Recognition Resources

Unlock a culture of appreciation! Elevate your workplace spirit and celebrate success with our exclusive recognition resources.

Recognition Portal

Celebrate and be celebrated! Use this portal to:

  • Send and view YCards
  • Recognize colleagues’ milestone anniversaries when invited, and
  • Select your service anniversary gift when eligible

Simply log in via Single Sign On (SSO) to access these resources.

Visit the recognition portal
Ycard Thank You.

YCards

Make a colleague’s day by saying “Happy Birthday,” “Congrats,” “Thank You,” and more. It just takes a moment to select a beautiful Yale image and write a quick note. Your note will immediately be sent to the recipient via email. Use the address book feature to quickly find a staff member’s email address. You can also send YCards to faculty, students, alumni, and those outside of Yale by simply typing in their email address.

Starting July 1, 2025, YCards will be accessible via our new recognition portal.

Send a YCard

To access:

  1. Log in to the recognition portal. (Login is Single Sign On (SSO), using your NetID and password.)
  2. On the portal home page, select the YCard tile.
  3. Follow the steps to select a card, add the recipient(s), and choose if you would like to cc their manager(s).
  4. Use the “Send Later” option if you would like to schedule your card to send at a later date.
  5. Once complete, click the Send button. The system will let you know that you were successful in sending the card.
  6. The recipient will receive the card via email and has the option of sending a reply card.
  7. They will also be able to view the card on the portal
  8. Additional details about creating and sending YCards are available in the Program Guidelines on the portal home page.
Chat Stickers Graphic

Chat Stickers

Looking to make your online conversations with colleagues a little more fun? Send your work buddies a lively message. Reply to a comment with a splash of color! Cheer them up or make them laugh with Yale’s new “Chat Stickers”—from your computer or mobile phone or even on social media. So, don’t suppress that impulse to send a birthday wish (“Blow out your candles!”) or to spread joy on a Friday (“Fri-yay!”).

These chat stickers can be used on any chat platform that allows you to insert an image. Use them on Microsoft Teams, Zoom, your iOS devices (iPhone and iPad), or social media

Download Chat Stickers

Install Chat Stickers for iOS

  1. Open the App Store 
  2. Search “It’s Your Yale Chat Stickers” 
  3. Tap the Get button  then install the app
  4. Enter your Apple ID password, or use Face ID or Touch ID, if you have it enabled
  5. Tap the Close button 
  6. Open messages app  to view sticker pack

Find Chat Stickers in Teams

  1. Open the Teams app on your computer 
  2. Go to chat section on the left menu bar 
  3. The app will appear in the menu bar of the chat window 

Add Chat Stickers in Zoom

  1. Download Chat Stickers from SharePoint. In the bottom right of your Zoom Chat window, select the “smiley face” emoji 
  2. Click on the heart graphic at the bottom 
  3. Select the “edit” button from the right side of the window
  4. Select “upload emoji”
  5. Begin uploading your Chat Stickers one at a time
Celebration Calendar Graphic

Celebration Calendar

Yale’s Staff Celebration Calendar conveniently combines many weekday cultural and popular events, official Yale holidays, and industry observances in one place to help you stay on top of your celebration planning.

Please refer to the Yale University Chaplain’s Office Multi Faith Calendar and the Official Yale Holidays for additional celebrations.

Download Calendar

Browse the calendar to view the weekday events.

Planning a Celebration

  • Select a Celebration. Select a date or event that speaks to you or your group.
  • Explore Celebration Ideas. Each event features inspiration for celebration activities (e.g., themed decorations, snacks, or quick team games).
  • Save Your Plan. Add the celebration to your Outlook calendar to save the event to your personal or shared team calendar.
  • Customize for Your Team. Add any notes or tasks to the event, such as assigning responsibilities or listing needed materials.
  • Share the Fun. Invite colleagues to the celebration directly from the Outlook calendar.

Tips for Maximizing Your Celebration Calendar

  • Set reminders: Turn on email or push notifications to get a heads-up for upcoming events.
  • Plan ahead: Schedule casual gatherings around key dates to ensure maximum participation.
  • Share feedback: Submit ideas for future celebrations to keep the calendar dynamic and inclusive.

With the Yale Staff Celebration Calendar, you can turn any day into an opportunity to celebrate and connect!

Mielstone graphic for employees.

YCelebrations

Whether starting a new position, achieving a significant milestone, or celebrating an anniversary, the dedicated staff members at Yale deserve recognition. To help staff share these proud moments on their social channels, custom graphics, and a #LifeAtYale hashtag have been developed to help staff announce these milestones. Additionally, Yale-branded designs are available to show your pride in working at Yale.

YCelebrations Graphics

Occasions

  • Celebrating an achievement: Share an award, a recent speaking engagement at a conference, completion of a leadership or learning program, and more.
  • Celebrating an anniversary: Announce a milestone, whether one or fifty years of dedicated service at Yale or anything between.
  • Starting a new position: Celebrate your new role and career growth at Yale.

Banners

To personalize your online presence further, download Yale-branded LinkedIn banner images to customize the top of your LinkedIn profile.

Share Online

Sharing your YCelebrations graphic(s) is simple:

  • Select the YCelebrations Graphics button
  • Choose a design that fits your needs
  • Visit your preferred social media platform and upload the graphic
  • Add personalized details and the hashtag #LifeAtYale

Faster than you can say, “Boola, boola,” you have published your update!