Is your last day of work approaching and just thinking about your farewell letter makes you panic? Are you hesitating whether to send your job termination letter to all colleagues and maybe you should also send a message to your oldest clients? We have compiled the most important information to write a well-crafted goodbye letter to your colleagues and the best models to inspire you. If you want to avoid any delicate situation as well as empty verbiage, don’t miss our tips for an emotional job farewell letter.

Job farewell letter to colleagues and clients: why is it important?

Although it is difficult for you to write a farewell letter at work or even if you think that a cordial handshake to say goodbye would still be better, the reality is that, nowadays, a last email at the end of your employment relationship is not only a matter of good education. It is a communicative element that also reaches colleagues and partners from other places that you will not be able to say goodbye to personally.

Beyond the emotional aspect, the farewell letter can contain important information for your colleagues and clients, e.g. eg, who gets your projects. For all these reasons, it is an essential element. Also, the job termination letter is an opportunity for you to make a good impression before you leave.

Colleagues, superiors, clients: who should you include in email groups?

The recipients of your job termination letter largely depend on the type of your job role and the organizational structures of that environment. If your farewell occurs in a small or medium-sized company, you can certainly address your letter to all employees of the institution.

However, if you work in a large business group with several offices and facilities, it is better to restrict your recipients: in this case, address your letter to your department, your direct superiors and colleagues from other departments and areas with whom you have befriended.

Advice: A farewell letter to clients makes sense if you have external professional contacts that you want to say goodbye to personally and to whom you want to communicate who will take care of your affairs once you’re gone. Depending on the situation, in the event of dismissal, an automatic absence response may suffice.

Basic rules for a good job farewell letter: this is how you will hit the tone

Your job termination letter, like all your on-the-job communication, should be professional and free of misspellings. Also, you should follow the ground rules for professional emails at work.

The tone of a job farewell letter is usually serious and pragmatic, but in some cases it can also be a bit more emotional. It all depends on the size of the company, the usual tone between colleagues and superiors or the general customs of your sector . However, you should always avoid being ridiculous or resorting to easy jokes. Always show yourself authentic, optimistic and with a good sense of humor.

Advice: Copying a job farewell letter that you liked from another colleague is not a good idea . Yes, you can be inspired by other farewell letters that were in your company, but you should never copy a part verbatim.

Job farewell letters for colleagues: what is left over and what should not be missing

The appropriate tone, length, and details you should include in your farewell letter depend on things like how long you’ve been at the company, your role in it, and the company’s structure. It is clear that you are not going to write the same farewell letter after working for six months in a newly created company as if you had been in a position of responsibility in a large multinational for 25 years.

You can mention why you are leaving the position, although the reason will determine whether it is advisable or not. If, for example, you have been fired or are going to another company, it may be better not to go into those details.

In a farewell letter for retirement it is different. If your leave is only temporary, you should also mention it. You may also need an automated reply message due to maternity or a gap year.

In the following paragraphs we have included certain aspects that should not be missing and some information that is better to avoid.

What should not be missing in your job dismissal letter

  • Date of your last day of work
  • Contact Details – Your work email address will be deactivated soon. For this reason, it is often highly advisable to leave a personal email address and/or phone number with your colleagues so that they can contact you in the future.
  • Appointment of the new contact person or substitute for your projects or your area of influence.
  • Profiles on professional social networks such as LinkedIn, Xing, etc. or your own web page, profile(s) of traditional social networks such as Instagram, Twitter, etc.
  • Time, place and details of the farewell toast (if planned).

What’s left over in your job farewell letter

While praise and humor are always welcome in a job farewell letter, the same cannot be said for criticism and complaints . Negative aspects are best dealt with in person and in private. Remember that we can never know who we are going to meet again in our future working life. Also, it’s very unprofessional to wait for the last email to start doling out negative comments to everyone.

There’s no reason to mention your new employer in a farewell letter. In some cases it is even uncomfortable, since it may be a competing company or it may be that your departure from the company is surrounded by some controversy. It only makes sense to bring it up if you are leaving for a partner company or a new subsidiary and will have to continue working with old colleagues.

When should you send your job termination letter?

Never send your job termination letter on the last day, try to do it at least a few days before . Thus, you give your colleagues the necessary margin to say goodbye personally or to organize a possible farewell gift. If you are going to celebrate a farewell toast, you should also give some advance notice so that your colleagues can prepare for it.

If you see that it is convenient, agree on the best time to send your message with your superiors. In any case, the company must have already communicated the end of your employment relationship before you say goodbye by email. Thus, you will avoid any surprises and misunderstandings.

Samples for job farewell letters addressed to colleagues

Job farewell letter: short and concise

Subject : Thank you very much and see you soon

Dear Mr. and Mrs.:

Dear colleagues and colleagues:

The XX of XXXXXX of XXXX is my last day of work and I want to take advantage of this letter to thank you for the good collaboration in the last XX years. From now on, Mrs./Mr. XX (email: XXX, phone: XXX) will take care of my projects and functions. It would be a pleasure for me to be able to stay in touch with you. Here is my LinkedIn profile (link to profile).

Greetings and I wish you the best for the future.

Sincerely,

XX

Phone: XX

Email: X

Advice: As a general rule, this short and concise variant also serves as a template for a job farewell letter to clients. If you have been working for many years with a specific client and you had regular contact persons, you can also opt for a slightly more personal text, but avoid excessive emotional load.

Emotional and personal: letter of dismissal from work due to retirement

Subject : Farewell after 25 wonderful years

Dear Mr. XX/Dear Mrs. XX:

Dear colleagues and colleagues:

I still can't believe it, after 25 wonderful years working for the XX company, the XX of XXXXXX of XXXX will retire. After so many professional challenges and successful projects at his side, it will not be an easy farewell. Here I leave wonderful friends with whom I would like to keep in touch. I consider myself lucky to have worked with such committed and kind colleagues. For this reason, I am leaving a little sad because I am going to miss you very much, but also happy for everything I have experienced and because, I am sure, I could not have had a better job.

I hope we keep in touch. You can contact me by phone, XXXX, or by email, XXX.

Sincerely,

XX

Informal and with a touch of humor

Subject : See you soon!

Hi guys:

I've had a great time with you and I've been very comfortable (and I'm not just referring to the beers when leaving the office, you know what I mean...). Starting Monday, you will have the pleasure of working with my successor, XX, who is looking forward to starting with you. Don't cry too much, because I'm not going far, on XX of XXXXX of XXXX we can see each other in XXXX. I would love to keep in touch. Here I leave my information: email: XX, phone: XX, LinkedIn profile, social media profile.

A hug,

XX