Enter who is retiring, what their job was and for how many years, and Hemmingway writes retirement wishes for them. It suits the card from the office, a message to a boss, or a note from a son or daughter on a parent's last day.
It does not know their plans, their health or how they feel about stopping, so it leaves those alone unless you mention them.
What makes it work
- Write about the work, not the age. The years, the job, the place. Jokes about getting old or being put out to grass are for the person retiring to make, not you.
- Give one thing people will remember. How they answered the phone, what they taught the new starters, the fault only they knew how to fix.
- Only look ahead to real plans. If they have told you about the allotment or the grandchildren, name it. If not, wish them well and do not guess. Not everyone is glad to stop.
- From family, say what you saw. The early starts, the uniform on the back of the door. A colleague cannot write that. You can.
An example
Asked for a proud, slightly cheeky message to a dad called Tomasz after 34 years driving the number 12 bus out of the same depot, who knew most of his morning passengers by name and is looking forward to the allotment and not setting an alarm, a message along these lines is what to expect:
Dad, thirty-four years on the number 12. Happy retirement.
You knew most of your morning passengers by name. I think that says more about how you did the job than anything I can put in a card.
Enjoy the allotment, and enjoy not setting an alarm. You've earned both.
You copy it into the card yourself, or change it first.
Coworker, boss or parent
For a coworker, one memory and a good wish are enough. For a boss, thank them for something they did for you and leave out how the place will manage. For a parent, you can go longer and more personal.
If you have been asked to say a few words at the leaving do, the retirement speech generator and the guide on how to write a retirement speech are made for that. For card wording without the tool, read what to write in a retirement card.
Common questions
Is the retirement message generator free?
Yes. Hemmingway has a free trial with no card needed, and this tool opens it with your answers filled in. You sign up once, and the message is written in the chat.
Can a retirement message be funny?
It can be, if the person likes a joke and the joke is about something they did, not about their age. If you are unsure, ask for a warm tone.
What is a good short retirement message for a coworker?
Something like "Happy retirement, and thank you for showing me the ropes in my first year" does the job. Congratulations, one real thing, a good wish.
Will it sound like AI?
It is built not to. Hemmingway-1, the model behind it, came first on sounding like a person in our own blind test, Human-Likeness. It still helps to read it aloud and change any word you would not use.