Happy retirement wishes, and what to write in the card
Say congratulations, thank them for one specific thing they did, and wish them something to look forward to.
Who’s in it?
Pay, and it’s ready in about 20 seconds
Four pictures to pick from, no watermark, a link that opens on any phone. We email it to you too.
Sent. Its link opens this card.
To write a happy retirement message, say congratulations, thank them for one specific thing from their working years, and wish them something they'll actually do next: "Happy retirement, Carol. Thank you for 22 years of calm in the busiest office in town. Go take that train trip." On a card the whole team signs, one short line is enough. Below are 82 retirement wishes: short ones for the group card, funny ones about alarm clocks, Mondays and golf, thanks for their work, and lines for a coworker, a boss, a teacher, a nurse or doctor, Mom or Dad, and a friend. Copy one, or tap it to put it on a card with their face in it. The card puts them in a hammock on a beach with a coconut drink, while a seagull flies off with their work badge and nobody chases it.
What to write, by who's retiring
How well you know them decides how long it should be. For someone you sat next to for ten years, write the story. For someone you met twice, one warm line is plenty.
| Who's retiring | What works | Leave out |
|---|---|---|
| A coworker you know well | One story only the two of you have, then thanks | Inside jokes the rest of the card won't get |
| A coworker you barely know | Congratulations and one good thing you've heard about them | Pretending you were close |
| Your boss | One thing they did for you or the team | Jokes about how they ran things |
| Someone on your team | What they taught you, and what you'll keep doing | How much more work you'll have now |
| A teacher | One student they helped, maybe your own kid | Summer vacation jokes. They've heard them all |
| A nurse or doctor | The night shifts, the holidays, the patients | Hospital stories that only work in the break room |
| Mom or Dad | What their work made possible for you | Plans for how they should fill their time |
| A friend | The plans you'll finally have time for | Anything about how old they are |
82 wishes to put on the card
Tap one and it goes on your card. You can change every word.
Short ones for the group card
Funny ones
For a coworker
For your boss
For a teacher
For a nurse or doctor
For Dad or Mom
For a friend
Heartfelt thanks for their work
Cards made from your photos
How to write a retirement message in three lines
"Congratulations, Frank. You taught me how to run a site meeting without yelling, and I still do it your way every week. Enjoy the boat." Three parts, in this order:
- Congratulations and their name.
- One specific thing from their work: something they built, fixed, taught or put up with.
- One thing to enjoy next: the trip, the grandkids, the garden, the boat. If you don't know, "Enjoy every slow morning" works for anyone.
What to leave out of a retirement card
Most retirement cards go wrong in the same few ways. Skip these:
- Age jokes, unless they started them. Retiring isn't always about age, and a getting old meme is better saved for their birthday.
- "What are you going to do all day?" They've been asked 40 times this month.
- Money talk: pensions, savings, how nice it must be. You don't know their numbers.
- Anything that sounds like they're easy to replace. "We'll hardly notice you're gone" reads worse on a card than it sounds at a party.
- Big cheerful lines when they didn't choose to go. If it was health, a layoff or a hard goodbye, "Thank you for everything you did here" is kind and true.
- "Keep in touch" when you won't. If you mean it, write your number instead.
How it works
- Pick a cardPilots, mermaids, rock stars, one very surprised cake. Every one shows a real example first.
- Add their photosOne clear face each, up to 5 people. A selfie is fine. No sign-up.
- Preview it, then payOne picture of them in the card in about 10 seconds. Like it? Apple Pay or Google Pay, and four pictures arrive about 20 seconds later, the video in about 90.
What do you write in a retirement card?
Congratulations, one specific thank-you, and one wish for what's next: "Happy retirement, Ana. This office ran on your spreadsheets for 15 years. Enjoy the garden." If you're one of 30 names on a group card, a single warm line is plenty.
What is a good funny retirement message?
Joke about the job they're leaving, never about them: "Your alarm clock just got laid off. Happy retirement." Mondays, meetings, commutes and golf are all safe. Their age, their health and their replacement usually aren't.
What do you write for a coworker you don't know well?
Keep it short and kind: "Congratulations on your retirement. Everyone says this place won't be the same, and I believe them." One sentence is fine. The same rule works for birthday wishes for a coworker.
How do you retire gracefully?
Give plenty of notice, write down the things only you know, and help the person taking over. Then thank people by name before your last day. A short note to the team does it, and these thank-you messages can help you write it.
What is the biggest retirement regret among seniors?
Ask people a few years in and two answers come up a lot: not saving sooner, and losing touch with the people they worked with. A card can't help with the first one. It can help with the second: write "Lunch in March?" and your number, then actually call.
Can I send a retirement card with their face in it?
Yes. Tap a wish, add one clear photo of them and pay. HiWith puts them in the scene, like a hammock on the beach while a seagull steals their work badge, and adds your line. You get four pictures and a short video, the pictures ready about 20 seconds after you pay, sent as a link that opens on any phone. For work milestones that aren't goodbyes, there are work anniversary memes and just-because cards.
By HiWith (Winding AI, Inc.) · support@winding.ai · Updated