A retirement card marks the end of a whole career, so it can say a little more than a usual farewell. Thank the person for something specific, then wish them well. Pick a line below and add a memory only you would know.
From the team
- Congratulations on an amazing career. Your work speaks for itself, and so does everyone here.
- Thank you for everything you built and everyone you mentored. Enjoy every slow morning.
- Your standards made all of us better. Congrats hero.
- It was a privilege to work next to you. Enjoy every day of it.
For a mentor
- I learned a million things by watching you work. Thank you.
- You always had time for questions, no matter how busy the week was. That patience shaped my career.
- Thank you for teaching me how to do the work with excellence. I hope to do the same for someone one day.
Lighthearted
- Congratulations! No more pretending to like Monday meetings.
- Retirement: the only job where the coffee break never ends.
- We recounted: you attended roughly four thousand meetings. Freedom at last!
Short retirement messages
- Happy retirement! Thank you for everything.
- Congratulations on a career well done.
- Happy retirement. You are already missed.
How to write a retirement message
- Use their name and congratulate them.
- Thank them for one specific thing: a project, a habit, a lesson or how they treated people.
- Wish them well for what they plan to do next, if you know it: travel, family, a hobby.
- Keep jokes kind. Avoid jokes about age or health. Jokes about meetings are safer.
- Sign your name. In a group card, people read every signature.
Replying to retirement wishes
If you are the one retiring, a short thank you is enough: "Thank you all for the kind words and for making work something I looked forward to. I already miss you. Keep in touch." Send it to the whole team on your last day, or answer each card message in person if you can.
Is the person leaving for a new job rather than retiring? See farewell messages.