You don’t need to be close to write something good. One true sentence about what they were like to work with — calm in a crisis, generous with their time, always first to the kitchen with birthday cake — is more memorable than a paragraph of general well-wishing.
How to write it
- Write about what working with them was like, not just that they’re leaving.
- If you only worked together briefly, say so and keep it short and kind.
- Offer something concrete: a LinkedIn connection, a reference, a coffee in a month.
Warm messages for a colleague leaving
You were the first person I messaged when something broke and the first I told when something worked. I’ll miss that.
Thank you for always making time, even when you clearly had none. Your new team is lucky.
It’s been a real pleasure working with you. The office will feel different without you in it.
You made the hard projects easier and the easy ones fun. Wishing you every success.
I learned more sitting next to you than in any training course. Thank you, and good luck.
Short messages for a leaving card
Going to miss working with you. Best of luck!
Thank you for everything — stay in touch.
Your next team has no idea how lucky they are.
It won’t be the same without you. Good luck!
Wishing you all the best in the new role.
Sad to see you go, excited to see what you do next.
Funny messages for a coworker leaving
Who am I going to complain to about the printer now?
Please leave your snack drawer to the team in your will.
Good luck! We’ll tell your replacement you left everything perfectly documented.
We’re contractually obliged to say we’ll miss you. Fortunately, we actually will.
Your new office better have a coffee machine that works, otherwise what was the point?
Enjoy your new job. We’ll be here, using your old desk as a storage unit.
When you didn’t work closely together
We didn’t overlap much, but everyone always said you were the person to ask. Good luck.
Thank you for the help with the onboarding docs — they saved me in my first week.
I wish we’d worked together more. Best of luck in what comes next.
Always enjoyed our kitchen chats. Wishing you the very best.
What to avoid
- Asking where they’re going or how much they’ll be paid in the card itself.
- Inside jokes that most of the team won’t understand.
Organising the whole card? Our farewell card guide covers timing and who to invite. For more ideas, read What to Write in a Farewell Card for a Coworker.