Breaking up is hard to do. And that sentiment doesn’t just apply to romantic relationships—it’s also true when it comes to leaving a job. What makes this different is that you likely will want to keep in touch with your favorite coworkers (and maybe even your boss!).
You’ve likely already had a lot of the potentially awkward “I’m leaving” conversations in person after you gave your two weeks’ notice (honestly, that’s the best way to do it!). But before you officially log off, you’ll also want to follow that exchange up with a friendly email that shares your well wishes and your personal contact information. Not only is this standard polite office behavior, but it also ensures that you end things on the most positive note possible and helps you keep in touch with your colleagues.
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Like all professional communications, a personalized message is best, but coming up with a lot of individualized emails all at once can be overwhelming. If you’re struggling to write a goodbye email to coworkers, follow these steps and/or use one of our seven different templates to help you along.
How to write a goodbye email to coworkers
Keep these tips in mind as you write:
1. Time your farewell messages correctly.
Your email should always come after you’ve given your two weeks’ notice—when you’re ready to say goodbye. So generally, during your last day or two with the company. If you’re asking the recipient to let you know about any loose ends they need you to tie up before you go, however, try to get your email sent sooner.
Note that if you’re sending your goodbyes via a platform where you’ll get locked out once your account gets deactivated (for example, your company inbox or Slack) you’ll want to give your colleagues time to respond. So plan accordingly.
2. Include your last day.
Make sure it’s clear when you’re actually leaving!
3. Personalize each note.
Particularly for anyone you’ve worked closely or socialized with, you’ll want to include something specific, whether that’s reminders of shared experiences, compliments about them as colleagues, good luck wishes on one of their upcoming projects, or a mention of an inside joke. Don’t leave your work bestie with the equivalent of “Have a great summer!” in their high school yearbook.
4. Stay positive.
Even if you’d say it to the recipient of your goodbye email in person, this isn’t the time for something along the lines of, “Finally getting out of this hellhole! Hope you join me soon!” Instead, leave things on a positive note and save the venting for the next time you meet up for drinks.
5. Include your personal contact info.
Remember, any numbers or email addresses you had access to on a work account or phone are about to disappear—and so is your own work number and email address. So give the person a way to contact you once you’ve left the company, whether it’s a phone number, email, or social media profile. Don’t forget to ask for their details as well and copy them down somewhere before you lose access to your work accounts.
6. Wrap it up with some well wishes.
End your note by wishing them well going forward and inviting them to keep in touch. If you mean it, you can also float the idea of meeting up in the future over coffee, drinks, or a meal.
7 best goodbye email templates to use when you’re leaving a job
Even though you’ll roughly follow the steps above for any farewell message you send, each email is going to be a bit different depending on your relationship with the recipient. Check out our templates to help you along—and don’t be afraid to make them your own to ensure your goodbye email has a personal touch and includes all the info you want it to.
Best goodbye email template for a coworker you’re really close with
While you got along well with all of your colleagues, the people who fall into this category are a little different—they’re your closest friends and confidants in the office. You could always count on them to join you for a quick lunch or to listen to you vent about a ridiculously tight deadline.
Hey [Name],
As you already know, I’ll be leaving [Company], and my last day is [date].
While I’m excited about the new opportunity, there’s also a big part of me that’s sad to be saying goodbye to amazing coworkers like you. I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed our time working together, and how much I value the friendship you’ve shown me over the past [how long you’ve worked together].
You made me look forward to coming into the office, and I’ll always remember [funny moment, inside joke, or something special about working with them].
This might be the end of my time with [Company], but it’s definitely not the end of our friendship. You have my number—so don’t hesitate to reach out when you want to grab [coffee/drinks/lunch], and I’ll be sure to do the same!
It’s been great working together, and I’ll definitely keep in touch!
All the best,
[Your Name]
Best goodbye email template for a coworker you don’t know as well
What about writing a goodbye email to colleagues you’re not super close with? It’s still polite and professional to say one final goodbye with an email like this one.
Hello [Name],
As you may have already heard, I’m leaving my position as a [job title] at [Company], and my last day is coming up on [date].
I wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed my time here—and you’ve played a part in that. It’s been so great working with you and getting to know you. [Optional sentence about why you enjoyed working with them, something you liked to talk about together, or something you admire about them as a coworker, etc.] The team at [Company] has honestly been one of the best parts of working here.
