30 Tried and Tested Farewell Messages to Colleagues

Ah, leaving cards. Carole from accounts is retiring, Daniel from engineering has been recruited for bigger and better things and Tom… well… that’s an awkward one. 

Since The Great Resignation, you’ve probably noticed more work leaving cards landing on your desk than usual. According to one recent study, 20% of the workforce are due to quit in the next year. So now is probably a good time to harness your leaving card writing skills. 

While we’re on the topic of work leavers, check out our leaving gift ideas article for gift inspiration. Or, remove the risk and allow the recipient to choose something they actually want by setting up a Collection Pot. 

What to write in a leaving card

If you suffer from a mind-blank when you’re asked to write in a colleague’s leaving card or Collection Pot page, you’re not the only one. Striking the right tone without being cliché is a challenge, and it’s particularly difficult when you don’t know the person that well.

Lucky for you, The Collection Pot team has compiled a list of tried and tested farewell messages for you to draw inspiration from. 

Short goodbye messages for a colleague

The leaving message without the risk! Keep it short and sweet for those of you who don’t know their soon to be ex-colleagues that well. 

1. Best of luck for everything that’s to come. 
2. You’ll be great in your next role. We’ll miss you.
3. Thanks for getting us closer to our mission, you’ve been great. 
4. Don’t forget about us!
5. It will be rubbish without you.
6. Your future is bright!  
7. Here’s to a new chapter!
8. I hope our paths cross again soon. 
9. Stay in touch with whatever you go on to conquer next.
10. Don’t be a stranger!

Funny leaving messages for a colleague

1. Congratulations on escaping!
2. Traitor.
3. Don’t leave me. 
4. You’re leaving me to deal with this sh*t alone?!
5. I promise to like all your LinkedIn updates.
6. NASA is lucky to have you.
7. You should probably return those staplers you stole.
8. Can you still come to the pub with us?
9. Who am I going to complain to now?
10. Shame you’re leaving! Now we have no-one to gossip about.

Thoughtful leaving messages for colleagues

1. People like you are hard to find – your new team is so lucky to have you.
2. You’re going to leave a ginormous hole! We’ll miss you.
3. We’ve learned so much from your time here, we hope you’ve taken from it too.
4. I’m glad the universe connected us, even for a brief time!
5. There’s always a place for you here.
6. Thank you for everything you’ve done these past few years, you’ve been invaluable. 
7. You’ve brought so much to this company, we’ll miss you!
8. I’ll never forget the time you [insert funny or thoughtful moment]. Keep making memories!
9. I feel so lucky to have met you! Thanks for everything.
10. Don’t go!! You’ll be amazing in everything that you do, they are so lucky to have you.

If you’ve been given the task of choosing and collecting for your soon to be ex co-workers leaving a gift, why not remove the risk and hassle by setting up a Collection Pot? 

Setting up personalised Collection Pot takes a couple of minutes. Once the Pot is closed the receiver can choose to debit the full amount into their account or choose from over 60 high-street gift cards. Here’s to no more novelty gifts or panic-bought presents! 

Elaine Keep

Elaine Keep is an accomplished content writer with over 15 years of experience in the field of marketing and content creation for many leading brands, where she shares her passion for research and helping others through her articles. You can also find her in 'mum mode', walking in the countryside or enjoying the dreamy combo of a new non-fiction book with a tea and chocolate bar to hand.

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