What to say in a farewell message for a coworker

The card reaches your desk on Thursday afternoon. Eleven people have signed it already, in eleven different pens, and most of them have written some version of good luck. You have sat next to this person for three years. You hold the pen for a while, write "All the best", and pass it on.

Most of us have done this. A good farewell message for a coworker does not need to be long or clever. It needs one true thing they did, what it meant, and a wish for what comes next. Three lines in a card is enough. So is thirty seconds on camera. Below is a simple shape, lines for every kind of colleague, and what to leave out.

What do you write in a farewell message for a coworker?

1. One thing they did. Small and specific is best. "You always..." or "I still remember the day you..."
2. What it meant. To you, or to the team. "Because of that..." or "It's the reason I..."
3. A wish. For the new job, the move, or whatever comes next. "I hope..." or "Go well at..."

That is the whole message. The first part does most of the work, so spend your thinking time there. Picture an ordinary Tuesday with them. What did they do that nobody else did?

People often hold back the real thing because it feels awkward to say. A last day is one of the few times work makes room for that kind of honesty, and one plain sentence is enough to use it well.

What to write for each kind of coworker

Borrow the shape of these, then swap in your own detail. The detail is what makes it yours.

A teammate you worked closely with

• "Three years at the next desk, and you never once made me feel silly for asking. Thank you."
• "You made the hard weeks lighter. I'm going to miss working beside you."
• "Most of what I know about this place, I learned by watching you. Stay in touch, properly."
• "You were the first person here who made me feel like I belonged. I won't forget that."

Someone you don't know well

Short and honest beats pretend-close. Say what you did see, then wish them well.

• "We didn't work together much, but you always held the lift and asked how my day was going. All the best."
• "Your team talks about you the way people talk about someone they'll really miss. Good luck."
• "I only saw your work from a distance, and it always made my job easier. Go well."

The person who trained you or had your back

• "You answered every question in my first month, patiently, every time. Thank you."
• "You told me to [their advice]. I still do it, every week."
• "I'm better at this job because you showed me how. I hope I can do that for someone one day."

A manager who is moving on

• "You gave me work that stretched me, then trusted me to do it. Thank you."
• "You backed me when it counted, and you never made a fuss about it. I noticed."
• "You made it safe to say 'I'm not sure yet'. I'll take that with me."

A remote coworker you mostly know from a screen

• "We've met in person twice, but you've been part of my day almost every day for two years. Thank you."
• "Your 'morning all' was always the first message in the chat. The day started when it arrived."
• "You made a team spread across three cities feel like one team. That's harder than it looks."
• "Next time you're in [city], lunch is on me."

A coworker going on parental leave

This goodbye is a pause, and it may be a long one. As at October 2026, eligible employees in Australia can take up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave and ask for up to 12 more, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman. Wish them well for the time away, and leave out any pressure about coming back.

• "Enjoy every slow morning. Work can wait."
• "Wishing you and your little one a gentle start. Send a photo when you feel like it."
• "Whatever you decide about work, it has been a joy working with you."

Need a one-line message for the card?

When the card reaches you with one corner left, a single honest line is enough.

• "Thank you for making work better. Go well."
• "I learned so much from you. All the best at [new place]."
• "Your new team is lucky. We'll miss you here."
• "Thanks for the help, the patience and the laughs. Good luck."
• "Working with you was the best part of the job."
• "Thank you for always having time for me."
• "You raised the bar for all of us. Go well."
• "You were always the calm one. Take that with you."
• "Thank you for every answer, every cover and every kind word."
• "We're all better at our jobs for having worked with you."
• "Go and be brilliant somewhere new."
• "Please stay in touch. I mean it."

What to say when a colleague leaves for hard reasons

Not every farewell is a happy one. Some people leave because their role was cut. Others leave because of illness, caring for family, or a job that did not work out.

When the leaving is hard, keep the message about the person, not the reason.

• "I'm sorry to see you go. Working with you made this a better place, and that doesn't change."
• "Thank you for everything you did here, especially [one thing]. If a reference would help, please ask."
• "Take care of yourself first. We're thinking of you."

Only offer what you will follow through on. Skip "everything happens for a reason", "you're better off", and any opinion about the company's decision.

What not to say in a farewell message

• Complaints about the workplace. "Get out while you can" lands differently when it plays at farewell drinks with the managers in the room.
• Guilt. "How could you leave us?" puts weight on someone who has already decided.
• Pay, the new offer, or why they are going. That is theirs to share.
• Promises you won't keep. "Let's catch up every week" sounds kind. "I'd like to stay in touch" is better, if you mean it.
• In-jokes that need a back story. If half the room will not get it, save it for a text.
• Anything you would not say in front of their family. Cards and films get taken home and shown around.

How to say it in a farewell video

A card is read. A video is heard, often in a room full of colleagues, and sometimes again years later. Three things help most.

• Talk, do not read. Write three words on a sticky note, one for each part of the shape, and talk from those. A script read aloud sounds like a script.
• Find a quiet room at work. An open-plan office is noisier than it seems. Borrow a meeting room for five minutes, or record in the car before you go in.
• Finish on the wish, then stop. It gives the message a natural end.

For light, sound and where to hold the phone, see the recording basics in our group video guide.

What to send if you are organising the team video

People record faster when they know what to say. Send one link, a clear ask and a deadline. You can copy this:

With a farewell film from Warmcut, that one link is all anyone needs: no app, no account. Each person sees a few questions to start from, such as what they will miss most. Warmcut trims the pauses, levels every voice, puts the messages in story order and adds music and captions. It never writes or changes a word anyone says.

Collecting messages and watching the finished film is free, with a small Warmcut watermark. Pay once, from US$19, to share and download it. Over 10 people? The free film uses the first 10 to record, and paying makes it with everyone.

For the whole plan, from the first message to the moment it plays, see how to make a group video. If people go quiet, these reminders help. If your colleague is retiring rather than moving on, start from the retirement film page instead.

What if the words still won't come?

That is all right. Plain and short is enough:

They will not remember whether it was polished. They will remember that you said it.