A goodbye email to coworkers is a smart career move. Why?
On your last day at work, you could sprint for the exit with a war whoop. But—your future. That little thing about burning bridges. A.K.A. networking. Any coworker might be the next Bill Gates or Indra Nooyi. Anyone could hold the ticket to your future dream job.
That's why goodbye letter isn’t just a good idea—it’s crucial.
This guide will show you:
- How to write a farewell email that strengthens relationships.
- A goodbye email to coworkers sample you can convert and use.
- 10+ great farewell email to coworkers examples for different types of colleagues.
- Why a farewell letter could be your smartest career move yet.
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Ready? Here’s a farewell email sample. Try to spot why it works so well.
Keep reading to see farewell letter to coworkers examples, and how to write yours in five easy steps.
The Secret Behind the Best Goodbye Letters
Knowing how to write a farewell email means understanding why.
A farewell letter—or goodbye email to coworkers—has one purpose:
To show respect.
Respect is good for your soul.
But it’s great for your career.
The overwhelming body of research shows networking significantly increases salary growth, job performance, and career satisfaction.
Need proof?
Meet Elle Torres. She networked her way into a six-figure job with an unfinished degree.
Where did her big offer come from? A contact she’d known for years.
You never know where that dream job will come from.
Keep that in mind as you write your goodbye letter to coworkers. Then all your writing choices will be easy.
Okay. You’ve seen the great farewell letter sample above.
Now let me show you why it works, and how to write a goodbye email to coworkers:
1
Choose the Right Format for Your Goodbye Letter to Coworkers
How do you write a goodbye email to coworkers?
Send short, personal farewell emails that reinforce relationships.
Pretend each coworker is the next Tim Cook or Mary Barra. (They might be!)
Keep it Short
Long last work day emails say, “I’m more interested in me than you.”
That sends exactly the wrong farewell message.
Saying goodbye to coworkers should be short:
- 3 paragraphs
- 7–8 sentences
- 150 words
Send a Farewell Email—Not a Farewell Letter
Why not send a farewell business letter when you leave?
Printed-on-paper business letters are momentous. They send the message, “I’m important.”
You want your coworkers to feel important.
To focus on relationships, stick to short, informal emails.
Don’t Send a Group Email
What better way to say, “You don’t matter” than a group email?
Start with an informal salutation, like:
- Hi Tim,
- Dear Francine,
- Hey Sheryl,
- Hello Arnold,
Then customize each goodbye email to coworkers.
I’ll show how next.
Pro Tip: Should you send a fresh email to every coworker? Start with farewell email templates. Spend more time customizing for cherished contacts. For others, change the name and one or two details.
Haven’t sent your two weeks notice letter yet? Learn how—and whether two weeks is enough. See our guide: How to Write a Two Weeks Notice Letter of Resignation
2
Don’t Talk About Yourself in a Farewell Email to Coworkers
Not sure how to start a goodbye letter?
What if one of your connections is a future Sheryl Sandberg?
There are 27 million entrepreneurs in the U.S.
That means 1 in 10 people you meet is a potential future business leader. Even more if you count C-Suite executives.
Your goal?
Show you understand that in your farewell letter.
Briefly mention your excitement for your future. Then move on quickly to what you’ll leave behind.
These two goodbye email to coworkers examples show right from wrong.
| right |
|---|
Dear Sheryl,
As you know, I'm leaving my graphic design position here at Redinger & Hoff. My last day is August 12th.
I'm excited to start a new chapter, but I want to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed working with you. |
The first of our farewell email to coworkers examples keeps your future plans vague. That puts the attention where it belongs.
| wrong |
|---|
Dear Sheryl,
I'm so excited to start my new career. My time here has been great, but this opportunity is the chance of a lifetime for me. The pay is better, the perks are better, and the team over at XYZ Co. is so amazing! My 401K will be fully vested in six months, which means... |
Yowch. Way to rub it in. Ears will be steaming after that goodbye email to coworkers.
Pro Tip: Need goodbye email subject line examples? Keep your resignation email subject simple. Departure, Farewell message, or Moving on will start on the right foot.
Don't have a new job lined up yet? Before saying goodbye to coworkers, learn the top four job sites to focus on. See our guide: Job Sites: 15 Best Job Search Engines and How to Use Them Perfectly
3
Ace Your Goodbye Email by Showing How Much Your Coworkers Mean to You
How can you say, “I value this relationship?”
You could just say it.
But that’s generic.
Use specifics in a goodbye email to coworkers.
The right details prove your coworker is important.
Look at the huge difference in these two farewell letter to colleagues examples:
| RIGHT |
|---|
| Without your insights, our team would never have won the CSS Design Award. Your guidance has helped me grow as a designer in ways I'd never have expected. You also introduced me to my new favorite book—The Art of Looking Sideways. |
That goodbye email does it right, with details.
The next of our farewell email to coworkers examples doesn’t:
| WRONG |
|---|
| I really appreciate you and value our relationship. You’ve been a great coworker and I’ll always value our experience together. |
Yep. Generic. I don’t feel special. Do you? Not with that goodbye letter.
To show how much a coworker means to you, mention one or two of these:
- Something you learned from them.
- What you’ve gained from the relationship.
- Something you share.
- Some way they helped you.
- A funny moment or memory you experienced together.
