What to Write in a Goodbye Card for a Coworker

• 1

  Lead with "It's been a pleasure working with you" — or a specific version of it. Generic still beats blank.

• 2

  Name something work-specific: a project, a meeting they ran well, a tone they set. That's the part they'll reread.

• 3

  Wish them well at the new role by name if you know it. "Wishing you success at Acme" feels seen.

• 4

  Skip company gossip, manager critiques, or anything you wouldn't say in a meeting. Group cards travel.

• 5

  If you're signing under a manager's note, write a real sentence — not just your name. The card is the gift.

• 6

  End forward-looking. "Stay in touch" only works if you include a real way to do it. Otherwise, just sign off warmly.

Safe, warm and quick — for a group card or a coworker you didn't work with closely.

• “It's been a real pleasure working with you. Wishing you every success in the next chapter.”
• “Thank you for everything you brought to the team. Best of luck at the new role.”
• “Sad to see you go, glad for what's ahead of you. All the best.”
• “Wishing you success at the new company. You'll be missed here.”
• “It's been a privilege to work alongside you. Good luck in everything to come.”
• “Thank you for being such a great colleague. Wishing you all the best in your next role.”
• “Onward and upward. Wishing you nothing but good things ahead.”
• “Your professionalism made every project better. Wishing you continued success.”
• “It won't be the same here without you. Best of luck and stay in touch.”
• “Congratulations on the new opportunity. Wishing you a smooth transition and a great start.”

When you actually worked closely with this person and want to say so.

• “You made the hard sprints survivable and the good ones a lot more fun. I'm going to miss sitting next to you on this.”
• “Working with you has been one of the best parts of my time here. You raised the bar for what a teammate looks like.”
• “Thank you for the early-morning Slack messages, the calm in stand-up, and the way you always made room for the rest of us to think. The new team is unbelievably lucky.”
• “I learned more from working next to you than from any training I've ever taken. Don't forget the people who came up watching you.”
• “Some teammates you forget the second they leave. You will not be one of them.”
• “I'll miss sharing a project with you, but I'm genuinely excited to see what you do at the next place. Go crush it.”
• “Thank you for being one of the people who made coming to work feel like more than work.”
• “You set the standard for what a good teammate looks like. I'll be holding the rest of us to it after you leave.”

When you're the one who hired or led them — keep it grateful and a touch formal.

• “Thank you for everything you brought to this team. You made my job easier in ways I won't forget. Wishing you the very best at the next role.”
• “It's been a privilege to manage you. You've grown more in your time here than most people do in a decade — keep going. The new company is lucky to have you.”
• “You raised the bar on this team. The standard you set is staying right here, and I'll be telling new hires about you for years. Good luck and stay in touch.”
• “Thank you for being the kind of person other people on this team wanted to work with. That's the highest compliment I can pay anyone.”
• “I'm sad to lose you and genuinely excited for what's next for you. Both things can be true. Go get it.”
• “Watching you take this next step is one of the best parts of this job. Wishing you success at Acme — they have no idea what's coming.”
• “Thank you for trusting me with your career for the last few years. I'm proud of every bit of it. Don't be a stranger.”

When you're saying goodbye to a manager who's leaving the team.

• “Thank you for being the kind of manager who made it easier to do good work. I noticed every single time you took the heat on something that wasn't your problem.”
• “You gave me room to take risks and quietly covered for me when I needed it. I won't forget it. Wishing you success at the new place.”
• “I'm a better professional because I worked for you. That's the most honest thing I can say. Good luck with what's next.”
• “Thank you for the patience, the honest feedback and the room to figure it out on my own when I needed to. I'll carry it.”
• “You leave this team better than you found it — and you made the rest of us better while you were here. That's the rare double.”
• “I'll miss having you as a manager. Whoever you lead next is in for something good.”
• “Thank you for showing me what "managing up" is actually supposed to look like. I'll be modeling it for a long time.”
• “You backed me on the calls that mattered. I don't take that for granted. Wishing you the best.”

For the coworker who'll appreciate a joke on the way out — keep it light.

• “We're throwing you a goodbye party in the form of redistributing your unread emails. You're welcome.”
• “Your out-of-office is permanent now. Hard to compete with that.”
• “Please remember us when you're famous, rich, or just enjoying a coffee at 10am with no meetings on the calendar.”
• “We tried to talk HR into a clause keeping you here. They said no. So: good luck out there.”
• “Going-away gift idea: a tiny voodoo doll of your old Slack notifications. Enjoy the silence.”
• “It's been a pleasure working with you. The lunch group will not recover. We forgive you anyway.”
• “Your new commute is from the bedroom to the coffee maker (or wherever). Try not to be late.”
• “May your new job have fewer meetings, better snacks, and a printer that actually works.”
• “We'll miss you. We'll also miss having someone to blame for the conference room being booked.”
• “Goodbye! Please don't tell the new place any of our trade secrets — especially the one about Friday afternoons.”