Fifth of Brits Never Thanked for Work, New Research Reveals

A fifth (19%) of UK employees say they have never been thanked by their employer for a specific work achievement, and more than half (51%) say they do not feel valued in the workplace, according to new research from Moonpig for business.
The study of 2,000 UK adults also revealed that over half (53%) of employees say lack of recognition at work impacts their motivation, with 59% admitting they would consider leaving a job if their hard work went unnoticed.
The top forms of recognition are a financial reward (71%), a promotion (66%), and a private thank you- from a manager (65%), but smaller gestures still go a long way. Two-thirds (65%) of workers said that a thoughtful card or note would make them feel valued.
Brits also feel their employers are forgetting life’s key milestones. One in five (20%) workers have never had their birthday acknowledged at work, despite 41% saying they would expect it, while a third say their work anniversaries have never been celebrated.
Even more shockingly, a fifth of employees say they have seen a colleague recognised for hard work when they themselves weren’t, despite making a similar level of visible effort. Some have even experienced recognition gone wrong: 9% have received a card with their name spelt incorrectly, and 8% have been left out of a group thank-you card.
“Recognition doesn’t need to be complicated to be meaningful,” said Laura Dixon, People Director at Moonpig. “Remembering birthdays, work anniversaries, or simply acknowledging everyday effort can have a huge impact on morale. The key is making people feel seen and appreciated for what they do.”
Moonpig for business, a new platform designed to help organisations celebrate employees, clients, and customers, has been developed to make appreciation easier with personalised recognition at scale through features like branded cards, curated gifts, and automated sending features.
Nickyl Raithatha, CEO of Moonpig, said: "Moonpig for business started during Covid when we used our own personalised card service to recognise our employees and keep them connected. We saw how powerful it was, so we automated the process, and it very quickly became clear that the need for this was bigger than us. In a busy hybrid world, business leaders struggle to make employees feel genuinely seen.
"We saw the impact from our efforts first-hand and our research backs it up: employees crave simple, everyday recognition. We built Moonpig for business to make that process effortless for businesses also - one single platform for personalised cards and gifts that makes recognition simple, timely and scalable, helping companies to build stronger relationships with their teams."
The platform features time-saving solutions that will allow businesses to send branded, personalised cards and gifts to multiple recipients at speed, making it easy to ensure that employees feel valued throughout the year. 83% of companies already using the service say Moonpig for business has increased engagement within their organisation.
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For more information reach out at moonpig@thisisdefinition.com for press relations.
About the research
Survey conducted by Censuswide between 4–8 August 2025 among 2,000 UK adults aged 16+.
About Moonpig for business
Moonpig for business is Moonpig’s newest product, built for personalised engagement at scale! We make it easy for companies to surprise and delight employees, clients, and customers through branded, personalised cards and curated gifts.
Whether it’s a birthday, work anniversary, new hire, or Christmas thank you, Moonpig for business helps you recognise and reward the people who matter most, without hours of admin. With tools like bulk address upload, automated personalisation, and scheduled delivery, it’s never been easier to send hundreds of perfectly personalised cards and gifts in just a few clicks.
Here at Moonpig, we know small gestures lead to big results. That’s why Moonpig for business is designed specifically to meet the needs of businesses that have never been busier. We make it simple to increase engagement, boost loyalty and drive retention. No setup, no subscription, no minimum volume. Pricing starts at under £3 per card, including postage, meaning businesses of all shapes and sizes can benefit from our high-quality services.