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What to Write in a Leaving Card: Messages for Coworkers, Managers & Teammates

A good leaving-card message does three things: marks the change, names something you valued about working together, and wishes the person well for what comes next. The closer the relationship, the more specific you can be; a group card does not need a miniature farewell speech from every signer.

Editorial guide24 original examplesUpdated September 10, 2026How we write

Start here

Name what you will remember, then wish them well.

A leaving-card message usually needs only three parts: acknowledge the change, mention one thing you appreciated about working together, and wish them well for what comes next. Keep inside jokes appropriate for everyone who may read the card.

Quick choices

Leaving-card messages you can use now

Choose a professional, warm or funny version depending on the relationship and whether the card is being signed by a group.

Wishing you all the best for what comes next. It has been a real pleasure working with you, and your calm, thoughtful approach will be missed.

Congratulations on the next chapter. Thank you for all the help, laughs, and good work along the way—do not be a stranger.

You are leaving the role, but hopefully not the group chat. Wishing you a brilliant start in whatever comes next.

Thank you for everything you brought to the team. Your contribution has mattered, and I hope the next place appreciates you just as much.

Examples

Professional leaving-card messages

Useful when you respect the person but do not have a close personal relationship.

It has been a pleasure working with you. Wishing you continued success and a smooth start in your next role.

Thank you for your professionalism and support during our time working together. All the best for the future.

Wishing you every success in the next chapter of your career. Your contribution here has been genuinely valued.

Best wishes for what comes next. I have appreciated the opportunity to work alongside you.

Examples

For a coworker you will genuinely miss

Add the small details that made the working relationship memorable.

Work will be quieter without your desk-side commentary and much less efficient without your ability to fix the thing everyone else has been staring at for an hour.

I will miss the coffee runs, the honest debriefs, and having someone who always understood the context behind “quick question.” Good luck—you will be brilliant.

Thank you for being the kind of coworker who made difficult weeks easier. I am excited for you, even though I am not thrilled for us.

You have been more than a colleague—you have been a trusted sounding board and a very good friend. I hope we keep that part after the job changes.

Examples

For a manager or mentor who is leaving

Name the leadership or support you actually experienced rather than using generic praise.

Thank you for giving clear feedback, trusting me with meaningful work, and making room for questions. I have learned a great deal from working with you.

Your leadership made a real difference to this team. Wishing you the very best in the next role and thank you for everything you taught us.

I appreciate the opportunities and support you gave me while we worked together. I hope the next team knows how lucky they are.

Thank you for setting high standards without losing sight of the people doing the work. That example will stay with me.

Examples

Lightly funny leaving messages

Keep jokes affectionate and avoid implying the person hated the job unless that is a shared private joke.

Congratulations on escaping the recurring meeting. Please remember us when you discover what a calendar with free space looks like.

Good luck in the new role. We have agreed not to replace you until we have finished blaming you for everything for at least a month.

You will be missed—especially by everyone who quietly relied on you to know where the file was.

Wishing you the best. Your final task is to leave us a document explaining how you made all of this look so easy.

Examples

For someone leaving after many years

A long tenure deserves more than “good luck.” Mention the person’s contribution, the history you shared or one quality colleagues will continue to remember.

You have shaped this place in more ways than any leaving card can fit. Thank you for the years of knowledge, patience and good judgment you shared with us.

It is strange to imagine the team without you after so many years. Your steadiness and humor have been part of the everyday rhythm here, and you will be missed.

Thank you for everything you built, improved and passed on during your time here. I hope the next chapter gives you as much satisfaction as this one gave the people who worked with you.

So much of what works well here carries some trace of your effort. Wishing you a wonderful next chapter and a very well-earned change of pace.

Build your own

A simple formula that keeps the message personal

Mark the change + name what you valued + wish them well + add a stay-in-touch line if you mean it.

Example structure“Congratulations on the next chapter” + “I will miss [specific thing]” + “wishing you [specific hope].”

Make it personal

Name one thing you appreciated: guidance, reliability, humor, calm under pressure, technical help or friendship.
If the person is moving to a known next role, congratulate that move specifically.
In a crowded group card, one sincere sentence is better than squeezing in a generic paragraph.
If you want to stay in touch, make that concrete: share your number, LinkedIn details, or suggest a coffee.

What to avoid

Avoid gossip, complaints about the company, or jokes that could be awkward if managers read the card.
Do not imply that leaving is a betrayal or try to make the person feel guilty.
Avoid promises such as “we will definitely meet every week” unless you intend to follow through.
Do not make retirement, redundancy or a difficult departure sound celebratory if the person does not see it that way.

Questions people ask

What is a good short leaving-card message?

“It has been a pleasure working with you. Wishing you every success in what comes next—you will be missed.” is professional and warm.

What do you write when a coworker leaves for another job?

Congratulate the move, mention what you valued about working together, and wish them well in the new role.

Can a leaving-card message be funny?

Yes when you know the person’s humor. Keep the joke about ordinary work life rather than private conflict, redundancy or sensitive reasons for leaving.

What to Write in a Leaving Card: Messages for Coworkers, Managers & Teammates

Name what you will remember, then wish them well.

Leaving-card messages you can use now

Professional leaving-card messages

For a coworker you will genuinely miss

For a manager or mentor who is leaving

Lightly funny leaving messages

For someone leaving after many years

A simple formula that keeps the message personal

Make it personal

What to avoid

Questions people ask

More for this person, milestone or situation