Thank you note etiquette question

[JLiebCamm]

My co-workers, knowing that I didn't think it would be appropriate or necessary to have another full blown baby shower, went together and gave me gift certificates for Gymboree and Baby Gap. Three people gave me separate gifts as well. Should I be giving each contributor to the gift cards a separate thank you (I'm talking 20 people) or hang one big thank you on our bulletin board (which is what is usually done when we collect for funeral flowers or hospital flowers, etc.). I'm not trying to get out of writing a bunch of thank yous; I just am not sure how this is best handled.

[jbowman]

Jessica,

I would write 20 separate thank you notes. I think that it is polite to acknowledge everyone's contributions separately, JMHO. What nice co-workers--I'm sure you'll enjoy those gift certificates!

ETA: I just asked DH and he said to hang a single thank-you note on the bulletin board--he doesn't think anyone expects a separate note.

Gee, I'm a lot of help!

[ErinMC]

I would just write one big note for the group gift - I don't think any of your co-workers would expect otherwise. I did that last year when my co-workers did the same thing. Just write separate thank you notes for the three additional gifts.

HTH!

[KrisM]

I would also write 20 separate notes. I am not sure it's really necessary, but it is what I would do. I'd give them out at work, in their mailboxes, so you could skip addresses. I don't mind writing notes, but hate addressing envelopes.

[rrosen]

I think you can go by the standard procedure in your place of work. In the school I used to work, it was perfectly acceptable to write one big thank you and place it in the teacher's lounge. I usually put my thank you card with a basket of cookies or muffins for everyone to share. For the three people that gave you personal gifts I would write individual thank you note.

JMO

[dr mom]

At my baby shower I recieved two very generous group gifts from my co-workers, and I did actually handwrite 20+ thank-you notes. That was just what felt appropriate to me at the time; it was a very close-knit group, and they had been very supportive of me throughout my pregnancy. I just left them in people's mailboxes or on their desks so I didn't have to look up all those addresses, and they were brief notes, not epic-length correspondance.

That said, if the custom in your office is to write one big thank you note for the bulletin board, I don't think your co-workers would fault you for doing that. I think the "official" etiquette on this is to write individual notes, but you know the culture in your office best, and it sounds like there's been a precedent for the group note.

[nov04]

I agree with the separate notes. jmo

[mysweetboy]

I wrote separate thank you notes to everyone who contributed to the group gift at my work shower. It was important to me that I thank everyone who thought of us individually.

Lori
mommy to Charlie, almost 7 months old!

[jubilee]

I was going to post exactly the same thing! Thank you note with cookies or bagels (and cream cheese) for the group. However, it is NEVER wrong to write a personalized thank you note- so if you want to make sure to not offend anyone and to individually thank each person, a separate note to each would cover your bases.

[lablover]

Here's what I did for my work shower - I had a lot of people contribute to a group gift and then I had several people give me individual gifts. Some of the people I didn't know really well and I always find it hard to write cards and not duplicate too much, so I made a couple batches of Ghirardelli brownies, wrapped each brownie up in saran wrap and attached a little tag that said "Thank you for the shower gift". For those that gave me individual gifts I gave the brownie with a real thank you card. Just another option.