How To Write A Goodbye Email To Coworkers (With Examples)

Writing a goodbye email to your colleagues when you are leaving is a great way to ensure end your time at your job on a high note while giving them the opportunity to say goodbye fully.

Leaving your job is always a mixed-emotion event and should be done right. We’ll go through how to write a goodbye email to coworkers and even provide farewell email samples.

Key Takeaways:

• Focus on positives in your goodbye email and make sure to leave the door open.

• Don’t go into too much depth, save the details for coworkers who you feel close to as friends.

• Writing a goodbye email is polite and strengthens your network.

How to write a goodbye email to coworkers

Knowing how to write a goodbye email to coworkers can help keep your relationships with your coworkers. Here are some tips to keep in mind when it comes to writing your goodbye email.

• Tailor them to reach recipient. No matter where you work, we’re fairly certain that you don’t have the same relationship with every coworker. That means you’ll need to tailor some of your emails to some people, depending on how close you were with them and what sort of contact you hope to maintain in the future.

• Give people time to say goodbye. We recommend sending your goodbye email one or two days before your final day. This way, people won’t feel caught off guard by your sudden departure. Plus, some people will probably want to have a one-on-one chat before you go, pull a prank, get your favorite lunch for you, etc.

  Don’t make the mistake of sending the goodbye email too early, though. If you give people more than three days, it might be a little awkward around the office, and you’ll probably end up saying “goodbye” only to run into your coworkers several more times before you actually go. Of course, you can tell a good work friend well in advance (just not before you’ve officially told management).

• Leave the door open. Make sure to leave the door open by letting people know that they can contact you on a personal email address or via social media like LinkedIn.

  Whether they forgot an important detail in an account you worked on together or if they just want to get together to reminisce about the “good old days,” people like to know that you’re still reachable.

  Plus, this is what natural networking looks like. It doesn’t have to be some icky thing that goes down in hotel conference rooms. It’s the gradual accumulation of colleagues who can help each other out at some point down the line.

• Focus on the positives. Goodbye emails are all about showing appreciation for your colleagues and allowing for connections in the future. Airing your grievances with the company won’t go down well and will make your departure an extremely awkward event.

  Even if you’re going out on not-so-great terms, you should still aim to keep your goodbye email positive. It’ll also hurt your chances of getting a positive reference for future job applications.

• Be brief. One to three paragraphs are enough to say goodbye to most coworkers. Follow the golden rule of professional emails and get straight to the point — that you’re leaving the company soon. For the people who want to chat more about what’s next in your life, there’ll be plenty of time for one-on-one conversations.

  Also, make sure your subject line is clear and matches the tone of your email and the relationship with the recipient(s). Something simple like “Last day with [company name], “Goodbye and good luck,” “Moving on with my career,” or “Thanks everyone.”

Example goodbye emails to coworkers

1. Example goodbye email to your work best friend. If you’re lucky enough to have a work bestie, odds are that they’ve known about your departure for ages.

   But if they’ve been kept in the dark, the following farewell letter is a nice option and can be customized to include personal jokes or shared experiences. Just remember, if it’s on a company email then it could be monitored — so keep it professional.

   Steve,

   I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I’m leaving my position at OldJob and starting a new position at NewJob next month.

   I’ve not only enjoyed working here, but I’ve especially appreciated the opportunity to get to know you. Thank you for your support, guidance, friendship, and those Friday pizza lunches we shared. You officially changed my stance on Hawaiian pizza, something I’ll never forgive you for.

   I will miss the times we’ve had, but I’m looking forward to this new phase of my career.

   I would love to keep in touch and you can reach me at my personal email, FrankDePew@email.com or my cell phone (555) 123-4567.

   Thanks again for everything. I wish you all the best.

   Yours Truly,
   Frank

Why send a goodbye email to coworkers?

