Message ideas

Retirement messages for a coworker or boss

Thirty retirement wishes, from a warm thank-you to a gentle joke about lie-ins. Start with one, then add your own memory.

Thank you

• Thank you for all the years of patience, wisdom and good humour.
• You taught me more than any course ever did.
• Thank you for always making time for everyone.
• Your work made a real difference to so many people.
• Thank you for being the steady hand we all relied on.
• We wouldn’t be who we are without you.
• Thank you for every lesson, every laugh and every second chance.
• You leave big shoes to fill. Thank you.

Wishes

• Enjoy every minute of retirement. You’ve earned it.
• Here’s to slow mornings and long holidays.
• I hope your next chapter is full of everything you love.
• Wishing you health, happiness and plenty of time for the garden.
• May every day feel like a Saturday.
• Go and see the world.
• Enjoy the time with your family.
• Congratulations on a brilliant career.

Funny

• No more alarms. No more meetings. No more of us. Congratulations!
• Retirement: when every day is casual Friday.
• Who are we going to ask now?
• Please don’t take up golf and talk about it constantly.
• You’re not retiring, you’re just changing bosses. Good luck with the new one at home.
• Enjoy your permanent holiday.
• Finally, time to read all those emails you ignored.
• Don’t worry, we’ll still call you when things break.

For a boss

• Thank you for leading with kindness.
• You were the best boss I ever had.
• Thank you for trusting me and pushing me.
• You built a team people wanted to join. Thank you.
• Your door was always open, and it made all the difference.
• Thank you for every bit of advice. I still use it.

Tips

• Ask colleagues who have left to add a card too. Those often mean the most.
• Share a memory from early in their career if you have one.
• A short video or voice note is easy for people who can’t make the party.
• Gather cards two to four weeks before the retirement do.