Importance of a Thanksgiving Turkey

Last week we asked our gThankYou email subscribers to answer the question, Why is it important to give employees a Thanksgiving turkey?
We entered the respondents in our giveaway of Melanie Kirkpatrick’s new book, “Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience.”
Lots of great responses came in, but one in particular stood out. It came from Lisa, an administrative assistant in California.
Lisa’s heartfelt reflection on the employee turkey gift tradition goes back to her childhood. It’s about a lesson in appreciation she learned from her father and his boss. She’s been kind enough to allow us to share her story with you, our Celebrating Work blog readers!
The holiday season is the perfect time to honor your team’s hard work and dedication with the gift of a Thanksgiving turkey. But don’t take our word for it. Read on for Lisa’s story on why it’s important to give employees a Thanksgiving turkey.

Lisa’s Story: ‘Everyone Wins!!’ When We Share Appreciation

“When I was a young girl, my Dad worked as the maintenance supervisor at the General Electric plant in my small Midwestern hometown.
“On the Wednesday before every Thanksgiving, Dad would come home from work with a nice, big turkey. Every year he would tell me that it was a gift for ME — from HIS boss. I recall to this day how that made me feel. My Dad’s BOSS actually cared about ME. How cool was that?!
“I started sending a ‘Thank you’ note for my Dad to give his boss on the Monday following Thanksgiving, every year … until his boss passed away.
“That was the year that MY DAD became THE BOSS. When he came home on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving that year, he did not have a turkey with him. I was a little upset with him; I remember telling him that his boss would have been upset if he found out that my Dad had not carried on his tradition!
“My Dad calmly sat me down and told me that the company HAD bought turkeys for all of the employees, but that they had run short so he gave our turkey to one of the people who would not have gotten one. Besides, he said, he and Mom had already bought one for us.
“Then, he told me that he DID have something to give me; a gift from his OLD BOSS. I was perplexed; I knew that his boss had passed away earlier that year …
“Dad pulled a large envelope out of his pocket and gave it to me. We sat together on the front porch and looked inside…
“There were ALL of the THANK YOU notes I had sent to his boss over the years! My Dad put his arm around me and told me that his boss always looked forward to receiving my homemade Thank You cards — just as much as I looked forward to seeing my Dad come home with those beautiful turkeys every year.
“So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that not only is it rewarding to be able to show some of your appreciation to the people you work with, but when they in turn take the time to show THEIR appreciation, EVERYONE wins!!”
Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your story!
Need more reasons to carry on this generations-old workplace tradition and give employees a Thanksgiving turkey? gThankYou! Turkey Gift Certificates  and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates make it easy for you and your recipients, no matter how big or how spread-out your organization is. Sharing the centerpiece to the Thanksgiving meal lets your employees know you really care. Plus, with gThankYou! Gift Certificates they have the flexibility to choose the turkey they want, at the store they want, when they want it!
Download gThankYou’s new brochure “10 Reasons to Give Employees a Turkey for the Holidays” to learn why so many businesses give employees a Thanksgiving turkey.