Celebrate a work anniversary

Celebrate Maya’s five-year work anniversary in the engineering team tomorrow. Post a congratulatory note that names one concrete contribution she made to the payment project, tag her and her manager, add a photo from last year’s release party, and invite teammates to share a short memory by Friday noon. Check with Maya privately that she’s comfortable with public recognition before posting.

I wrote a public congratulations for Jamal’s three-year anniversary, but Jamal privately told me he prefers not to be publicly surfaced. I don’t want to make him uncomfortable or offend leadership expecting recognition. Should I post a team-internal thank-you instead, get Jamal’s manager to nudge him for permission, or rework the post to be low-key and anonymous? What wording preserves morale and respects Jamal’s privacy?

Every quarter we post work anniversaries and sometimes people complain they were left out or that posts felt insincere. This creates awkward conversations with managers. Which habitual change in how we gather approvals and what one simple checklist will stop mistaken dates, unwanted publicity, and tone-deaf messaging?