65 ways to write a farewell message to your colleague

Saying goodbye is never easy, but with a heartfelt farewell message, you can wish them the best of luck and leave a lasting, positive impression.

Whether you’re saying goodbye to your favourite colleague, a coworker who is retiring, or your boss who’s moving on, let them know you care with one of these thoughtful leaving card messages. 

You should adjust your farewell message depending on your relationship with the person. If your work best friend is leaving, and you’re likely to stay in touch, then a more casual message or a funny one would be ideal.

However, If your boss or a senior colleague is leaving, and you have a more formal relationship with them, it would be best to keep your message short and simple. 

Not sure what to write? We’ve got lots of farewell messages to choose from which are suitable for any situation. 

65 thoughtful farewell messages for colleagues 

Farewell message to coworker

These leaving card messages are suitable for any coworker, short and simple!

1. Goodbye [name], you’ll be missed. 
2. Good luck on your next adventure. 
3. On to pastures new! 
4. Good luck with your next endeavour. 
5. Best wishes! 
6. We’ll miss you, good luck for the future. 
7. Goodbye, and good luck! 
8. Bye, [name], I’ve really enjoyed working with you. 
9. Goodbye, for now, I hope our paths cross again! 
10. Enjoy your new chapter. 

Touching farewell message to colleagues

If you’d like to say thank you, and let your colleagues know how brilliant they’ve been, use these touching farewell messages. 

11. Thank you for all your dedication and hard work, you’re truly inspiring!
12. Thank you for everything you’ve done, and all the laughs. Keep in touch. 
13. You’ll be sorely missed, your dedication and positivity light up my day. 
14. It’s been a pleasure working with you, I know you’ll be brilliant in what you do next.
15. I’m so happy I had the chance to work with you, it’s been a blast! 
16. Thank you for your positivity, kindness and support over the years. 
17. We’ve/[company name] has been so lucky to have you. We thank you for your hard work, dedication and positivity. 
18. What a journey it has been! I can’t believe this day is here, but I’m so excited for your next adventure. 
19. I can’t wait to see what you do next, whatever it may be, I know you’ll be brilliant. 
20. Goodbye [name]! I've been so fortunate to share in your positivity, sense of humour, and loyalty over the years.

Farewell message to boss

Keep your farewell message short and sweet if you have a more formal relationship with your boss. 

21.  Goodbye! Thank you for all of your support.
22. Thank you for your guidance, you’ve been a brilliant mentor. 
23. Thank you for everything, I’ve learned so much from you. 
24. You’ve been a brilliant leader! Good luck in your next endeavour.  
25. You’ve been a wonderful role model, thank you for your support. 

Retirement farewell message

What a wonderful occasion! These retirement farewell messages are a great opportunity to congratulate your friend and colleague on their retirement. 

26. Happy retirement! Time to relax. 
27. Have a very happy retirement.
28. Congratulations on your retirement, new adventures await. 
29. Put your feet up, it’s time for rest and relaxation – you deserve it! 
30. A seven-day weekend? I like the sound of that! 
31. Time for lots of fun! Enjoy your freedom. 
32. Your hard work and dedication have been boundless, now it’s time to relax and have fun! 
33. I’m so thankful I’ve had the chance to work with you. Now, enjoy your retirement to the fullest. 
34. Your knowledge and experience have been invaluable, you’ll be truly missed! 
35. Enjoy this new chapter in your life! Goodbye work, hello adventure! 

Looking for more? Check out our favourite retirement card messages.

Farewell message to a friend

If your close friend is leaving work, send them a special farewell message reminding them you’ll stay in touch and how much they’ll be missed. 

36. Au revoir, not goodbye!
37. It’s been so wonderful working with a friend. Good luck on your next adventure. Don’t forget about me!
38. Coworkers by chance, friends by choice!
39. No, don’t go! Just kidding, but I will miss you so much. 
40. It’s been a blast working with you, I’m going to miss you. 
41. I’m so sad to see you go, but I know you’ll be brilliant in your next role. 
42. Enjoy your next adventure! See you soon for a couple of [gins/wine/beers]!
43. It’s been a joy working with you every day, it won’t be the same without you. 
44. You always made my day a little brighter!
45. Our friendship started in the workplace, but it won’t end there! See you soon. 

Funny farewell messages

Make your colleagues laugh with these funny farewell messages. 

46. I can’t believe you’re leaving me behind! I mean, congratulations! 
47. You survived all those meetings that could’ve been emails. 
48. Good luck on your next adventure (take me with you?). 
49. I will miss sending you GIFs from across the room. 
50. Sorry to see you go, you make a great cup of tea/coffee.

Touching farewell message to colleagues when you are leaving the company

Do you want to say something special to your team? If you’re the one leaving the company, it can mean a lot if you also send words of thanks to your colleagues. 

51. It’s been a pleasure working with you all. Thank you for all your support and friendship over the last [number of years]. 
52. You’re the best team ever – I will miss every one of you! 
53. I’m going to miss my lovely team, stay in touch. 
54. To my wonderful team, it’s been a privilege to work with you all.
55. I’m in awe of how creative and hardworking you all are, it’s been wonderful working with you all. 

Professional farewell message for colleague

Keep it short and formal, while saying goodbye. 

56. Thank you for all your hard work, good luck. 
57. You’ve been a real asset to the team. 
58. Good luck in the next chapter of your career. 
59. It’s been a pleasure working with you. 
60. Thank you for being a great colleague. 

What to write in a farewell email 

You need to send around a company-wide email to say goodbye, what should you write? Once you’ve drafted your message, don’t forget to include details of your leaving party (if you’re having one). 

It’s also a great opportunity to add your personal email address or LinkedIn, so your friends and colleagues can contact you. 

61. It’s been a pleasure to work with so many lovely people over the years, and I will miss you all! 
62. I’m moving on to my next adventure. It’s been a joy to work with so many dedicated and creative people. I hope you will stay in touch. 
63. I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone I have worked with during my time at [company name], it’s been a brilliant journey to share with you all. 
64. After [number of years] it’s time for me to move onto pastures new! It’s been wonderful working with you all.
65. I want to take this time to say a huge thank you to everyone I’ve worked with during my career at [company name]. I’ve been so lucky to work with such an inspiring and dedicated team, I will miss you all. 

Choosing the right farewell message for your friend and colleague

Your relationship with the recipient will help you to craft an appropriate farewell message. If you are writing a goodbye message to your work bestie, it’s going to be more personal and casual, than if you were writing a message to your boss!

We’ve covered a huge variety of options in our guide, so hopefully you’ve found inspiration for your own words. 

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