After you’ve written a job acceptance letter and sent it to your new employer, it’s time to start thinking about how to say goodbye to your coworkers. Not sure how to phrase a goodbye email to your coworkers? Unclear on why you should even send one? Keep reading to learn why, when, and how you should write a farewell email to your colleagues.
Why should you write a goodbye email?
You should write a goodbye email because it’s an opportunity to part ways with your coworkers in a professional way and thank them for the support they’ve given you.
Additionally, goodbye emails are a great way to stay in touch with your professional network. You never know when you might need a reference or referral, so it’s important to keep those lines of communication open.
Farewell email example
How to write a farewell email to your coworkers
When writing your goodbye email to your coworkers, stick to the following structure:
Thank your colleagues
Give a shout out to coworkers who have been especially helpful throughout your time at the company. They’re sure to appreciate it, and if you’re sending a copy to your boss, you ensure that your colleagues’ hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.
Additionally, by acknowledging your coworkers’ efforts, they’re more likely to be willing to help you out if you need a professional favor in the future.
Include your contact information
Even if you’re not close with your colleagues and don’t plan on staying in touch outside of work, you should still include your contact information.
Writing down your personal email address, phone number, or LinkedIn in your goodbye email to your coworkers gives you an opportunity to stay in touch and could lead to networking opportunities further down the line.
Mention when your last day at work will be
If you’re part of a team and other employees rely on you, it’s important to let them know when you’re leaving. This gives them time to prepare for your departure and resolve any final work-related matters.
Briefly go over your plans for the future
If you’d like to share your plans for the future with your coworkers, remember to keep it brief. Simply provide a short explanation of what your next steps will be, especially if you’re sending your goodbye email to everyone at the company.
Keep a positive tone
Even if you hate your job and you’re leaving on bad terms, maintain a positive tone throughout your farewell email to your coworkers.
You don’t need to fake happiness if you were fired or never got along with your colleagues, just focus on the positive aspects of the job and your excitement for the future. You want to be careful not to burn any bridges.
When to send your farewell email to your colleagues
You should send your farewell email to your colleagues a day or two before your last day at work so your coworkers have time to come say goodbye to you in person.
You should always make sure your boss knows that you’re leaving before you say your goodbyes or make a new job announcement because they shouldn’t be finding out that you’re quitting through your farewell email.
Goodbye email to coworkers (samples)
To give you an idea of what a goodbye email to your coworkers should look like, here are three samples that you can copy and adjust to fit your own circumstances:
Goodbye email to your colleagues
Hello everyone,
As some of you may know, I’ll be leaving my role as [job title] at [Company]. My last day will be [date], so if I can help you with anything before then, please do let me know!
I have truly enjoyed my time here, and I’d like to give special thanks to [Colleague #1] and [Colleague #2] who have taught me so much about what it means to be a good [job title].
If you’d like to stay in touch, you can reach me at [phone number] or [email address].
All the best,
[Your name]
Goodbye email to your manager
Dear [Manager’s name],
As we discussed, I’ll be leaving [Company] on [date].
I’d like to thank you for all your help and guidance during my time here. I’m very grateful for your support and all that you have done to help me grow in the role of [job title].
While I’m sad to be leaving, I look forward to applying what you’ve taught me in my new role as [job title].
Please feel free to reach out to me at [email address] or [LinkedIn] at any time, I’d love to stay in touch!
Best wishes,
[Your name]
Goodbye email to your team
Hi all,
As I’m leaving my position as [job title] on [date], I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of you for your hard work over the past few years.
It’s been a pleasure working with you, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to achieve [accomplishment].
I wish you the best of luck in the future, and if you ever need advice or a recommendation, you can contact me at [email address] or [LinkedIn]. I’d be more than happy to help out!
Thanks again,
[Your name]