There are a few reasons why it’s good practice to send a goodbye email to coworkers:

• Good manners. If you’ve worked with your coworkers for a few years or even just a few months, you’ve probably developed some sort of relationship with them. People generally like closure and feel a bit put out when someone suddenly disappears from their life without acknowledging the event.

• It strengthens your network. To the more selfish part of the above point, reminding people that you value your relationship with them for its own sake can have its rewards later on. When you need a reference for a new job, for example, they’ll likely look on the request more favorably.

• Some coworkers literally need to know. Beyond good etiquette, it’s just a matter of professionalism to tell your colleagues that you won’t be around to handle the normal tasks you’ve been handling. Someone’s going to have to pick up that work, and offering to help with the transition will go a long way to leaving a great lasting impression.

Additionally, the email goodbye may not be as personal as something like a goodbye party, but it can be a better option for a lot of reasons:

• If you haven’t been with the company long

• You’re not in the office much; maybe you work from home or travel for your job

• The office is very professional and frowns on parties

• You’re simply uncomfortable with parties or attention

• You have some bad blood between you and other coworkers

Goodbye party vs. goodbye emails

Whew, did all that letter writing convince you that a goodbye party is the best way to go? Your job might be throwing you a farewell party, whether you want one or not. This is something to keep in mind before you start writing all those emails.

If your job isn’t throwing you a party and you don’t want to have one with the entire corporation, try organizing a small gathering after work with just your team or your close coworkers. It’s not just about saying goodbye, it’s also about shoring up those work bridges that you might need in the future.

If you’re not going to send any emails, consider having new business cards made up so people can contact you. They don’t need to be cards related to your new job or position, personal cards do the trick and they’re super-handy in these situations.

Saying Goodbye to Coworkers With a Farewell Party

A farewell party or a going away office party is a great way to get all of the goodbyes over with in one shot. Some people love this type of farewell because they get to let loose and enjoy themselves a bit, talk about the good times, and it tends to be a happy event — although a few tears aren’t uncommon.

Other people eschew a party for them at all costs. these people hate to be the center of attention and they really don’t want to share the details of the next chapter of their lives. Which side of the coin do you sit on — are you all about the work goodbye party or are you someone who prefers a more distant approach?

Whether you’ve been with the company since the very beginning and saying goodbye is like leaving family, or you’ve just been there a short time and haven’t made any connections, it’s important to say goodbye in some manner. These are your professional contacts and they are often your best references, future job allies, and you may even end up co-workers again someday.

Saying Goodbye To Coworkers FAQs

1. How do I start a goodbye email to coworkers?

   Start your goodbye email to coworkers with a pleasant acknowledgement of your time together. For example, you can say something like, “After 5 years here at ABC Corp. I have nothing but the upmost respect for all of you.” This type of introduction sets a professional and positive tone that is necessary in a goodbye email.

2. What is the best word to say goodbye professionally?

   There are several ways to say goodbye professionally. Some great words to say goodbye professionally include:

   • Until we meet again,

   • Warm regards,

   • Always a pleasure,

   • Wishing you the best,

   • My deepest respect,

   Whatever words you choose, just make sure they are appropriate to the context of your email and the audience.

3. How do you say goodbye without being awkward?

   To say goodbye without being awkward, be brief and positive. It is also important that you don’t try to force yourself to say anything you don’t believe. If you are upset with people, you don’t want to tell them so or be negative, but you also don’t have to fake that you love them. Just be simple in your words.

4. How do you express thank you professionally?

   To express a thank you professionally, you can pick either experiences you shared or skills they helped you developed. For example, you can say:

   • I’m grateful for our time together, especially when you and I…

   • Thank you for your help in time management, which has helped me become a better professional…

   • Your confidence in me helped me become the professional I am today…

   • I will always appreciate the projects you and I had to manage together…

References

1. Harvard Business Review – How to Write a Goodbye Email to Your Colleagues

2. U.S. News – How to Write a Goodbye Email to Co-Workers

Author

Kristin Kizer

Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.