Before you write a retirement congratulations letter, think about what you want to say. Retirement is viewed differently by different people.
Some people are happy and looking forward to a new life, while others think they will be left out of life’s loop. If you’re writing to a coworker, a friend, or a family member, you should know how they feel about retiring.
letter may be formal or friendly
The letter may be formal or friendly depending on the sender’s relationship with the retiree. It can be printed from a computer or hand written on company letterhead or personal stationery.
These are the choices the sender needs to make. If the retiree is a co-worker, a handwritten letter may be best, but if the retiree is a supervisor in a large company, a typed and printed letter is probably a better choice.
If the person initiated retirement, they are probably looking forward to it. However, if they are being forced to retire because of age or heath issues, they may not be very happy about it.
Most Important Part
The most important part of a retirement congratulations letter is to express appreciation for their years of service, mentoring, innovative initiatives or any other highlight of their working life.
A group of people in an office can send a group letter that is signed by everyone, but a personal letter will be more appreciated.
The letter should have a sincere tone and not appear to be generic even if it is written in formal style. It needs to be original and personal. If it seems like something copied from a model, it will be more of an insult than not sending a letter.
If the letter is to a supervisor, it would be wise to ask some coworkers about their experiences with the retiree.
good comments
If there are any good comments, they can be included in the letter as if from the whole group of employees. Clients and customers who worked closely with the retiree may also have some flattering comments.
The sender should mention what things about working with the retiree they will miss. This may be a great attitude or the home baked cookies they regularly brought for everyone in the office.
It should also mention career successes and accomplishments of the retiree and congratulate them on a successful career.
When writing to a friend or relative retiree, the letter can be less formal and even humorous. The sender can make statements such as, now you can work on your sail boat on your own time.
is retiree a Co-worker?
If the retiree is a co-worker, the letter should mention that the sender enjoyed working with them and wish them luck in their future endeavors.
The sender can name a few things he or she learned from the coworker and commend them for their contributions to the success of the company.
The letter should begin with a statement of congratulations. After that, the sender can express their personal account of how the retiree benefited the organization including the sender’s personal experience.
The letter should end with a desire to stay in touch along with the sender’s personal phone number and email address as well as a sentence wishing the retiree a happy and relaxing retired life.
If the sender knows what the retiree plans to do after retirement, they can mention that and wish them success.
Even if the sender knows the retiree well, it’s nice to send a formal congratulatory letter, because they may keep it as a memento. Here is an example of a retirement congratulations letter to a team leader.
Sample 1 – Congratulations on your Retirement Letter
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, Zip Code]
[DATE]
[Name of Retiree]
[Address of Retiree]
[City, State, Zip Code]
Dear [Name of Retiree],
I’d want to express my heartfelt congrats on your retirement. On [DATE], I understand you will be leaving the office. I will miss your positive and enthusiastic attitude, because you always kept me looking at the bright side of life.
Your exceptional ability to keep the team on task and in perfect harmony displays your professionalism and attention to detail.
I genuinely hope we can follow your lead and continue in the same manner with our next team leader, despite the fact that I doubt anyone can match your infectious laugh and excellent humor.
I know retirement isn’t going to slow you down, so I won’t tell you to rest, and I wish you all the best in your new endeavor as an environmental consultant for building businesses.
Please remain in touch and send me an email every now and then to let me know how you’re doing. [name@email.com] is my email address. I’ll keep an eye out on your [Facebook] and [Twitter] accounts for updates.
Congratulations again for a job well done in [Name of Company].
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Your Name]
Sample 2 – Congratulations On Your Retirement email
Subject: congratulations on your retirement
Dear [Name of Retiree],
I want to wish you the warmest congratulations on your retirement. I understand that you will be leaving the office on [DATE]. I will miss your positive and enthusiastic attitude, because you always kept me looking at the bright side of life.
Your extraordinary ability to keep the team on task in a perfectly harmonious way is a good example of your professionalism and attention to detail.
I sincerely hope we can live up to your example and continue with our new team leader in the same way, although I doubt anyone has your infectious laugh and good humor.
I know retirement isn’t going to slow you down, so I won’t tell you to relax, and I wish you all the best in your new endeavor of environmental consultant for construction companies.
Please keep in touch and let me know how you are doing with an email now and then. My address is [name@email.com]. I’ll be watching your [Facebook] and [Twitter] pages for your news.
Congratulations again for a job well done in [Name of Company].
Sincerely,
[Your Name]