Retirement card messages and wishes

Retirement cards get passed round an office and end up with thirty near-identical lines in them, which is why yours is worth ten seconds of thought. Say what they did, not just that they're leaving.

Below you'll find retirement messages grouped by tone and by relationship — a boss you liked, a colleague you'll actually miss, a teacher or nurse leaving after decades, or a parent finally stopping.

If you're signing a group card, write two lines rather than one. "Good luck!" from twenty people is the reason nobody keeps these cards.

Funny retirement messages

• Congratulations. Your alarm clock has been notified and is delighted. Shop this card
• Enjoy retirement. Every day is Saturday, except Sunday, which is still Sunday. Shop this card
• Happy retirement. Please don't come back as a consultant. Shop this card
• You've earned a lie-in that lasts several years. Shop this card
• Retirement: the same job, minus the meetings, the emails and the money. Shop this card
• Off you go then. We'll be fine. Probably. Where do you keep the spreadsheet? Shop this card
• Congratulations on your last ever Monday. Shop this card
• Happy retirement. May your inbox never trouble you again. Shop this card

Heartfelt retirement wishes for a colleague

• You made this place better and easier for everyone in it. Thank you.
• Thanks for the advice, the patience and the biscuits. Enjoy every minute. Shop this card
• You'll be missed far more than you'd ever admit. Happy retirement.
• Thank you for showing the rest of us how it's done. Shop this card
• It won't be the same without you. Go and enjoy it thoroughly. Shop this card
• Wishing you a retirement as good as the career behind it.

Retirement messages for a teacher or nurse

• Thousands of children passed through your classroom and are better for it. Enjoy your retirement. Shop this card
• Thank you for decades of long shifts and looking after everyone but yourself. Now it's your turn.
• You changed how a lot of us turned out. Thank you, and happy retirement.
• The staffroom will never recover. Enjoy every single lie-in. Shop this card
• Thank you for the care you gave to people on their worst days.

Retirement wishes for a boss

• Thank you for backing us, even when it cost you something. Happy retirement.
• A good manager is rarer than people think. Thanks for being one.
• You led from the front and you're leaving at the top. Enjoy it. Shop this card
• Happy retirement — the meetings will be worse without you.

Short retirement card messages

• Happy retirement. Enjoy every second. Shop this card
• Well done, and well earned.
• Here's to the next chapter.
• Congratulations on a brilliant career.
• Go carefully. Come back for lunch. Shop this card
• Time's yours now. Spend it well. Shop this card

Shop all retirement cards

Leaving and good luck cards

For the last day, whether it's retirement or a new job.

Thank you cards for colleagues

Pair with the group card, or send your own.

How to write it so it lands

• Say what they did, not just that they're leaving.
• Avoid "enjoy the golf" unless you know they play.
• Add your surname on a group card if there are two of your first name.

Where to shop next

• Retirement cards
• Good luck cards
• Thank you cards
• Thank you cards for teachers
• Scented soy candles
• Retirement party decorations
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What do you write in a retirement card?

Name what they were good at and one moment you saw it, then wish them well for what's next. Two specific sentences beat a paragraph of general praise.

What do you write in a group retirement card?

Write more than "good luck". Add your name clearly, mention the team or project you worked on together, and leave room for the person after you.

Is it rude to make jokes about age in a retirement card?

One light joke is usually welcome; a card built entirely on being old isn't, especially for early retirement or someone leaving on health grounds. Read the room and finish warm.