How to Say Goodbye to Colleagues

Whether you’re about to switch to a better job or quit, your last day at work is emotional. Put all your heart into saying goodbye emotionally and succinctly. Since you may still need to communicate with some colleagues for work-related or personal matters in the future, it’s important to say goodbye tactfully and politely. Whether you’re breaking up in person or by email, saying hello doesn’t have to be stressful.

Table of Contents

Say Goodbye Directly

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Inform everyone you will be leaving your job in the near future. The last day of work is not the best time to tell people that you will not be returning to work. You will be seen as too hasty or impolite to stand one foot outside the door and then shout “goodbye” before the door closes. Take the time to let everyone know your intentions and plans to leave, so everyone can stay informed.

A general rule here is that a manager should be given at least 2 weeks’ notice, although some specific severance notices should be included in your contract. Make sure your boss is the first to know.
After you tell your manager, you can tell your co-workers, so let everyone know whenever you feel it’s appropriate or whenever it’s convenient, but let everyone know before the business day your last.

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Say goodbye first. Consider saying goodbye the day before your last work day to make your last day less stressful and overwhelming, especially if you still have work to do. Waiting until the day before your last day of work before you leave to say goodbye gives you the chance to get the rest of your work done without being surrounded by co-workers to say goodbye. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Once you’ve announced your decision to leave, there’s a good chance your co-workers will drop by to say goodbye. So it’s easier to say goodbye if you need to get all the work done.

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Meet one by one. Pack your things early so you have time to say goodbye to each person. Saying goodbye to each person will help you feel more comfortable because that will be the last time you see each other as colleagues.

However, keep in mind that if you’re leaving soon, you can treat them as friends outside of work if you want to. Consider hosting a small gathering of close colleagues outside of work.
If your coworker quits and you stay, it’s a good idea to gather in a small group over to the other person and say goodbye. This way of saying goodbye will make it easier for the other coworker because you took the initiative first.

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Connect with people before you leave. Try to connect with as many colleagues as possible before you leave the office, either via social media or email. Connect with the people you really want to stay in touch with, but don’t assume you have to be friends with everyone on Facebook to make it easier to say goodbye.

In the weeks before you leave, start connecting with colleagues on business platforms like LinkedIn, if you already have an account. This is a great way to both have business contacts and be a ready-made reference in case you need them in the future.

Send Email Goodbye

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Write a letter to the entire company. If you want to say goodbye to your department or to the entire company, it’s unlikely or difficult to say hello one by one, and then sincerely thank everyone in the company. You should group together people you don’t really know and then send the same email to boost company pride. A generic email can include something like:

Dear Colleagues: As you all know, I will be leaving [your position] tomorrow. I just wanted to tell you that I am very happy to work with all of you. I would be happy to keep in touch with everyone and you can also contact me at [your email] or through my LinkedIn profile. Let’s celebrate the time we’ve spent together. Sincerely, [Your Name].

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Keep a positive tone. It can be very easy to become too open-minded when writing about tough times, especially if you’ve been fired. However, you should keep a positive tone to present yourself as bright as possible. Positivity will make it easier to keep in touch with colleagues in the future.

The wisest thing is to say goodbye with a cheerful letter, so the more positive you are about your experiences at the company, the better. This is especially important if you’re also sending this email to your boss.

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Write emails that are short and to the point. The farewell letter should not be a lengthy essay, but should stop at a few sentences. You don’t need to state the real reason you’re leaving. If people have questions, you can encourage them to contact or meet you in person. Just mention that you’re leaving and decide to try another job.

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Add your contact details if desired. Your goodbye email may end up with your contact details. Be sure to include your phone number, email address, and LinkedIn address so you can stay in touch with your colleagues. ^{[2] X Research Sources} However, do not share personal contact information if you feel uncomfortable.

You might consider sharing your information only with a few colleagues. An email is an easy way to reach people on the same team and share information, so be sure to see them again in the future.

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Review the message before sending. Once you’ve finished reviewing the final draft, read through to make sure there are no errors and correct grammar. You should also double-check to make sure your tone is friendly and positive but still professional.

Be sure to mention the people you want to mention in the email.
Read the email aloud to see if there are any oddities.

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Talk directly to close friends. If you email your best friend that you’re leaving your job, it’s too cold. Unless circumstances allow, try to tell them directly. In most cases, you should let the more important people know in person, or at least over the phone.

If you can’t meet each of your closest colleagues for some reason, it’s a good idea to send them a personal email telling them how much fun you’ve had while working with them. Be sure to give them your personal contact information so you can contact them outside of the office.
An example of a personal email might read something like this: Dear [Coworker Name]: You must have heard the news, I am leaving the company soon. I enjoyed working with you and will miss your positive energy. I would be happy if I could still keep in touch with you and hope we can meet outside of work hours. You can reach me by phone [phone number] or by [email address]. Thanks for the time we spent working together! Dear, [Your Name].

Avoid Common Mistakes

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Don’t make false promises. If you do not intend or do not want to keep in touch with Hang in the accounting department, do not promise “Occasionally gather for a drink”. In addition to the fact that you may end up doing things you don’t want to do, don’t be fake or fake. As long as you’re sincere and honest, there’s no need to feel any pressure about having to make plans to meet people you don’t want to see.

If you feel it is rude to contact only these people and ignore others. Be tight-lipped about your plans. You don’t need to let everyone know that you’ll often meet someone to watch football with if it offends the rest.

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Don’t use the last day to badmouth your boss. Don’t scream and then leave. No defamation. Your last working day should be peaceful, dignified, and quick. Even if you feel like there’s still a problem, it’s not a good idea to get involved in an argument with your boss, as your boss may have the power to stop you from finding your next job. Be professional, even if you don’t like it.

If you have a complaint that needs to be addressed, meet face-to-face, just the two of you, and act as professionally as possible. Tell your boss (or whoever you’re having a problem with) that you’d like to meet privately to have something to say.
In some workplaces, there’s often a pre-resignation interview where you can voice your concerns without worrying about how it will affect your job. You’re about to quit your job, and now there’s no point in speaking with caution.

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Don’t bring gifts. You don’t need to show your co-workers with gifts, it can make some co-workers uncomfortable. That’s also unnecessary and a bit pompous. Again, this is a professional work environment and you should also behave in a professional manner.

If you really feel the need to bring something, then just a box of pastries or donuts for the whole office is best if you want to give something back, but don’t feel like you need to go around the office. room with a dozen iPods to say goodbye to everyone. That is not necessary.
If your coworker is leaving and you want to wish them luck, a card is the best expression of friendliness. Again, you don’t have to give them a gold watch.

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Do not speak ill of the company to your co-workers. If you’re leaving, don’t take it as an opportunity to throw all your frustrations and annoyances on your co-workers, who will have to put them all away after you leave. Try to leave with a good mood and don’t make everyone else feel uncomfortable.

Likewise, you shouldn’t brag about how good your new job is if you quit your job for a better one. Try to keep in mind that your co-workers will still have to go back to work on Monday and you shouldn’t leave a boring work environment with your glee.

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Don’t just leave without saying a word. Mysteriousness can create a bad impression and leave behind many doubts with other colleagues about things that are not good. If you feel weird about leaving, that’s an emotion you should work through and keep it personal to everyone. Again, don’t take it as a big deal: just say something short, easy to hear, and get out the door. You will be done soon.

Advice

If you stop working or get fired, only write emails to people you work with and should be aware of the situation.
You can also provide more information about who will take over from you, so your colleagues know who they should contact.

Steps

Say Goodbye Directly

Send Email Goodbye

Avoid Common Mistakes

Advice

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