Careers Succeeding at Work Recognition Letters Samples for the Workplace Recognition Letter Samples for Powerful Employee Recognition Print Succeeding at Work Human Resources Employee Management Job Search Resources Hiring Best Practices Glossary Employment Law Employee Motivation Management Careers Management & Leadership Employee Benefits By Susan M. Heathfield Susan M. Heathfield Susan Heathfield is an HR and management consultant with an MS degree. She has decades of experience writing about human resources. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 04/06/20 Want to provide recognition to employees who contribute meaningfully in your workplace? You can reinforce and make recognition more powerful when you write a recognition letter to accompany your verbal appreciation and praise, whether monetary or otherwise. Employees feel cherished and important when they receive a recognition letter that they can save and share. Use the following sample recognition letters to reinforce employee recognition in your workplace. While your recognition letter will not be exactly the same, these recognition samples provide good examples and a starting point for you to craft letters for your own employees. How to Write an Employee Recognition Letter SchulteProductions / Getty Images Employee recognition is worth the time and the money you spend on it. You have no other tool at your disposal that so predictably makes employees feel good about your company and goals. From employee recognition letters to bonuses and gifts, employee recognition is good for workplace motivation and creates positive employee morale. Thank you letters speak powerfully. Sample Formal Employee Recognition Letter Ariel Skelley/Blend Images/Getty Images This is a sample recognition letter that an employer can write to an employee to note the employee's good work. The purpose of the recognition is to thank the employee and reinforce the actions and behaviors that the manager would like to see the employee continue to contribute. This is a more formal recognition letter sample that will bear weight in the employee's memory when received from his or her supervisor. Sample Semi-Formal Employee Recognition Letter Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / Getty Images A semi-formal thank you letter that recognizes specific employee contributions, goes a long way in helping employees feel recognized and rewarded. A semi-formal employee recognition letter that accompanies a bonus check or a gift magnifies the recognition an employee experiences. Yes, the letter powerfully reinforces the message of the gift. Sample Informal Employee Recognition Letter Rick Gomez/Blend Images/Getty Images An informal thank you letter that recognizes specific employee contributions, goes a long way in helping employees feel recognized and rewarded. In fact, an informal employee recognition letter that accompanies a bonus check or a gift magnifies the recognition an employee experiences. Some employees experience such gratification that they post the thank you and recognition letter in their cubicle, office, or workstation for years. Get 3 Samples of Formal Employee Recognition Letters Steve Debenport/Getty Images Would you like to see three more examples of more formal, written employee thank you letters? You can make an employee's day, week, or even, month by thanking them and accompanying the verbal thank you with a letter that magnifies the impact of your thanks. These sample thank you letters express gratitude for developing an effective new employee orientation and onboarding program, astonishing customer service, and a presentation about the impact of overtime regulations. Sample Thank You Letters for Going Above and Beyond Hill Street Studios/Blend Images/Getty Images Employee recognition becomes even more powerful when a thank you letter accompanies any award or gift that you provide for an employee. This is especially important when the recognition you provide is cash, a check or a gift certificate. These are quickly spent and often, the sincere thank you that verbally accompanied them is easily forgotten in the busyness of day to day work. The thank you letter will remind the employee of your gratitude—sometimes for years. Sample Employee Thank You Letters Sent by the Supervisor fizkes / Getty Images A thank you letter from an employee's manager is a treasured form of positive recognition. So, are letters from the boss's boss and any senior managers. They are affirming as they mean that the boss really does appreciate the employee's hard work and contribution. When senior managers recognize an employee's work, he or she knows that they are talked about and appreciated up the ranks of the organization. This can result in promotional opportunities and other good happenings in the future. Award Letter Sample The award letter recognizes an employee for making a positive contribution to workplace success or progress. These contributions are recognized through listing specific improvements in areas such as productivity or quality gains. The award letter needs to specifically detail why the employee is receiving the recognition. For maximum impact on the employee's morale and motivation, the letter must clearly state the effect that the employee's contribution had on the company, the department or the customer service achievement.