Work Colleague Leaving Gift Ideas: What to Give and What to Spend
Work colleague leaving gift ideas
The best work colleague leaving gift is specific and usable. The worst is a generic desk ornament with the company logo on it, which goes in a drawer before they've reached the car park.
Below: ideas by budget, how much to collect per person, and the etiquette of running a whip-round that doesn't annoy everyone.
Whatever you buy, the card matters more. People keep the card.
Leaving cards, badges and keepsakes
Cards, pin badges, candles and prints - all designed in house and posted from the UK.
Police Officer Retirement Card (Less Time For Murder)
£3.87
Ciao, Bitch (Italian-themed Goodbye & Good Luck Card)
£3.87
Good Luck For Your New Life in Dubai Card
£3.87
Adios, Bitch (Spanish-themed Goodbye & Good Luck Card)
£3.87
See You Later, Alligator (Funny Good Luck Card)
£3.75
"Rock On" Good Luck Card
£3.87
Under £10
- A card everyone signs - the thing they'll actually keep.
- An enamel pin badge that references something only your team would get.
- A good notebook for the new job.
- Their coffee order, prepaid on a gift card.
- A framed print of the team photo.
- A small candle for the new desk or new home office.
- Their favourite biscuits, wrapped properly.
£10 to £30
- A book by an author they've talked about.
- A quality desk item - pen, coaster set, or a decent mug that isn't branded.
- A plant for the new desk, in a pot rather than plastic.
- A cinema or coffee subscription for a month.
- A signed print or personalised keepsake.
- A hamper of the snacks they raided the kitchen for.
£30 to £100 (group collection)
- Restaurant or experience vouchers - the most-used group gift there is.
- A weekend-away contribution if they're moving cities.
- Good headphones for the new commute.
- A hobby-specific gift: cycling, cooking, gardening, whatever they talk about.
- A framed group photo alongside the card.
- A charity donation in their name, if that's more them.
For a retirement or long service
- A framed keepsake print with dates and years of service.
- A memory book with a page from each person.
- Something for the thing they've said they'll finally have time for. Shop this card
- A garden plant or tree, which outlasts everything else.
- Vouchers for a proper meal out with their partner.
Running the collection
- £3 to £5 a person for a colleague, £5 to £10 for a manager or long-server.
- Never name who gave what, and never chase anyone twice.
- Set a deadline three days before the leaving do.
- Use one payment link rather than an envelope on a desk.
- Say what the gift is when you ask - people give more when they know.
- Buy the card first, so it can go round while the money comes in.
What to avoid
- Anything branded with the company they're leaving.
- Novelty joke gifts that only land with half the office.
- Alcohol, unless you know for certain.
- Anything they'd have to carry home on the train alongside a box of desk stuff.
- A gift with no card. The card is the point.
Shop leaving and retirement cards
How to write it so it lands
- Buy the card the moment the leaving date is confirmed.
- Ask their closest work friend what they'd actually use.
- Hand the gift over before the pub, not during it.
- Take one group photo while everyone's still in the office.
Where to shop next
- Work party ideas hub
- Work party invite wording
- Office party themes and decorations
- Leaving do ideas
- Office birthday ideas
- Team building ideas
- Work Christmas party ideas
- Work Christmas party planning guide
- Office Christmas party games
- Leaving card messages for a colleague
- Work colleague leaving gift ideas
- Office party ideas
- Work party games
- Christening party ideas
- Communion quiz questions
- Naming ceremony themes
- Religious milestones hub
- Congratulations messages
- Congratulations on your promotion
- Work anniversary messages
- Thank you messages for your boss
- New job card messages
- New job gift ideas
- New job cards
- Promotion cards
- Secret Santa gift ideas
- Secret Santa rules
- Buy party supplies
- Bunting & banners
- Table confetti
- Cake toppers
- Pin badges
- Retirement cards
- Christmas cards
- Celebration ideas
- Retirement party decorations
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
Frequently asked questions
How much should you spend on a colleague's leaving gift?
£3 to £5 a head for a colleague and £5 to £10 for a manager or someone with long service is the usual UK range, which puts most group gifts between £30 and £100.
What is a good leaving gift for a work colleague?
Something specific and usable: vouchers for a restaurant they like, a good notebook or pen for the new job, a framed team photo, a plant, or a pin badge referencing a team joke - always with a signed card.
Do you give a gift if you barely know them?
Sign the card and put in whatever the collection asks for. Nobody expects a separate gift from someone they worked with twice.
Who organises the leaving gift at work?
Usually their closest colleague or their manager's assistant. Whoever it is should set a deadline, use one payment link and buy the card first so it can go round while the money comes in.