Leaving or retiring from your job is a big deal, both for you and your co-workers. If you have been working at your job for a while and have good relations with your colleagues, you will hence feel the need to gift them when you resign or retire from your job.
Should i Tell My Colleagues that am Retiring/Resigning from your Job
You are not obligated to tell all colleagues that are your retiring or resigning from your job. However you are required to give adequate notice to your manager so naturally you will need to tell your boss or manager about your intentions to leave your job or resign.
In addition it is very important that you let other colleagues know of your departure, especially the team that you were directly working with. Although your office will eventually communicate officially to other colleagues, it is best when your close team learn about these news from you first.
It is especially so if you work in a small organization where everyone knows everyone else. Telling them of your resignation and intention to retire communicates that you trust and value them. It eliminate the element of surprise when they finally learn about it from your manager.
Unless your company prohibits this, it is good and important that you tell your colleagues that you will no longer be working with them in future.
Should i Gift My Colleagues/Manager/Boss when Leaving my Job
You are not obligated to gift anyone when you are leaving job or resigning. In fact the social expectation is that the co- workers or your boss should gift you instead as farewell and also to thank for the rime you have been with them.
However work dynamics have changed and it is quite in order for you to give your colleagues a going away gift after you have resigned or is going into retirement.
While it is not expected gifting your co workers and your boss when you are leaving your job for whatever reasons shows your gratitude, appreciation, demonstrate you are leaving on good terms, and dilute any guilt you might have about resigning or leaving your job.
As such it is very good for you to consider buying thoughtful and mindful gifts for your colleagues and boss as you leave work for another employer or for retirement. It is professional, appropriate and you should not feel awkward or weird doing it.
However, do not feel the pressure to do so. Only gift your colleagues and or boss it if you can afford it and the gesture will be taken accordingly.
While the gesture is good, if you work in a very large organization, your action may be inappropriate on the other hand . It may not possible to gift everyone and gifting only a few will seem unusual and unconventional. Therefore only do it if the gift and the gesture will not be taken out of context.
Also consider that individual gifts might be a bit much in some workplaces. If this is your workplace culture, opt for something uniform and for everyone to say thank you for the opportunity of working together.
Why you Gift Coworkers/Manager/Boss When you are Resigning or Retiring
1. Gifts Show Gratitude and Appreciation
While it is not a requirement to gift your colleagues, it is a show of gratitude and appreciation for the time you have worked together. Since you have developed close personal relationships with most of your coworkers, giving each of them a little gift represents your friendship, personality, etc., and will be considered thoughtful.
Go for functional gifts, and avoid gifting something one will never use, have to find storage for, or is forced to throw out.
2. Demonstrates Resigning on Good Terms
It is good to always leave employment on good terms with everyone if you can. You never know when you will bump into someone again in a future role – as a colleague or boss or customer – or maybe need a reference, recommendation, or information.
Giving your co-workers or boss a small gift when you retire or leave your job communicates your intention to remain in good terms.
Leaving your workplace does not mean that you stop being friends with your old colleagues at work. You can still continue being friends and gifting them shows that you are not burning bridges as you move on to the other next thing in your life.
3. Goodbye Gifts Help Eliminate Guilt on Quitting
Sometimes the gifts may cover the guilt that you are feeling about leaving your job. It will also help soothe the workers and compensate for how they are feeling about you leaving the job. Nonetheless gift your colleague an individual gift if you consider them more of a friend than a colleague.
Simple Ideas to Gift your Coworkers/ Boss When you are Resigning/Retiring from your Job
1. Share Cookies with Everyone as a Farewell Gift
The main aim is to ensure that everyone is getting a cookie. Get a big tin and fill it with things such as *
- Fancy biscuits
- Cookies
- Cupcakes
- Donuts
- Chocolates
- Sweets etc.
Leave the tin in the break room and have everyone at your workplace help themselves. Put it out in the morning on your last day for more impact.
Also, ensure that there are enough goodies for everyone in the office. You can do it last minute either by cooking at home overnight or buying from the store.
You can attach a small note on the side saying you appreciate having worked with them. It is one of the simplest best gifts to give the people you have been working with.
2. Write a Custom Thank You/Goodbye Card to Colleagues
Because you want to have everyone included, you can send a single thank you or good bye card. Buy and custom write a nice thank you and goodbye message for all of your colleagues.
The card as a gift is both cheap and quite impactful, allowing you to share your feelings with everyone without coming across as inappropriate. It is also an ideal last-minute thank-you gift for your colleague as it does not entail much.
3. Branded/Custom Stationeries for Colleagues
One thing you are sure that your colleagues will need are stationeries. Therefore gifting them stationeries is one of the best ways of telling them goodbye as you retire or quit the organization.
Stationers are cheap and will not be considered inappropriate fare well gifts by co-workers. Ensure that you get enough for everyone.
You can include small items such as;
- Pens
- Notebooks
- Sticky notes
- Pencils, etc.
You can have them branded or custom-made in a unique way that will be symbolic of your personality.
4. Send a Thank you and GoodBye Email
If you want to go all professional then send a farewell email to your colleagues with whom you have worked together. It is the most modest way of saying goodbye to your colleagues even if you have been working mostly from home or virtually.
An email will come across as both professional and appropriate; communicating your appreciation for the time you have worked together. You can do this last minute on the last day or the day after you leave. The email serves both as a thank-you and goodbye.