Use 2–3 of those specifics in each goodbye email to coworkers you send.
Pro Tip: Your details will vary in a goodbye email to a manager, senior, coworker, or direct report. Customize your approach for each. I’ll show how in a minute.
How can adding 40 words to a LinkedIn profile make you 40x more likely to get hired? See our guide: How To Optimize Your LinkedIn Summary & Profile To Get Jobs
4
Say You’d Like to Keep the Relationship Alive
Imagine this—
It’s three years from now. You’re unemployed.
Then the phone rings. It’s a former coworker. She asks, would you be interested in a cushy job offer?
The best goodbye email to coworkers leaves the door wide open.
See how in the next of our farewell email to coworkers examples:
| RIGHT |
|---|
Even though I'm moving on, you gave me a lot to take with me. I'd love to keep in touch. Please feel free to reach out for any reason at my personal email ([email protected]) or mobile phone (904-451-1014).
Warm regards,
Kiara Shertick |
Nice. Your colleague will feel honored by that farewell letter. She’s obviously part of your inner circle.
Not so with the next of our goodbye email to coworker examples:
| WRONG |
|---|
Let’s keep in touch! You can find me on LinkedIn or use my contact info below. Thank you and goodbye.
Best regards,
Kiara Shertick |
That feels form-letterish. It’s not memorable and it doesn’t belong in a professional goodbye email.
Pro Tip: Never spring your departure notice in a farewell email to colleagues. Always tell your boss in person first. Then send a resignation letter. Goodbye emails come last.
Will one heated moment on Facebook sink your great goodbye letter to coworkers? Prevent disaster with our guide: How to Check Your Online Presence Before Recruiters Look You Up
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
5
End Your Goodbye Email to Colleagues with Copious Contact Info
Awesome.
You just got a referral for a fat job.
Where did it come from? A past coworker and a farewell email.
You gave him lots of contact info in your goodbye email to coworkers. That did two things:
- Made it easy for him to find you
- Made him feel valued
904-451-1014
linkedin.com/kiarashertick
3048 Sycamore Fork Road
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
A great farewell letter stresses the importance of the relationship.
Adding lots of contact info is like a ten-foot welcome mat.
Pro Tip: Include lots of contact info. Adding more to a goodbye letter makes your connection feel significant.
What contact info should you leave off a resume? Should you include your Facebook handle? See our guide: How to Make a Resume Header with the Right Contact Info
6
Best Farewell Email Examples for Different Coworkers
You can start with the same template for each goodbye email to coworkers.
A farewell letter will always have the same ingredients:
- A salutation like Dear, Hi, Hello, Hey,
- Remind them that you’re leaving, and the date.
- Reference a couple details that show why you value them.
- Offer to stay in touch.
- Provide copious contact info.
Step #3 will differ for each recipient. Here are a few goodbye letter examples to light the way:
To a Coworker
This farewell to a colleague shows how to pick a positive detail. A goodbye email to coworkers after resignation should focus on a strength the person likes about herself.
You’re an expert at something most people don’t get—reading the room. I’ll never forget when upper management pushed to lock in Innotech as a supplier and you spoke up for us. Had you not done that, we would have lost tens of thousands that year. I’ve tried to learn that skill from you.
To a Direct Report
A farewell letter to an employee can speak to their strengths.
Your cheerful attitude was a joy to be around every day. You may not remember, but after we lost the Klimson account, I was feeling pretty gut-punched. Your kind attention and bright attitude refocused me on our new business outreach.
To a Manager
Feel like burning bridges with your manager? Don’t. A thank you letter to your boss when you leave work is the smart move.
When I wanted to buy the new editing software, you could’ve just said no. Instead, you took the time to explain your reasoning. Your business insights gave me a tool to make decisions easier. I’ve appreciated that ever since.
To a Senior Employee or Executive
Every company likes to talk about family. This company actually embodies it. The Amazon gift card you sent out of the blue may have seemed small to you, but I often think of it at unexpected times.
To Those You Don’t Know Well
I really enjoyed getting to know you. It was a pleasure working with you on the Cloud Management project. Your ideas and insights helped make it a success.
To a Client
It’s been a pleasure working with you these last four years. I really appreciate all your business. Most of all, I’ve enjoyed our talks about fly fishing.
The samples above make for great last working day emails.
Here’s one last piece of advice: Resist the urge to send a funny goodbye note.
If your coworker has a great sense of humor, use quips like, If I don’t see you again, so what?” at your own risk. They can backfire too easily in a farewell email to colleagues.
Pro Tip: Don’t make up compliments in a goodbye email to coworkers. People can see through that like a break-room window. Find things you like about others, or focus on fun memories or things you have in common. You can even send a funny farewell card with an inside joke or giphy.
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Key Takeaway
Leaving the company is awkward at times. Leaving without a thank you letter to colleagues on your last day of work even more so.
Here’s a recap of how to write a goodbye email to coworkers:
- Keep it short. A short farewell email to coworkers says “Your time is important.”
- Focus on the relationship. A goodbye letter should leave them thinking highly of you. So make it all about them.
- Add details. What you learned from them, something you have in common, or a funny moment.
- Include copious contact info. It’s a welcome mat that shows you value the connection.
Do you have questions about how to write a farewell letter to coworkers? Want to share an example of a farewell email that worked for you? Give us a shout in the comments. We’d be happy to reply!
