A colleague is leaving on Friday and the leaving card has just landed on my desk.
Name one thing they did that made your work better, wish them well in what's next, and leave a way to stay in touch. HidenGPT's Anything format drafts card lines, a Slack or Teams message or a longer note from your notes, warm or lightly funny. You choose one, check the names and sign it.
Try it with your own details
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for a new line
How to do it in HidenGPT
- 01
Write down how you know them, one thing they did that you or the team benefited from, and anything you've joked about together that they'd enjoy seeing in writing.
- 02
In Anything (Length Short, Tone Friendly), say which pieces you need: a line for the card, a chat message, a note for their personal email. Ask for each under a heading.
- 03
Check the draft against what you actually know: their new role, the city, the name of the project. Delete anything you're guessing.
- 04
Sign the card with your first name, post the chat message on their last day, and send a LinkedIn invitation if you'd like to stay in touch.
Anything: Describe what you need; it works out the format and writes it.
Example messages, from close colleague to near stranger
Change the details and keep the shape: a specific thank-you, a wish, an open door.
- A colleague you sat next to: “Priya, you saved the spring campaign with two weeks' notice and made it look easy. The desk is going to be very quiet. Austin is lucky. Keep in touch.” - Your manager: “Thank you for trusting me with the client calls before I trusted myself with them. I'll miss your Friday check-ins more than I'll admit. All the best in the new role, Sam.” - Someone who reported to you: “You made the team better in ways that will show up long after you've gone. I'm proud to have worked with you. Use me as a reference any time.” - Someone you barely worked with: “Good luck in the new job, Tom. It's been good having you on the floor.” - A colleague leaving after redundancies or a restructure: keep it warm and plain, with no comment on the company. “It's been a real pleasure working with you, Jess. Whatever comes next is lucky to get you. Here's my personal email if I can help with anything.”
Funny leaving card messages that stay kind
Jokes work best about shared work life, not about the person or the company:
- “Who's going to tell us the fantasy league is rigged now? Good luck, Priya.” - “Your plant has asked to be transferred with you.” - “We've already started blaming you for everything. It's a tradition.”
Two checks before you write a joke in a card that everyone reads: would they laugh if their new boss saw it, and would it make sense to them in five years? Skip jokes about their salary, their reason for leaving, or how the team will fall apart without them, which can land as a dig at whoever stays.
Leaving card, Slack message or a note to their personal email
In the UK the leaving card often goes round with a collection for a gift and is handed over at leaving drinks; in the US a card and a team lunch are common. Either way the card wants two or three lines, written where there's still room.
A last-day message in Slack or Teams can be longer, three to five sentences, and public. Keep anything personal for a direct message.
If you're close, send something to their personal email or phone: their work account may be switched off the moment they leave, and messages to it disappear with it.
What not to write
Leave out why they're leaving, what they'll earn, anything about the people they're glad to get away from, and comments on the company's direction. Cards get passed around before they're handed over, and screenshots of chat messages travel.
Skip the stock lines too. “Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors” is the default for a reason, and the reason is that nobody has to think about it. HidenGPT's red pen also cuts “embark on a new journey” and “thrive”; one detail about them does more than both.
Not the right tool if
- Your own goodbye email when you're the one leaving. That's a different text with its own page.
- A speech at the leaving do or the send-off. That's written to be heard; the farewell speech page covers it.
- A reference or recommendation for their next job. That is a letter with a set format, linked below.
Other ways to do it
- Saying it at their leaving drinks or lunch
- Two sentences in person, then a short line in the card, is often the best combination.
- A LinkedIn recommendation
- If you worked closely, a public recommendation is a farewell gift they can actually use.
- ChatGPT or another chatbot
- Fine for a list of options, but they tend toward “future endeavors” until you give it the details.
Questions
What do you write in a leaving card for a colleague?
One thing they did that you'll miss, a wish for their next job and your name. Two or three lines is the right size for a shared card.
What is a short farewell message for a coworker?
“It's been great working with you, Priya. Good luck in Austin, and keep in touch.” Add one specific detail if you have room.
What do I write in a leaving card for my manager?
Thank them for one concrete thing, such as an opportunity or a habit of theirs you'll keep, and wish them well. Keep it sincere and short; flattery reads badly in a shared card.
What are some funny leaving card messages?
Jokes about shared work life land best: “Your plant has asked to be transferred with you.” Avoid jokes about their pay, the reason they're leaving or the company.
What do I write when a colleague is leaving because of layoffs?
Be warm and practical, and say nothing about the company. Offer something useful, like being a reference or passing on job leads, and give a personal contact.
Should I send a farewell message on Slack or Teams?
Yes, on their last day, and keep the public one short. Send anything personal as a direct message or to their personal email, since work accounts are often closed when someone leaves.
Can I use AI to write a farewell message?
Yes, as long as the details are true. HidenGPT drafts from what you tell it about the person and won't invent shared memories; you choose, edit and sign it as yours.