Gift cards are a popular way for coworkers to offer something special to someone celebrating their birthday. Whatever gift cards you give should be for a store, restaurant, or travel experience that you believe the birthday guy or girl will appreciate. If you’re not sure, stick with something they’re likely to use at work, like a gift card for a local coffee shop or cash card.
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Birthday cake Often, an HR person or office manager will arrange a small birthday celebration when it’s a coworker’s special day. If you’re able to leave your post, it’s thoughtful to stop by and have a piece of cake to wish them a happy birthday.
- If you have a meeting or can’t make the party, it’s polite to send them a message or email with your apologies, along with a belated happy birthday wish.
If a colleague you’re close with is celebrating a birthday, plan a fun work outing ahead of time. Enjoyable ideas include a happy hour, a casual dinner, or karaoke. Leave enough time for others to plan for the outing, and make sure that the person celebrating doesn’t have any other conflicting plans.