Marketing Specialist and Freelance Writer
Moving onto retirement is a huge milestone, and should be celebrated. After working for years and contributing so much to your job, this is a time when you can finally take a well-deserved break and relax. Writing a retirement letter is required to let your manager and colleagues know that you are leaving your job. Doing so is seen as professional, and will be highly appreciated by the company you work with.
Writing a retirement letter is something you are required to do only once. Therefore, it should be done to a high standard. With this in mind, this blog article will provide you with 6 helpful tips to write the perfect retirement letter. We will also include an example of a retirement letter to aid you further!
What is a Retirement Letter?
A retirement letter acts as your official resignation from your job. It is essentially telling your employer that you have decided to quit your job. It is a formal written communication that lets your employer know of your intention to retire. This letter also acts as proof that you left your job by choice.
There is certain information that needs to be included in your retirement letter. Here are some pointers to help you write a professional, well structured retirement letter.
What to Include in Your Retirement Letter
Don’t Forget the Basics
It is important to remember this letter needs to be kept professional. In light of this, basic aspects you should include are:
- Job Title
- Company name
- Your intended last day
Other aspects to include in your letter are….
Give Notice & A Specific Date
When you decide it is time for you to retire, it is important to give the company sufficient notice. Have a look at your company’s retirement policy to find out more information about what is required from you. Just like with a two weeks notice, much of the information can likely be found in your employee handbook.
Giving enough notice of your planned retirement date gives your manager and colleagues enough time to find a replacement. If you’ve been in the company for a long time, then you probably have a lot of invaluable experience, which will be hard to replace. So keep in mind that it may take some extra time for the company to fill your shoes.
Be Thankful & Show Gratitude
Expressing your gratitude in your retirement letter is a great way to show you enjoyed your job, as well as your time at the company. This is the perfect opportunity to thank particular people that helped you through your journey at the company- maybe your boss or a co-worker.
If you have been with the same company for most of your working life, then it is likely that you have encountered many people who have enriched your experience. Don’t pass on the opportunity to thank them individually.
Talk About Your Memories and Highlights
When writing your retirement letter, you may want to mention the contributions you made to the company over the years you worked there. Maybe there are even certain memories that you feel demonstrate the value you brought to the company in all your years of service. If this is an aspect you would like to write about, ensure to remain professional and graceful. Retiring is a great opportunity to reflect on all of the good you brought and did for the company.
Offer to Help Train Your Replacement
As we mentioned earlier, your manager will most likely need to find a replacement for you once you go into retirement. It may be a nice gesture to offer to help to train your replacement before you leave. You know the job better than anyone, and the company may appreciate an expert training the new employee. This leaves you with the opportunity to pass on your knowledge and expertise to the person filling your shoes once you leave.
Who Do I Send My Retirement Letter to?
It should be noted that your employer isn’t the only person you should send your letter to. You should also send it over to your HR department. The HR department is likely to be the people who deal with tying up loose ends when it comes to going through your retirement process with you.
Life After Retirement: What do I do now?
Transitioning into retirement can be a difficult process for some. If you are worried or concerned that you might miss your work when you leave, you could always offer your services and work as a consultant or freelancer.
Of course, this option may not be for everyone who is retiring, but if it sounds appealing to you, why not let your manager know. This can be a great way to ease yourself into the life of retirement if you feel you would still like to contribute to the company on a part time basis.
Retirement Letter Example
Dear Danielle,
I am writing to inform you of my retirement which will begin on 11/08/2021.
It is with great delight that I thank you for the opportunity I have had to work with Company X over the last 25 years. I have learned so much from my fantastic mentor Mary Brown as well as my co-workers John Sullivan and Amy Jones. My skills have developed so much during my time as Senior Consultant in Business Processes. In particular, it was such a pleasure to work on the employee performance case study project last year and work with such great people along the way.
I am committed to making sure this transition is as seamless as possible, so I encourage you to let me know what you need from me in order to make that happen. I am happy to help in the hiring and training of my replacement in the meantime. Also, if there are any opportunities to do so in the future, I would be happy to assist as a consultant or freelance while I am retired.
I will always cherish my time here at Company X, and I thank you for the opportunity you have given me. I wish everyone at Company X the best in the years to come!
Yours Sincerely,
Elizabeth Walters
RETIREMENT LETTER EXAMPLE #2: Retirement Letter Samples
Conclusion
Once your retirement letter is edited and deemed written and professional, don’t be afraid to show a little personality by expressing your feelings of gratitude.
It is important to inform your employer of your retirement and leave your job as gracefully as possible. The transition should be dealt with in a professional manner, and done as smoothly as it can be. Leaving your managers and colleagues behind may take some level of organization, and this should be respected from your side too.
Transitioning into retirement can be difficult for some, but try and see this milestone as an achievement. After working for so many years of your life, this is a time you can spend doing whatever you like. Maybe it’s now the perfect time to write that book you have been meaning to get to, or take a trip to somewhere on your travel list. Whatever it is you want to do when you leave your job is completely up to do, you can now finally sit back and relax. Congratulations!
