# Do I need to send a thank-you card to my coworkers? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 4, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-send-a-thank-you-card-to-my-coworkers/675488 "2013-12-04T16:49:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-send-a-thank-you-card-to-my-coworkers/675488/1 "2013-12-04T16:49:15Z")
We all celebrate each other’s birthday here. It’s a small office, and we get together for cake, and then everyone groups together to get the birthday person a small present. A couple of times, one of the recipients has then mailed a thank you card to the office! From their home! But not everyone does it. So now I am torn. I write thank you cards for gifts all the time. I just sent out a handful for my birthday. But it seems downright weird to mail one to the office. I’ve never given them a thank you card before. I thank them profusely in person, both for the party and the gift. I thought about writing one and bringing it in but that seems even weirder. What say you? Should I just get over my weirdness and write one and drop it in the mail? To add an extra dimension of weirdness, it is I who opens the mail. So I should: Mail a letter to the office Get the letter Open it Distribute it …? I genuinely don’t know what to do. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-send-a-thank-you-card-to-my-coworkers/675488/2 "2013-12-04T16:55:35Z")
My rule of thumb is people who get thanked in person don’t get a thank you card. I definitely think, if you’re the one who does the mail anyway, there’s no point in actually mailing it in. I might just get a thank you card, write a short note of appreciation and leave it in the breakroom or wherever cards are usually left for people to see. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-send-a-thank-you-card-to-my-coworkers/675488/3 "2013-12-04T17:07:11Z")
IIRC Miss Manners herself said that if someone is thanked in person, then no thank-you card is needed or expected. Leaving a group card (unmailed, just brought in) in the break room or posted to the fridge or something is OK, if you want to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-send-a-thank-you-card-to-my-coworkers/675488/4 "2013-12-04T17:11:28Z")
I follow Miss Manners’ rule all the time. I know that’s what she said - people whom you thank in person need not get a card. I think I will give it a miss - it will come off as weird to my coworkers, too. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-send-a-thank-you-card-to-my-coworkers/675488/5 "2013-12-04T18:13:12Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Leaving a group card (unmailed, just brought in) in the break room or posted to the fridge or something is OK, if you want to do so. This. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-send-a-thank-you-card-to-my-coworkers/675488/6 "2013-12-04T18:13:44Z")
Do they just tack the card onto a staff bulletin board? If so, I’d write a note and put it up myself. It takes 30 seconds and makes people feel appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-send-a-thank-you-card-to-my-coworkers/675488/7 "2013-12-04T19:06:33Z")
No, when they get a card they pass it around and then throw it away. I’m not 100% sure if they even read it. No one sticks it up anywhere. We don’t even have a staff bulletin board. We have a fridge. I could put it on the fridge. But again, no one else does. ETA: Our office is really too small to need a staff bulletin board. When we need to make an announcement, we either use e-mail or bellow down the hallway. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-send-a-thank-you-card-to-my-coworkers/675488/8 "2013-12-04T19:18:27Z")
Sincerely thank everyone for their generosity and time and call it a day. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-send-a-thank-you-card-to-my-coworkers/675488/9 "2013-12-05T00:24:57Z")
You can’t just send out an email to the group saying “Hey Everyone - Thanks again for helping to make my birthday so special. It’s great to work with such a nice group of people!” ?