While I won’t be in the office anymore, I definitely hope you’ll keep in touch. My personal email address is [personal email address], so don’t hesitate to reach out whenever.
Wishing you all the best, [Name]!
[Your Name]
Best goodbye email template for your manager
Whether you shared a close relationship with your boss or you two were always a little more distant, it’s still wise to send a message of appreciation to make sure you leave a positive impression. You never know when your paths will cross again! (Or when you’ll need a reference!)
Hi [Name],
Since today is my final day at [Company], I wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed my time here.
I’ve learned so much from your experience, advice, and guidance over the past [length of time], and my time spent as a [job title] on this team has been such a valuable part of my career journey. You’ve helped me [something your manager taught you, a skill they’ve helped you develop, or an opportunity they gave you]. I know I’ll carry the things I’ve learned with me to my next adventure, and I’ll always look back on this experience with a lot of fondness.
Even though our time working together is coming to a close, I’d still love to keep in touch. So please never hesitate to reach out to me at [personal email]!
Thanks so much, once again, for your leadership. Know that I’m always wishing the best to you and the [department] team!
Thanks for everything,
[Your Name]
Best goodbye email template for a direct report
If you’re in a management role, you’ll also need to say bye to the people who report to you. Again, this is a situation where you’ll have talked in person or over Zoom about your departure already. Hopefully more than once. But to wrap things up, you can send the following message.
Hi [Name],
It’s hard to believe tomorrow is already my last day at [Company].
I know we’ve already talked about me leaving at length, but I wanted to wrap things up and say an official goodbye in this email. It has been such a pleasure to lead you and watch you [way they’ve grown as a professional while working for you]. I couldn’t have asked for a better team, and I know you’re destined to continue doing big things.
I’ve included my personal contact information below for you. Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out—whether you need advice, a recommendation, or even just want to meet for coffee (I’d love that!).
[Personal email address]
[Personal phone number, if necessary]
Again, it’s been absolutely amazing to be your manager, and I’m wishing you nothing but the best as you move forward.
All the best,
[Your Name]
Best goodbye email template for anyone senior you’ve worked with
Your goal is to pack up your desk and walk out of that office leaving the very best impression. In order to do so, you should also plan to touch base with any upper-level managers or C-level people you worked with.
Hi [Name],
As I know you’ve heard, I’ll be leaving my position as [job title] here at [Company], and my last day is [date].
Before setting off on the next chapter of my career journey, I wanted to reach out to you and let you know how great it’s been to work with you. I really enjoyed collaborating with you on [project or task], and I’ve learned so much from the way you [skill or thing]. This has been such a valuable career experience, and I know that I have leaders like you to thank for that.
I prefer to think of this as “See you later” instead of “Goodbye.” So please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [personal email address] if you’d ever like to get in touch.
Wishing you all the best,
[Your Name]
Best goodbye email template for your clients
If your position deals directly with clients, it’s both polite and professional to give them a heads up that you’ll be leaving that role—preferably a bit earlier than you’d send these other messages. Here’s what to say.
Hello [Name],
I’m touching base with a bit of news for you. I’ll be leaving my position as [job title] at [Company], and my last day will be [date].
I wanted to reach out to let you know that I’ve so enjoyed working with you during my time here. It’s been a true pleasure getting to know you better!
Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there are any loose ends you’d like me to tie up before I leave. I’m happy to do so. Otherwise, [your new point of contact will be reaching out to you very soon/Your new point of contact is X and they’re copied on this email].
Wishing you all the best!
[Your Name]
Best goodbye email template for everyone else
Everybody else will fall into this category. Perhaps it’s a vendor that you work closely with for a recurring event. Or maybe it’s someone externally that you got to know through your work on a particular board or as a member of an association. Here’s what to say to let them know that you’re moving on.
Hello [Name],
I hope you’re doing well!
I wanted to let you know that I’ll be leaving my position as [job title] at [Company] and my last day is [date].
It’s been so great getting to know you through [how you worked together]. While I’m excited for the new opportunity ahead of me, leaving [Company] and great working relationships like this one is definitely bittersweet.
I’m wishing you all the best moving forward. And thanks again for being a part of making my time here so great! I’ve just sent you a LinkedIn request and I hope we can stay in touch!
Best,
[Your Name]
There you have it—all the goodbye email templates you need to say one last goodbye to everyone from your work BFF to your clients. Add your personal details, hit that “send” button, and you’ll not only leave your job, but you’ll also leave a lasting, positive impression.
Regina Borsellino also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.