A colleague is leaving and the card is waiting for you. Everybody before you wrote something nice, and now you stare at a blank line. Here are thirty messages to borrow, and a simple way to write your own.

How to build a farewell message

A good message has four small parts. You do not need all of them; two or three is plenty.

  1. Name the person. "Dear Sam," already makes it personal.
  2. One memory. A moment, a joke, a project you did together.
  3. One thing you value. What this person brought to the team.
  4. A wish. For the new job, the holiday, the next chapter.

A leaving colleague's desk with a box and balloons

Short farewell messages

  • "We will miss you, and we will miss your coffee runs even more."
  • "Thank you for everything. The office will never be the same."
  • "Good luck with the new adventure. You will be great."
  • "It was a pleasure working with you."
  • "Wishing you all the best. Keep in touch!"
  • "Today we say goodbye, but not for good."
  • "Thank you for your help and your humour."
  • "All the best for what comes next."

Warm farewell messages

  • "You made every Monday easier. Thank you for always having time for a chat."
  • "Working with you taught me a lot. I am grateful for every project we shared."
  • "You are the kind of colleague everybody wishes for. Whatever you do next, they are lucky to have you."
  • "Thank you for your patience, your kindness and your honesty."
  • "I will remember your laugh in the corridor. Take good care of yourself."
  • "The team will be quieter without you. We wish you every happiness."

Funny farewell messages

  • "Who is going to eat the last biscuit now?"
  • "We would say you are irreplaceable, but HR has already posted the vacancy."
  • "Thank you for lowering the average age of the Friday drinks."
  • "You are leaving at the best moment: the printer is finally fixed."
  • "We will not tell your new boss about your handwriting."
  • "Do not forget us when you are famous."

An open notebook with a heart and a pencil

For a manager, for a retirement, for a new job

For a manager: "Thank you for trusting us and for always having our back. We learned a lot from you."
For a retirement: "After all these years you have earned this. Enjoy every slow morning." There are more ideas in retirement wishes and messages.
For a new job: "Their gain, our loss. Go and show them what you can do."

What to leave out

Skip inside jokes the whole team does not understand, comments about age or looks, and anything you would not say with the boss reading along. If in doubt, choose warm over clever.

A gift and a bouquet by an open door

Make it a group card

One card with thirty messages is far nicer than thirty cards. On Emailkaarten.nl you share one link in the team chat, everybody writes their own message (and adds a photo if they like), and the card arrives by e-mail on the last working day. Nobody needs an account. Start with a farewell card.

Frequently asked questions about the farewell card

What does it cost to send a farewell card digitally?

Starting is free: up to 7 people, one photo each, the free designs and a small watermark. For € 4.95 per card you get 20 people, two photos each, all designs, the slideshow and a PDF; for € 7.50 unlimited people and three photos. You pay once per card, never a subscription.

How long does it take to make the card?

About two minutes for the organiser. Everybody else opens the link, types a message and adds a photo.

Do the people who write need an account?

No. They open the link and write. Only the person who makes the card can choose to have an account.

When does the card arrive?

On the day and time you choose, by e-mail. The day before, the organiser gets a preview.

Want to know more about e-cards? Read e-card: what it is and how to send one or how to make a digital card in five steps.