6 min read
Quick answer: a good New Year wish for a colleague is one or two sentences: a nod to something from the year that's ending, and a simple wish for the one ahead. "Happy New Year, Priya! Thanks for being the calm one during the September migration. Here's to a quieter 2027." Mention one real thing and you're done. Nobody at work wants a paragraph about new beginnings.
New Year's Day 2027 falls on a Friday, so for most offices the first full week back starts Monday, January 4. Send yours in the last days before the break, or on that first Monday back, when a warm line stands out among the out-of-office replies.
Below are 34 wishes, grouped by who you're writing to.
For a card, a Slack message, or a line under a group card.
For senior colleagues, people in other departments, or anyone you mostly know through email.
Skip the quote about journeys of a thousand miles. The most encouraging thing you can do is point at something they already did.
Name what the team did. A general "great year, everyone!" reads like it came from the brand account.
Only where you already joke together.
After a bereavement, an illness or a layoff on their team, a cheerful "best year ever!" can sting. A quieter line is kinder.
If "Happy New Year" feels flat, borrow something specific to your team instead:
Or skip the greeting entirely and open with a real thank-you. "Thanks for covering my shifts in December" will be remembered long after the confetti emoji.
When several people want to wish the same person well (a manager, someone leaving in January, someone back from leave), one card beats a stream of separate messages. A group card is one card that every teammate writes in, delivered as a single keepsake.
It's also a good moment for a manager to thank a whole team: open one card and ask everyone for a sentence about a colleague's best moment of the year. Ten minutes, and it does more for morale than another all-hands slide.
WishWarmly's employee appreciation card works for this. You share one link, each person writes a message or records a short video on their own private page, and the recipient opens a flip-book of everything. Messages are private until the card is delivered, so nobody copies the first person's tone. It's free for up to five contributors, $9 for unlimited contributors, and $12 if you'd like a downloadable PDF keepsake as well. If it's your first time organizing one, see how to sign a digital card as a group.
For more seasonal wording, our Christmas messages for coworkers cover the run-up to the break, and remote team rituals has ideas for marking the new year when the team never shares an office.
The best ones are short and mention something real from the year that just ended. For example: "Happy New Year! Thanks for keeping the client project on track in the autumn. Looking forward to working with you in 2027." One specific detail plus a simple wish for the year ahead beats a long, general message every time.
Point to something they already did and connect it to the year ahead, rather than quoting a poster. For example: "You learned a whole new system this year and made it look easy. I can't wait to see what you take on in 2027." Encouragement grounded in their own work reads as sincere instead of motivational.
Swap the stock greeting for something specific to your team: "Here's to fewer fire drills and more Friday wins," "Wishing you a year of meetings that could have been emails, and were," or "See you on the other side of the holiday inbox." A line that only makes sense to your team feels personal.
Keep it simple and forward-looking: "Happy New Year! Wishing you a healthy, calm and rewarding 2027. It's been a pleasure working with you this year." For a coworker you know well, add one thing you're looking forward to doing together, such as a launch or a project you've already planned.
No noise. One email when a new guide drops.