5. Buy Thank-You Lunch/Dinner/Drinks for Colleagues
If you work in a small company and hence have few colleagues, lunch, dinner or drinks together can be the best gift you give when you are leaving or retiring from your job. Pick a spot you all like, have lunch together on the last day and cover the bill. Let them know how much you appreciate having worked with them and promise to keep in touch.
Alternatively, you can buy them dinner. You can either go out or cook and host dinner at your home. If your colleagues are more friends and you are really close then this is the best gift you can give them for quitting and leaving. They will all appreciate the thought and effort you will put into it.
If dinner is too much or inappropriate, opt for drinks instead. Invite them over and buy a few rounds of drinks. Reminisce about the work days you had together and how much you will miss them after you leave or retire. It creates a nice farewell memory.
6. Offer Professional Help
After leaving or retiring, you can give your colleagues reference letters, testimonials, and contacts for future references needed and opportunities to endorse them and all their skills.
They will appreciate this more than any tangible gift. It is so thoughtful especially if you are retiring and have amassed a lot of influence in the industry.
7. Farewell Party
There is no reason against you holding a farewell party for yourself when you are leaving work. If you can afford it, you can plan a general farewell party . You can make it as simple or as extravagant as you want. Pick the last day or close to it and invite everyone.
The venue is more appropriate if you hold it in your office so that you can get the attention of everyone. It is also more convenient for purposes of planning. Alternating you can opt for an outside venue such as hotel or pub.
The farewell party can be include a simple thank you speech from you to you colleagues. Your colleagues can also give their farewell speech or message for you.
You can arrange for simple snacks or meals and drinks if you can afford it.
What to Say in your Farewell Speech
Farewell speech to your colleagues when you are leaving or retiring from your job can as varied and spontaneous. It is very casual and nothing professional. There are no rules on what you can say or what you can say during your farewell speech.
The idea is thank your colleagues, manager and boss for the time and opportunity you have had at your workplace. You can say this in the most simplest terms or go ahead an write a complex long letter. It is your party so you are allowed to go with what you desire.
If you need a little guidance on what to say during your farewell speech, consider covering the following elements
- Saluting and acknowledging the presence of the people who are present. If a small gathering you can their names, if a large gathering then a general salutation is in order.
- Thank your employer for the employment opportunity they offered you , their guidance in your career and the growth you underwent.
- Thank your colleagues for their team work, support and any guidance you received from them when working together.
- It is ok to mention specific occasions or moments that you think are worth thanking your boss or colleagues for.
- It is ok to mention specific names especially close friends and colleagues who have been paramount in your journey at your workplace.
- Offer your sincere wishes going ahead for your employer and colleagues.
- Remind them you are still on good term open for catch-ups and meet ups after this
Gift Ideas for your Boss When you are Resigning/Retiring from your Job
1. Flowers – Popular Gift especially for Female Boss
In addition to gifting your co-workers, you may feel the need to specially gift your boss. A thank you card and a beautiful flower arrangement for your boss and colleagues is quite a good idea.
It is one of the best gifts you can give your employer when you are moving on to another job or retiring from practice. Flowers are also very appropriate as a thank you gift for female colleagues or boss.
2. House Plants – Perfect Gift for Boss Office or Home
If your boss loves plants, you can surprise them with their favorite plant. They can keep the plant in the office or at home but it is definitely something that will remind them of you as their employee once you leave or retire.
It is one of the most sentimental and thoughtful things you can gift your boss when leaving job.
3. Create a Framed Photo for your Boss
Say goodbye to your boss by getting a lovely professional photo of your boss, printing it out, and framing it. You can go for a small size that they can prop on the desk. Alternatively, you can go for a big size that they can hang either in the office or at home.
Either way, it is one of the best gifts you can gift your boss or employer upon resigning from your job and for helping you grow in your career.
4. A Self-care and Snacks Gift Box
You can leave a self-care gift box for your boss. Depending on whether your boss is male or female, you will decide what items you can put in there. Consider items such as
- Candles
- Oils
- Skincare
- Candies
- Chocolate
- Book
- Wine/whisky, etc.
A gift box is such an ideal goodbye gift for someone you have worked for a long time. Also consider it a thank-you gift for your boss for the opportunity to work with them.
Read: What to Gift your Boss/Colleague who is Resigning/Retiring
Should You Be Offended for not Getting Farewell Gift when Resigning or Retiring
It is a general expectation that when you are leaving your workplace, your boss or colleagues will get you a farewell gift. As such you should expect some form of appreciation from them when you are retiring or resignation.
The gifting culture is very common in most organization with good organization culture. Hence do not feel guilty or weird for having these expectations. Especially if you have worked as this place for over 3 years, you are expectations are quite in order.
However please not that it is not a requirement that your boss or co-workers will hold a farewell party for you. Therefore you should not be offended if you do not receive any gift from your boss or colleagues when you are resigning/leaving your job or retiring.
You might feel bad for not getting anything in return after you have given out your gifts. If you have worked at your workplace for a long time, you may feel some kind of attachment and entitlement.
However, remember that your colleagues are not obliged or required to gift you anything as you leave or retire. It would be nice if they did especially if you are retiring but if they do not, focus on moving on and not feeling bad about it.
Working cultures are different. Some workplaces have a better culture of appreciating their workers than others. Therefore do not feel bad or offended if your old workplace does not gift you or show appreciation in return when you are retiring or leaving your job.
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