For those who keep their colleagues close, writing a farewell message to coworkers leaving the company can be one of the hardest things to do. With the amount of time you spend with each other, it can be difficult to construct a goodbye message to coworkers that fully encompasses their role in your life. For some, it needs to celebrate their lunchmate who got them through difficult work rushes just by being around to talk. For others, the coworker’s leaving message needs to capture how easily they were able to work together and how irreplaceable their work ethic is.
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You might even have to send a farewell message to coworkers who brought you the best office gossip and that is truly a difficult thing to lose. Whatever the reasons for writing the message, you still have to keep in mind that it needs to stay professional at work, and that added pressure can distort your sentiments to a degree. Let’s look at some employees leaving message templates that can convey your feelings succinctly.
Tips for Writing a Farewell Message to Coworkers
Understanding what you want to express in your farewell message to a colleague leaving the company is always the first step to writing the message. Especially if you have to write a message to a colleague you were not close to, you might have to spend a few minutes to acknowledge the individual without sounding generic or insincere. These are a few tips to keep in mind when you craft the employee leaving message.
Be Genuine
Your farewell message to coworkers should include your genuine thoughts regarding the employee. If it is for someone you are close to, it will likely be a lot easier to write a message that is sincere and from the heart. If it is for someone you are not too close to, you can still include a hopeful note for their future and wishes for their next job, retirement, family plans, etc.
Be Positive
When you hand in a farewell leaving message to an employee, it is quite possibly your last interaction with them. It is healthy to end the relationship on a good note rather than bringing up any negative exchanges. Be grateful for their contribution to their lives. Avoid bringing up any resentments or disagreements you have in the note, and choose to emphasize the positive instead.
Acknowledge Achievements
It can be very uplifting to receive a message that celebrates one’s strengths and successes. It allows the person to leave with a feeling of pride for the past and hope for the future. If there are any such details you can mention in your farewell note to a colleague, make sure you do. This could be a great sales run, a successful project closure, timely work delivery, noteworthy client reviews, or anything else that the coworker might feel good about achieving.
Highlight Your Learnings
If you are struggling with writing a goodbye message, you can also refer to a learning that you experienced together or something that they taught you in your time together.
Be Brief
If you have a long list of achievements you’d like to celebrate, that might be better left for a recommendation letter you can give them for their next position. The goodbye message to coworkers should be concise so they can read through it quickly and feel the appreciation at once.
Express a Desire for Future Connections
If you share a good relationship with someone, it can always be a smart move to stay connected with them. You could choose to maintain a personal friendship with the individual and provide them with your personal email or number to encourage them to reach out if they need assistance. You could also want to maintain a professional connection and use the link to network in the future, and this desire can be expressed in the farewell message to the colleague leaving the company.
Use Humor if Appropriate
Harmless humor can help lighten the mood for someone who is likely going through a lot of emotions about leaving. If this relationship is a distant one, the humor might be interpreted differently so ensure the tone is appropriate for the particular coworker who is receiving the goodbye message. You could joke about their empty desk or having no one to share a breaktime snack with, whatever is appropriate from your interactions with them.
Sample Farewell Message to Coworkers
Once you understand how to write the employee leaving message and have all that you want to say ready in your mind, you can start penning your note out. These examples of farewell messages to colleagues leaving the company should help you get started.
1. Simple Farewell Message to Coworker
Dear [Name],
Your presence at the company was an uplifting one for all of us and you will be greatly missed. Especially with no one to remind me to take breaks, I might have to start setting some alarms. Your new employer is lucky to have you and I’m sure you’ll light up their company just as you did ours. All the best for the future, and remember there will always be a team here to back you up if you ever need anything.
Warm regards,
[Your name]
2. Employee Leaving Message to Acknowledge past Success
Greeting [Name],
We are sad to see you but very excited to see how you grow in these coming years. You leave behind a legacy of successful projects and your performance on [project] will always be a landmark moment for our company. We expect big things from you so remember to keep updated on your journey. Take care and do well.
