Workaversary or Workiversary? Everything you need to know!

In the contemporary professional world, celebrating milestones is not confined to birthdays and work anniversaries. Enter the realm of ‘workiversaries’, an increasingly popular way to commemorate the anniversary of your initiation into a workplace. But hang on a minute, is it ‘workiversary’ or ‘workaversary’? As it turns out, the popular vote goes to ‘workiversary,’ and here’s everything you need to know about this new tradition that is enhancing workplace cultures around the world.

The Correct Term: Workiversary

While the word ‘workiversary’ might still be absent from the formal dictionaries, its usage is gaining traction globally. From social media platforms to corporate hallways, the term is finding a steadfast place in the professional lexicon.

• Google: When we refer to Google‘s vast database of search terms, ‘workiversary’ is searched approximately three times more than ‘workaversary.’
• Instagram: A scan through Instagram hashtags reveals a similar trend with #workiversary boasting twice the popularity compared to #workaversary.
• X (Twitter): The distinction is even starker on X, where #workiversary is used a whopping twenty times more than #workaversary.

But what is behind this growing fascination with celebrating work milestones, and why is ‘workiversary’ the correct term to use? Let’s delve deeper.

The Roots of Workiversary

The term ‘workiversary’ stems from a blend of the words ‘work’ and ‘anniversary’. This mash-up succinctly captures the essence of the celebration — marking the completion of another year at a workplace. While ‘workaversary’ is also formed from the same parent words, it somehow hasn’t caught on with the same fervor, probably because ‘workiversary’ rolls off the tongue a bit smoother and aligns well with the original word ‘anniversary’.

The Birth of Company-Specific Work Anniversaries

Taking the workiversary trend a notch higher, some companies have come up with a clever twist, amalgamating the organization’s name with ‘anniversary’. For instance, celebrating a ‘Googleniversary’ is now a thing in the vibrant corridors of Google. This personalized approach not only adds a fun element to the celebrations but also fosters a sense of belonging and unity among employees.

What should you use if you can’t come up with a unique name for work anniversaries at your organization?

If you can't come up with a term as good as Googleniversary, opt for "workiversary." This term is not only more inventive but also adds a touch of fun to the celebration. It stands out compared to the classic "work anniversary".

What are some examples of custom names for work anniversaries used by different organizations?

Organizations often create unique names for celebrating work anniversaries, blending a part of the company's name with the word “versary.” Here are a few examples:

• Automatticcalls it a “Matticversary”
• Elantis Solutionsuses “Elantiversary”
• Facebook celebrates a “Faceversary”
• Google has a “Googleversary”
• Oho Groupmarks the occasion with an “Ohoversary”
• Sherpacalls it a “Sherpaversary”
• Vacouses the term “Vacoversary”

The most effective and memorable of these mashups typically involve using one or two syllables from the company's distinctive name, often blending in an /i/ or /uh/ sound before adding “versary” to the end.

Looking for a way to automate work anniversary celebrations?

We’ve got you covered! Our simple Slack/Teams app, Billy (the birthday bot), allows you to streamline the collection of birthdates and work anniversary dates, and automate celebrations by posting a fun and engaging message on the D-Day in the channel of your choice! Read more here about the benefits.

Try it now.