Retirement "goodbye" email that leaves the door open

[Lisa99]

Wanted to share the email I have stashed to send to my work colleagues when the time comes to pull the retirement trigger.

I plan to not say we're retiring to avoid a whole lot of questions, instead we're taking a "sabbatical" which is a pretty common thing for people our age to do (52 & 49). This approach also leaves the door open for me to be able to come back if I really want to.

[FONT=&quot]Dear Colleagues,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I’d like to share with you that I will be leaving [megacorp] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]at the end of this month to take a long-planned sabbatical. My husband Steve and I have plans to volunteer our time and to travel the world. And while we don’t know if our sabbatical will last a year or for the rest of our lives, I hope we stay in touch.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I’ll miss working with you, so it’s with mixed emotions that I say “until next time” instead of goodbye. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sincerely,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Lisa[/FONT]

 

[nash031]

In my line of work, I leave from one place to transfer to another roughly every 2 years. It seems like 80-90% of people send mass emails wishing a farewell and copying their email to "drop a line" later.

I don't do it.

I talk to the people to whom I want to say farewell in person, exchange contact info if I don't have it, and everyone else will figure out I'm gone at some point. I just don't get the need to send a mass email to a group of people who largely don't care! I try to be a little more personal.

Just my $0.02.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I am sure they will all be thrilled to hear about your plans to travel the world while they are still working.

 

[pb4uski]

This was mine. It was well received despite being a bit verbose.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As you may have heard by now, tomorrow, February 1, will be my last day with Mega. I am so thankful to have worked with all of you for the last 13 years. I have a lot of great memories of the times we have spent together.

After working for almost 35 years for four great employers with no breaks other than vacations, I have decided to take an elongated break from work and further enjoy other aspects of life. I am looking forward to a lot of skiing, snowmobiling (if we ever get enough snow), boating, sailing, golfing and other hobbies. For some reason that I don't quite understand, I hesitate to characterize this as a retirement because it sounds so final. but we'll see.

Some people who know me well think I will get bored silly and want to get back to work after a while. I don't think so, but as they say, never say never.

I truly believe that Mega is a great place to work. I will definitely miss the camaraderie of the people of Mega and our clients (most of them anyway). I probably won't miss performance reviews, annual plans, difficult clients and client situations and most of all, time reporting.

While I will miss you all, there are a handful of people that I need to publicly thank for their important roles in my Mega experience over the last 13 years:

[current Boss] - for making providing outstanding client service so darn fun.
[another boss] - for keeping me out of trouble (for the most part) at [notable client] .
[First boss], - for recruiting me to the firm and for his sage counsel over the years (at cigar and other bars).
[another boss] - for making Project [X] and other projects so fun and letting me occasionally travel in style
and last, but in no way least, [my assistant], for her infallible support during my entire time at Mega (how many people get to have an outstanding EA for 13 straight years?).

For those who want to keep in touch, you can reach me at or at [phone number]. [/QUOTE]

 

[Amethyst]

The latest thing where I work (Mega.gov) is for the youngsters, who would've left for more $$ anyway, to publish self-serving "resignation letters" spelling out all the things they didn't like, which caused them to leave. Some of which are universal gripes, and others rather petty.

My favorite so far - not a resignation, merely a rant - was by a woman who went on and on about how parents of young kids should be treated better than other employees because [boiled down] if we didn't have parents, the human race would die out.

Personally, I think the only letter to write is the one your boss signs and you take to HR, saying "I will be leaving on such-and-such a date."

Amethyst

 

[Ready]

The latest thing where I work (Mega.gov) is for the youngsters, who would've left for more $$ anyway, to publish self-serving "resignation letters" spelling out all the things they didn't like, which caused them to leave. Some of which are universal gripes, and others rather petty.

My favorite so far - not a resignation, merely a rant - was by a woman who went on and on about how parents of young kids should be treated better than other employees because [boiled down] if we didn't have parents, the human race would die out.

Personally, I think the only letter to write is the one your boss signs and you take to HR, saying "I will be leaving on such-and-such a date."

Amethyst

I tend to agree. Short and professional, but no need to air dirty laundry or be overly verbose in a resignation letter. There are other forums for sharing those kind of details that are more appropriate.

 

[Lisa99]

I've been with the same company for 15 years and truly enjoy many of the people I work with. I don't want to just disappear.

 

[Amethyst]

Me neither, which is why I will find time before "the end" to go around and visit the ones who were the best to work with, and tell them I'll miss them. If they're overseas or otherwise impossible to get at, then I'll send individual e-mails.

Everyone goes about farewells differently, which is not surprising since we are all different.

Amethyst

I've been with the same company for 15 years and truly enjoy many of the people I work with. I don't want to just disappear.

 

[LoneAspen]

I am sure they will all be thrilled to hear about your plans to travel the world while they are still working.

As horrible as it sounds, there's a part of me that would send something like that out just to rub some peoples' face in it.

I tend to not form close friendships with people I work with. I've always preferred to have a different circle of people I know socially, and am friends with, than people I work with. So if I sent something like that out and people were offended, it's not like I'd care too much.

But...when the time comes, I probably wouldn't do it. I'll probably be far more likely to just want to cut the cord, walk out the door, never look back, and get on with Life 2.0

 

[scrabbler1]

I had an assortment of different methods of communicating with people in my final days/weeks/months of working, both before and after I made my resignation announcement.

My gripes about corporate policy I disagreed with were made to people up and down the HR chain, from the low-level rep who conducted my exit interview to a higher-up about the unfairness some of the company's policies were to those of us who were unmarried and/or childfree, as well as their group health program eligibility.

