Since the last post on Saying Goodbye to coworkers, there have been quite a few requests on providing some sample goodbye letters to co-workers and manager. So here is a compilation of some recommended ones, and one ‘on the lighter side’ – the ‘one’ that has traveled around the world through Emails.
Some Important Tips before you say Goodbye to work:
- When to send the goodbye Email?
Once you are done with wrapping up all your tasks. Preferably, on the last day at work or the day before. Once this Email goes out, quite possibly many of your colleagues would be coming over to say a personal adieu and you might also want some time to chat with them. Make sure you are done with all your tasks at hand before sending out the mass email.
- Make it personal.
Add a few lines on how someone (refer to names of those who you wish to endorse) had helped you during your tenure in the organization and graciously thank all, even though there could be some you would not want to. And take the “personal” to another level, if you have time before you have to pack your belongings and leave the office, go and meet your co-workers before you leave, some of them might find it awkward (and some times a strange guilt trancends those who witness a layoff) and they might not have the courage to come say bye to you. Give your adieu a personal touch. You may even add a few stories of your (good) experience with the team, the company or the culture.. a subtle humor would work as well.
- Make it easy for your colleagues to contact you.
Always add your personal contact numbers and/ email address to stay in touch here after.
- CC yourself on the goodbye letter (on your personal Email ID so those who want to respond back find it easier to do so) and more so for your personal records.
- Strengthen your network.
If you have already not done so, invite your co-workers and those you would want to stay in touch to LinkedIn.
Farewell Letter Examples to Say Goodbye to Colleagues
Hello All,
I want to bid farewell to you all and inform you that I am leaving my position at []. Tomorrow is my last day at work.
I have enjoyed working for this company and I appreciate having had this wonderful opportunity to work with you all.
During these last two years you all have provided me support and through your encouragement and guidance I have been able to excel at the projects offered to me. With many of you, I have shared a unique camaraderie which I hope will continue in the years to come even though I shall not be here with the company. Thank you for your engaging partnerships, thoughtful guidance, and unwavering support throughout this journey.
I now look forward to this new position that brings forth new challenges and adds more diverse experience to my career.
I do wish you and the company every success in all its future endeavors.
You can be in touch with me by
Email – <ABC@gmail.com
Or call me at (123 456 7890)
Also, I would like to add you to my LinkedIn profile, if you would as well, please do accept the invitation. I shall be sending you requests to join my LinkedIn network soon.
With best regards,
[name]
***
Dear All,
After a year of exciting and memorable stint with [ ], I am bidding adieu next week to this company to pursue other career opportunities. As I move on, I would like to take a moment to remember and cherish our times together. It’s been great interacting and knowing each one of you. Even though I will miss you all here I am looking forward to this new challenge and to start a new phase of my career.
I want to thank each of you for our delightful interactions and all that you have taught me, for your humor, your patience, your encouragement, and your hard work. It has been a complete privilege to be part of such an extraordinary group of people who are both extremely competent and kind.
This is not a goodbye, only “hasta luego” or “see you later”.
Do stay in touch.
Good luck and wish you all the best in your endeavors!
Onto the next adventure!
Best regards,
[name]
Email (xyz@yahoo.com)
Contact phone number (123 456 7890).
***
Hello colleagues,
I am writing you for the last time as a teammate at <company>.
As I reflect back on the almost six years with you all, I am so thankful for the impact that you all had on me throughout this entire journey. I thank all of you who have shared time, knowledge, and experiences with me and it is awe-inspiring to remember all the things we accomplished together.
It is bittersweet to leave and I will miss working with you all, but I am so excited about what’s next.
I feel blessed that I can take the much needed break and then go on to build something new. ’m excited for this next chapter of my life and professional career!
I couldn’t have dreamed of a better group of leaders, innovators, collaborators, and humans to take that ride with. I wish you all personal and professional success. Please stay in touch.
Best regards,
[name]
***
Sample Farewell Email from Employee to Manager
Hi John,
As I informed you in our meeting last week, my last working day at ABC is next Friday, Sept. 29th. I want to take a few minutes today to convey my thoughts in being part of your team for the last 2 years.
I have been extremely satisfied with my work at ABC, working under your guidance has been a learning and an enjoyable experience. I thank you for your support and encouragement during these two years.
However, I feel that it is time for me to move on to new opportunities. This decision was not an easy one and it took a lot of consideration. I think this decision is in the best interests towards fulfilling my career goals. I want to do my best in completing my existing responsibilities and then ensuring a smooth transition.
Also, I would like to thank you again, Amy, Andrew, and all others for the help and guidance during all these years of my employment, and would like to extend my best wishes to the entire group.
My personal contacts are:
Email (xyz@yahoo.com)
Contact phone number (123 456 7890).
Please feel free to contact me even later on in case you need help with the transition of my responsibilities to another employee.
Sincerely,
<name>
***
A Manager’s Goodbye Email to his/her Team
Dear Team,
As I informed you all in the last meeting, I am moving on to a new challenging position in another company next week. My last working day is Friday, January 25th.
Today I want to take the opportunity to thank you all for being a great team to work with all these years. I thank you for being a part of my journey here in some way, and I’m thankful for what I’ve learned from you. Thank you all for each interaction. Whether big or small, positive or negative, social or formal. Each has shaped me into the leader I am today.