Regards,
[Your name]
3. Farewell Message for an Exceptional Colleague
To an exceptional colleague,
As you bid farewell to our team, know that your departure leaves a significant void. Your positive attitude, innovative ideas, and tireless efforts have been a driving force behind our collective success. While we’re sad to see you go, we’re equally excited for the opportunities that await you. Remember, this is not goodbye; it’s just a ‘see you later.’ May the path ahead be filled with achievement and joy.
Fond wishes,
[Your Name]
4. Goodbye Message to Coworkers Who Are Retiring
Dear [Name],
You have been an inspiration to generations of employees and have witnessed this company grow with you. Your knowledge of [domain] has allowed all of us to learn more than we could have ever imagined. With each project, you were able to bring in a balanced, nuanced perspective that allowed the rest of us to pick on details that we would never have otherwise.
Thank you for being a role model for all of us and for all the ways you’ve mentored each and every one of us. I wish you a long life of leisure and joy and hope that you’ll still drop in every once in a while to make sure we haven’t bungled things up without you. Take care and please keep in touch.
Warmest regards,
[Your name]
5. Farewell Message to Coworkers Who You Are Not Close To
Dear [Colleague’s Name],
As you prepare to embark on the next chapter of your career, I wanted to take a moment to express my best wishes for your future endeavors. Although our paths may not have crossed frequently during our time here, your contributions to the team have not gone unnoticed.
I’m confident that your skills and talents will continue to serve you well in all your future pursuits. Farewell, and I hope our paths cross again in the professional world.
Best regards,
[Your name]
6. Employee Leaving Message for When a Colleague Is Leaving for Health Reasons
Dear [Name],
Your dedication and hard work have been truly commendable throughout our journey together at [company]. As you take this time to focus on your health and well-being, we want to express our heartfelt support and understanding. You have never let any obstacle bring you down in all of our adventures together at work and this is no different.
We wish you heaps of rest and recovery in these upcoming months and hope that you will reach out if you need any assistance at all. Please remember that there will always be a spot on our team if you ever choose to return to us once things settle down. You have our love and support always.
Take care,
[Your name]
7. Farewell Message to Coworkers Who You Were Close To
Dear [Name],
Coming to work is going to be very difficult without you around to cheer us all up. These past few years have been some of the most enjoyable ones at the company and it has been all thanks to you. From rushed afternoons working on tight deadlines to long days negotiating deals with potential clients, your resilience has given me the push I needed to stay on track as well. I am so grateful to have worked with you and hope you know that this has been the hardest goodbye message to write to a coworker.
I know you are moving on to find new experiences but I hope we can catch lunch breaks together every once in a while, just so I do not have to accept your absence at work permanently. Please stay in touch and keep me updated about all the things you get up to. You’re going to change the world with your ideas and I look forward to hearing about all of it.
With gratitude,
[Your name]
8. Brief Employee Leaving Message
To an incredible colleague,
Saying goodbye to a colleague of your caliber is indeed a challenging task. Your professionalism, collaborative spirit, and the zest you brought to the workplace have been commendable. As you move on to fresh opportunities, may your journey be filled with exciting challenges and resounding success. Farewell, and keep shining brightly.
Fond wishes,
[Your name]
9. Humorous Coworker Leaving Message
Dear [Name],
It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to you. Your impact will never be forgotten, whether it’s how you taught us to use the coffee machine or the time you fixed the printer when our annual reports were due. There was also the time you were able to win our client over with a speech on policy but that wasn’t nearly as cherished as the coffee machine.
I’m sure success will follow wherever you go and I hope that you will still remember us wherever you go next. Be well and be just as resourceful always.
Regards,
[Your name]
10. Farewell Message to Creative Coworkers
Dear [Name],
As you venture into new horizons, we want to bid you a fond farewell filled with gratitude and best wishes. Your creative spirit has been a vibrant force within our team, turning every project into a masterpiece.
Your imaginative touch has not only enriched our work but has also inspired us to think outside the box. Your departure leaves a void that will be hard to fill, but we know that wherever your creativity takes you, amazing things are bound to happen. Your creative touch will continue to paint these walls and color your future endeavors brilliantly.
Warmly,
[Your name]
Saying farewell to your cherished colleagues will be hard, but actually writing goodbye messages to coworkers should come more easily to you with these templates ready to go. Just remember to write from the heart.