Announcing a Colleague's News to the Team: Email Templates for Every Occasion

"Dear colleagues, good news — Anna from the sales team had a baby girl on 12 August. Mother and daughter are doing well. Congratulations are welcome in the team chat; details of the team gift will follow separately."

The Five Parts of an Announcement

1. The occasion, in the first line — people scan, they do not read.
2. Name and team, so nobody has to ask who is meant.
3. The date or fact, without private detail the colleague did not agree to share.
4. What the team is doing: a card, a gift, a day off, nothing at all.
5. One contact for questions.

Happy Occasions

1. New baby, chat version: "Colleagues, our Anna is a mum! A daughter, born on the 12th, 3400 g. Congratulations welcome here in the chat."
2. New baby, formal mailing: "Dear colleagues, we are glad to share that a daughter was born to Anna Petrova of the sales department on 12 August. On behalf of the company we wish the family health and happiness."
3. Wedding: "Colleagues, Anna from sales is getting married on 12 September. Congratulations in the chat; the team gift is being organised separately."
4. Milestone birthday: "Dear colleagues, on 20 September our Sergey Ivanov turns 50. Twelve of those years he has spent with us. Congratulations at 11:00 in the meeting room."

Departures

1. Retirement: "Dear colleagues, on 30 September Nina Sergeyevna retires after 24 years with the company. We are seeing her off on Friday at 16:00 — everyone is welcome."
2. Maternity leave: "Colleagues, Friday is Maria's last working day before maternity leave. Hand over questions on current projects to Igor. We will see her off at 17:00."
3. Last working day: "Colleagues, Friday is Dmitry's last day with us. Thank you for four years of work — we are saying goodbye at 17:00 in the kitchen."

A Loss in the Family

Short, factual, no cause of death, no emoji, no exclamation marks. Confirm with the family before writing anything at all.

"Dear colleagues. Our colleague Sergey has suffered a bereavement in his family. The farewell will be held on Thursday. Those who wish to support him can find the details below; participation is voluntary."

Wording for the collection itself is covered in funeral collection announcement templates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should the announcement and the collection be one message?

No — send the news first, ask for contributions separately.

Who should send it?

One person: the team lead, HR, or a nominated organiser.