My actual resignation letter to my immediate bosses was very brief. Here it is:

"This is to inform you that I am resigning my position at [megacorp]. My last day will be Friday, October 31st, 2008.

Please begin the process which includes the paperwork I will need to complete so I can have a prompt and orderly transition of my savings plan assets to the accounts of my choice. Because I am paid on a lag basis, I would also appreciate it if you and HR can arrange for my last paycheck to be given to me as soon as possible after my last day because that will speed up the paperwork 401k administrator] needs to get before they can disburse the funds to me."

If anyone in my division wanted to discuss anything further with me about why I was leaving, they could do so privately. The only thing one boss asked me was if it were health related. I said it was not (I did not think he meant "sick of commuting" or "sick of working" LOL!).

On my last day, I made a little speech to those gathered around my desk who gave me some going-away gifts. No rants, just some friendly stuff, as nobody there I was upset with.

I did send an email to everyone in my division giving my good-byes but not going into any details of what I would be doing. Again, more friendly stuff, no rants. One thing I did not do was to include my home email address. Anyone I wanted to keep in touch with I already had their home email address (or used their work one I already knew) and/or had given out mine. I did not want anyone else to be calling me with work questions.

I have kept in touch with a few people over the years although that has dwindled which is okay with me. Most of my coworkers did not live near me anyway, and remember the commute was the main reason for my leaving so it is not like I was ever planing to make that long, tiring, and expensive trip (it would cost me nearly $25 on the trains) back there again.

I walked out the door and never looked back.

 

[Ronstar]

I emailed nothing to colleagues when I went to 1 day a week, nor will I when I leave for good. I did email this 6 month notice to the bosses:

"Dear Moe, Larry & Curly;

In accordance with the terms of my Employment Contract, I am hereby giving 6 months written notice of my desire to terminate the contract. As previously discussed, (DW) is retiring in 2013, and I’m putting the wheels in motion so that I can retire when she does.

I will do whatever I can to provide a seamless transition of my duties during the next 6 months. If acceptable to Littlecorp, I am currently open to limited part time work beyond April 1, 2013."

Now i'm doing limited part time work until DW retires in early 2014

 

[youbet]

if we didn't have parents, the human race would die out.

Well, that part is absolutely true.

Personally, I think the only letter to write is the one your boss signs and you take to HR, saying "I will be leaving on such-and-such a date."

I agree. Unless there is something extremely serious to bring to light, like sexual harassment or embezzlement, let it go. On the other side of the coin, I've never bad mouthed former employees when I was called for a reference. Just the basic facts about their attendance, skill sets, capabilities, etc., and no comments on personalities, appearances or other subjective factors. If Betty Lou was a great C++ programmer but also a whiner and a pain in the butt to manage, I just said she was a great C++ programmer and let it go at that.

 

[scrabbler1]

My favorite so far - not a resignation, merely a rant - was by a woman who went on and on about how parents of young kids should be treated better than other employees because [boiled down] if we didn't have parents, the human race would die out.

This kind of entitlement attitude would have driven me crazy had it gone on at my old company. So we childfree people have to stay late at work so this woman at Amethyst's office can leave work early to watch her Little Johnny play soccer? As I wrote in another post in this thread, I never liked that those with kids got paid more if they included the employer subsidy for group health insurance. Isn't that enough?

 

[scrabbler1]

I emailed nothing to colleagues when I went to 1 day a week, nor will I when I leave for good. I did email this 6 month notice to the bosses:

"Dear Moe, Larry & Curly;

In accordance with the terms of my Employment Contract, I am hereby giving 6 months written notice of my desire to terminate the contract. As previously discussed, (DW) is retiring in 2013, and I’m putting the wheels in motion so that I can retire when she does.

I will do whatever I can to provide a seamless transition of my duties during the next 6 months. If acceptable to Littlecorp, I am currently open to limited part time work beyond April 1, 2013."

Now i'm doing limited part time work until DW retires in early 2014

LMAO Did you really address it as "Dear Moe, Larry, and Curly?"

 

[LoneAspen]

I emailed nothing to colleagues when I went to 1 day a week, nor will I when I leave for good. I did email this 6 month notice to the bosses:

"Dear Moe, Larry & Curly;

In accordance with the terms of my Employment Contract, I am hereby giving 6 months written notice of my desire to terminate the contract. As previously discussed, (DW) is retiring in 2013, and I’m putting the wheels in motion so that I can retire when she does.

I will do whatever I can to provide a seamless transition of my duties during the next 6 months. If acceptable to Littlecorp, I am currently open to limited part time work beyond April 1, 2013."

Now i'm doing limited part time work until DW retires in early 2014

Littlecorp? But Moe, Larry, and Curly worked at Dewey Cheatem and Howe!

 

[Ronstar]

LMAO Did you really address it as "Dear Moe, Larry, and Curly?"

No, but if I had thought about it back then I might have. I do call them numbskulls on occasion.

Littlecorp? But Moe, Larry, and Curly worked at Dewey Cheatem and Howe!

Lone - You're right - I remember their company now. I remember rushing home everyday from grade school just to watch the stooges. They were (are) classics.

 

[Redbugdave]

I tend to not form close friendships with people I work with. I've always preferred to have a different circle of people I know socially, and am friends with, than people I work with. I'll probably be far more likely to just want to cut the cord, walk out the door, never look back, and get on with Life 2.0

That's the way I am and what I plan to do in 6 months.

 

[Backpacker]

I always liked "I am resigning with mixed emotions... both joy and pleasure! Lol

I work at a small company at which we all know each other very well. So doubt I can escape quietly.

When I leave I intend to not just burn the bridge I intend to bull doze the burned steel.

In all seriousness it's been a great place to work and consider myself very blessed.