In a retirement card, congratulate them by name, thank them for one specific thing they did or were at work, and wish them well in what they plan to do next. On the card the whole office signs, that is one line. In a card of your own, three or four.
Below: a formula, examples for a close friend, a coworker, a boss, family and someone you barely know, some funny ones, and what to leave out.
A simple formula
- Their name, and congratulations. "Happy retirement" works as well.
- One specific thing. What they taught you, what they fixed, the habit everyone will miss.
- A wish tied to their real plans. The allotment, the grandchildren, the boat. If you do not know their plans, "whatever you decide to do with your Mondays" is fine.
- Keep in touch, only if you mean it. And then with a plan: a day, a place.
- Your name. On a big group card, add your team.
To a close friend
Twenty-two years of sharing a desk, a kettle and most of our opinions. Work will not be the same, Sheila, but Thursdays at the garden centre café will be better. Happy retirement, my friend.
Congratulations, Vince. You have talked about that boat since 2009. Go and sail it. I'll bring the sandwiches.
Happy retirement, Babs. You were the first person to be kind to me in that building, and I have never forgotten it.
To a coworker
In your own card, name one thing they did that you still use or still laugh about.
Congratulations on your retirement, Geoff. You taught me to check everything twice and never to trust the third-floor printer. Both still hold. Enjoy every minute.
Happy retirement, Anita. Nobody will ever run a Monday meeting in eleven minutes again. Wishing you a wonderful few years of doing exactly what you like.
In the card that goes round the office, write one line. Read what is already there and write something else.
Happy retirement. You've earned it.
Thank you for everything, Geoff. Enjoy the allotment.
It won't be the same without you. All the best.
Thanks for always having time for a question.
Congratulations. Think of us at 8am on Mondays.
To a boss
Thank them for something they did for you in particular. It means more than praise for their leadership.
Dear Moira, congratulations on your retirement. You backed me for the supervisor job when I did not think I was ready, and I have not forgotten it. Thank you, and enjoy all of it.
Happy retirement, Mr Bianchi. It has been a pleasure working for you. Wishing you and your family all the best.
From a manager to someone on the team:
Dear Winston, thirty-one years here, and I only had the luck to manage you for four of them. You made every new starter feel they belonged. Thank you. Go and enjoy those grandchildren.
To family
A family card can say what the job cost and what it gave the rest of you.
To a parent:
Dad, forty years of 5am starts, and you never once complained where we could hear. Thank you for all of it. Now sit down. Happy retirement, with love from all of us.
Happy retirement, Mum. You looked after a ward full of people and then came home and looked after us. It's your turn. We have booked the cottage for June.
To a husband or wife:
You're mine on weekdays now. Happy retirement, love. I've made a list, and you can ignore all of it.
To a brother or sister:
Congratulations on retiring before me. I'm not bitter. Happy retirement, Sue.
To someone you barely know
Someone from another department, a client, or the teacher, doctor or postman who is retiring. Thank them and wish them well in two lines.
Congratulations on your retirement, and thank you for all your help over the years. Wishing you the very best.
Dear Mrs Fenwick, you taught both our children to read, and they still talk about your classroom. Thank you, and happy retirement. The Gill family.
Dear Dr Hassan, thank you for twenty years of looking after our family. We wish you a long and happy retirement.
Funny, if they are looking forward to it
Joke about the freedom, not about their age.
Happy retirement. May your only meetings from now on involve cake.
Congratulations. You are now your own boss, and I hear the hours are excellent.
No more alarm clock, no more rota, no more reply-all. Jealous does not cover it. Enjoy, Pam.
When they did not choose it, or are nervous
Retirement through ill health or redundancy, or one that someone is dreading, needs a different card. Drop "lucky you" and the jokes. Thank them, and say you will still be around.
Dear Colin, thank you for everything you gave this place and everything you taught me. I hope the months ahead are gentle, and that we see you often.
Happy retirement, Jean. I know you are not sure about it yet. The garden is sure, and so are we. Coffee on the first Monday, my treat.
What to avoid
- Age jokes. "Old", "over the hill", "put out to pasture".
- "What will you do all day?" They have been asked, and they may not know.
- Jokes about who replaces them. Or about how quickly they will be forgotten.
- Work grumbles and gossip. The card goes home and gets read by the family.
- Money and pensions.
- "Keep in touch" with nothing behind it. Name a day, or leave it out.
- A bare signature. Even on a crowded card, add three words.
Doing it with Hemmingway
If you cannot find the line, the retirement message generator writes a first version. Tell it who is retiring, how you know them, one real thing they did or taught you, and what they plan to do next if you know. It works only from what you give it. Read it, change anything you would not say out loud, and write it into the card yourself.
If you have been asked to say a few words at the leaving do, see how to write a retirement speech and how to give a toast. For someone who is leaving for another job, there is what to write in a farewell card.
Try HemmingwayDownload the app
Common questions
What is a short retirement message for a card?
"Happy retirement, [name]. Thank you for everything, and enjoy every minute." is enough for a shared card. If you can, swap "everything" for one real thing, such as their patience or the way they trained you.
What do you write in a retirement card for a boss?
Congratulate them and thank them for something specific they did for you, such as a chance they gave you or something they taught you. Keep it to two or three sentences and leave out jokes about age. Use the name you use for them at work.
What do you write in a retirement card for someone you don't know well?
Congratulate them, thank them for their help or their work, and wish them a happy retirement. Two lines is right. Sign with your full name and your team, so they know who it is from.
What do you write in a retirement card for a parent?
Thank them for what the work gave the family, name something you remember about it, such as the early starts or the uniform, and tell them it is their turn now. A plan to do something together makes a good last line.
Is it okay to be funny in a retirement card?
Yes, if they are looking forward to retiring. Joke about lie-ins, meetings and Mondays, and follow it with one sincere line. Avoid jokes about age, and skip humour altogether if they are leaving through ill health or redundancy.