It has been an amazing working with you all these last three years and I will miss your enthusiasm, perseverance, and the ‘never say die’ spirit and of course the talent that you brought to our group. I thank you for all your support throughout and hope you continue to extend your cooperation to the current leadership teams and the succeeding manager. I wish you all, my fellow partners and everyone in the larger XYZ family, all the very best.
I do hope that our paths cross again.
Do not hesitate to contact me at: 123@yahoo.com.
With best wishes,
[ name ]
***
A Creative Effort
Chethak from India is the fearless hero who planned his escape from the cubicle in a creative style. I guess many colleagues would remember this creative example for long. Thanks to Chethak for this contribution. (Click the image below to view larger).
On the Lighter Side
This is a classic one – though not recommended in any way (this email has made its way through the email chain letters all across the world).
It is always recommended to depart on good terms and not get in the name calling or accusations when writing your farewell email. But some people have an amazing knack to coat a venomous email in slick sugar which eventually brings smiles to all and becomes a classic. Enjoy… but do not copy and paste for your own farewell email!
Keep in mind the tips shared before on Saying Goodbye to Work – The Right Way
Dear Co-Workers and Managers,
As many of you probably know, today is my last day. But before I leave, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know what a great and distinct pleasure it has been to type “Today is my last day.”
For nearly as long as I’ve worked here, I’ve hoped that I might one day leave this company. And now that this dream has become a reality, please know that I could not have reached this goal without your unending lack of support. Words cannot express my gratitude for the words of gratitude you did not express.
I would especially like to thank all of my managers both past and present but with the exception of the wonderful Mr. ABC: in an age where miscommunication is all too common, you consistently impressed and inspired me with the sheer magnitude of your misinformation, ignorance and intolerance for true talent. It takes a strong man to admit his mistake – it takes a stronger man to attribute his mistake to me.
Over the past seven years, you have taught me more than I could ever ask for and, in most cases, ever did ask for. I have been fortunate enough to work with some absolutely interchangeable supervisors on a wide variety of seemingly identical projects – an invaluable lesson in overcoming daily tedium in overcoming daily tedium in overcoming daily tedium.
And to most of my peers: even though we barely acknowledged each other within these office walls, I hope that in the future, should we pass on the street, you will regard me the same way as I regard you: sans eye contact.
But to those few souls with whom I’ve actually interacted, here are my personalized notes of farewell:
To [ ], I will not miss hearing you cry over absolutely nothing while laying blame on me and my coworkers. Your racial comments about [ ] were truly offensive and I hope that one day you might gain the strength to apologize to him.
To [ ] whom is long gone, I hope you find a manager that treats you as poorly as you have treated us. I worked harder for you then any manager in my career and I regret every ounce of it. Watching you take credit for my work was truly demoralizing.
To [ ], you should learn how to keep your mouth shut sweet heart. Bad mouthing the innocent is a negative thing, especially when you’re talking about someone who knows your disgusting secrets.
To [ ], well, I wish you had more of a back bone. You threw me to the wolves with that witch B and I learned all too much from it. I still can’t believe that after following your instructions, I ended up getting written up, wow. Thanks for the experience buddy, lesson learned.
[ ], I’m happy that you were let go in the same manner that you have handed down to my dedicated coworkers. Hearing you on the phone last year brag about how great bonuses were going to be for you fellas in upper management because all of the lay offs made me nearly vomit. I never expected to see management benefit financially from the suffering of scores of people but then again, with this company’s rooted history in the slave trade it only makes sense.
To all of the executives of this company, [ ] and such. Despite working through countless managers that practiced unethical behavior, racism, sexism, jealousy and cronyism, I have benefited tremendously by working here and I truly thank you for that. There was once a time where hard work was rewarded and acknowledged, it’s a pity that all of our positive output now falls on deaf ears and passes blind eyes. My advice for you is to place yourself closer to the pulse of this company and enjoy the effort and dedication of us “faceless little people” more. There are many great people that are being over worked and mistreated but yet are still loyal not to those who abuse them but to the greater mission of providing excellent customer support. Find them and embrace them as they will help battle the cancerous plague that is ravishing the moral of this company.
So, in parting, if I could pass on any word of advice to the lower salary recipient (“because it’s good for the company”) in India or Tampa who will soon be filling my position, it would be to cherish this experience because a job opportunity like this comes along only once in a lifetime.
Meaning: if I had to work here again in this lifetime, I would sooner kill myself.
To those who I have held a great relationship with, I will miss being your co-worker and will cherish our history together.
Please don’t bother responding as at this very moment I am most likely in my car doing 85 with the windows down.
One!
Your demands were high and your patience short, but I take great solace knowing that my work was, as stated on my annual review, “meets expectation.” That is the type of praise that sends a man home happy after a 10 hour day, smiling his way through half a bottle of meets-expectation-scotch with a meets-expectation-cigar.
Thanks,
[ name]
***
And then, there are some:
A video that went viral, Shifrin quits her job from a Taiwanese company that produces news videos with a video showing the reasons for her quitting: (oh well, decide for yourself if at all this is worth it, would you?)
Here are some other tips that might help you in planning on the next steps on your job search.