# Thanksgiving Message to Employees From a CEO or Manager > A Thanksgiving email to your staff that thanks people for real things: examples from a CEO and from a manager, when to send it, and the lines to skip. Source: https://hidengpt.com/write/thanksgiving-message-to-employees # I want to send my team a Thanksgiving message that doesn't sound like a greeting card. Bring two or three things your people did this year and any practical news, such as an early finish on Wednesday. HidenGPT's Email format, set to Thank-you, turns them into a short message with a plain subject line, in your voice if you add samples. People read real thanks instead of a template. Updated October 15, 2026 · by the HidenGPT team Try it with your own details Enter to send · Shift+Enter for a new line ## How to do it in HidenGPT - 01 Write down two or three specific things your team did this year, the holiday schedule, and anyone who will be working over the long weekend. - 02 Pick Email under “Use it for”; this page sets Email type to Thank-you, Length to Short and Tone to Friendly, so put your notes in the main box and “everyone at [company]” or your team's name under To. - 03 Add your first name under Signature in More details, and keep Subject line ideas on so you can pick a plain one. - 04 Check every name and date, cut any line that would fit any company, and make sure the schedule news sits where nobody can miss it. - 05 Send it on Tuesday, November 24, or Wednesday morning before people leave, not on Thanksgiving Day itself. [Email / Newsletter](https://hidengpt.com/tools/email): Subject lines that get opened, emails and newsletters that get replies. ## Example: from a CEO, and from a team manager Two versions for different senders. Names and details are made up. From a founder to a 45-person company (about 110 words): “Subject: Thank you, and see you Monday Hi everyone, Before the long weekend, three things I keep thinking about. In June we moved the whole warehouse across town and did not miss a single shipping day. Last December support answered every ticket within a day, the busiest month we have. And Maria's team rebuilt returns from scratch, which is why complaints about refunds have nearly stopped. The office closes at 1 pm on Wednesday and stays closed Thursday and Friday. Luis, Jen, Tom and Aisha are covering the warehouse on Friday: thank you, and lunch is on us. Have a good Thanksgiving, however you spend it. Dana” From a manager to a team of six, in chat (about 55 words): “Quick one before the break. This year you closed the Hartley account, shipped the new onboarding flow two weeks early, and covered for Ben for a month without complaint. I noticed all of it. Log off early on Wednesday if your work is done. Enjoy the time with your people, and eat something good.” ## Timing, schedule news and who is working In 2026 Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26. Most messages go out on the Tuesday or the Wednesday morning before it, while people are still at their desks. A message sent on Thursday lands when many people are away from work email, and it can look like an afterthought. If you are giving people time off, put it in the first lines or the subject line. Nobody minds reading thanks, but they do mind scrolling for the answer to “are we closing early?”. Think about who is working. Retail, healthcare, logistics, support and hospitality teams often work through the holiday. A message that talks only about family dinners and long weekends reads differently to someone on the Friday shift. Thank them by name or by team, and say what you are doing for them, if anything, such as a meal or a day off later. Not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, and teams outside the US may be working a normal week. “However you spend it” covers everyone without making a point of it. For an international company, one sentence explaining why the US office is quiet on Thursday and Friday is enough. ## What to cut from a Thanksgiving message These lines show up in most templates and make the message easy to skip: - “At this time of year, we pause to reflect on all we are thankful for.” Say what you are thankful for instead. - “Our employees are our greatest asset.” People hear a phrase from an annual report. - Revenue figures and targets. A thank-you note is the wrong place for next quarter's number. - Thanks with conditions attached, such as “and we know we can count on you for the year-end push”. - Long lists of every team, which turn into roll calls. Pick two or three moments and let them stand for the year. - “I hope this email finds you well.” The red pen cuts this one, and nobody misses it. Read the draft and ask: could another company send this unchanged? If the answer is yes, add a name, a number or a moment only your team would recognize. ## Not the right tool if - A message that has to announce bad news, such as layoffs or pay changes. Mixing it with holiday thanks makes both worse; send that news separately, with HR involved. - Thanksgiving cards for clients or customers. The tone and the timing differ; the holiday message to clients page covers those. - A speech at the company Thanksgiving lunch. Words meant to be heard need a different shape; use the Speech format. ## Other ways to do it A two-line message you write yourself Fine for a small team that hears from you every day. One specific thank-you and the schedule is enough. Saying it at the last team meeting before the break Often warmer than email. Follow up in writing only with the schedule details. Your company's internal comms or HR team In a large organization they may send a central message. Check, so your team does not get two that say the same thing. ChatGPT or another chatbot Quick, but expect “we pause to reflect” openings and general thanks. Replace them with what your team actually did. ## Questions ### What do you write in a Thanksgiving message to employees? Thank people for two or three specific things they did this year, give any holiday schedule news clearly, thank those who are working over the holiday, and wish them a good break. Under 150 words is plenty. ### When should I send a Thanksgiving email to staff? On the Tuesday or Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving, which in 2026 means November 24 or 25. People are still working and will see it before they leave. ### Should the CEO or the manager send it? Both can, and they do different jobs. A CEO's message speaks for the whole company and can mention company-wide moments; a manager's message can name individual people and specific work, which is usually what people remember. ### How do I make it inclusive? Keep the focus on thanks for the work, not on how people should celebrate. A line like “however you spend it” works for people who do not celebrate, who are working or who are far from family. ### Is it OK to write my team's Thanksgiving message with AI? Yes, if the thanks are real. HidenGPT drafts from the moments and names you give it and leaves a placeholder for anything missing; you change what is not right and send it under your own name. A message about your team should never contain thanks for something that did not happen. ### Should I mention a holiday bonus in the message? Only if it is confirmed and payroll has the details, and then state it plainly with the date it will be paid. Hinting at money in a thank-you note invites questions you may not be able to answer. ## Related - [I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year and want to say a few words before we eat.](https://hidengpt.com/write/thanksgiving-toast) - [Every December I have to write the Christmas message to all our staff, and it always sounds the same.](https://hidengpt.com/write/christmas-message-to-employees) - [I want to email my boss to ask for a raise without sounding like I'm begging or threatening to quit.](https://hidengpt.com/write/email-asking-for-a-raise) - [I missed a meeting and need an apology email that isn't groveling.](https://hidengpt.com/write/apology-email-for-missing-a-meeting) - [Does my writing sound like AI?](https://hidengpt.com/tools/ai-cliche-checker) - [Essays, homework and everyday writing that sounds like you](https://hidengpt.com/write) [Prefer HidenGPT on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=hidengpt.com)