How to Write a Farewell Message to Colleagues

A farewell message isn't a resignation — that part is already done. It's the friendly note you send your colleagues on or around your last day to thank them, say goodbye, and let people know how to stay in touch. Done well, it takes two minutes to write and leaves people with a warm final impression of you.

If you haven't formally resigned yet, start with our guide on how to resign professionally in Australia — send your farewell only once your manager and close team already know you're going.

When to send your farewell message

Timing matters. Send your farewell on your last day, or one to two days before, once your formal handover is well underway and the people who need to hear it from you directly already have. Sending it too early can feel abrupt; leaving it until you've walked out the door means it may never land.

Order matters too: tell your manager and your closest colleagues personally first, then send the wider group message. Nobody close to you should learn you're leaving from a mass email.

What to include

A good farewell message is short — a few lines is plenty. Include four things: a genuine thank you, one sentence on what you valued, your last day if it's relevant, and (optionally) a way to stay in touch. You do not need to explain why you're leaving or where you're going.

Keep the tone positive and warm, even if your time there had hard moments. This is the note people remember you by. Our farewell generator builds this structure for the whole team, a close team, a manager or mentor, clients, or a quick casual message.

Farewell to your whole team or all staff

For a company-wide or all-team message, keep it general and inclusive. Thank the group, mention the experience rather than singling people out (you'll miss someone if you start naming names), and keep it upbeat. A subject line like "Thank you and farewell" or "Goodbye for now" works well.

If your workplace uses a group chat like Slack or Teams, a short message version is often more natural than a formal email — warm, brief, and easy to react to.

A personal note to your manager or close team

The people you worked with most closely deserve more than a group email. A short, sincere message to your manager or mentor — thanking them for specific support or guidance — goes a long way and is often the message that keeps a relationship alive for years.

A good manager can become a referee or a door-opener later, so it's worth the extra two minutes. For the steps around starting your next role, see our guides on replying to a job offer and following up after an interview.

Telling clients or external contacts

If you work with clients or external partners, they may need a heads-up too — but keep this one strictly professional and focused on continuity. Let them know you're moving on, thank them for the working relationship, and reassure them that a colleague will look after them. Check with your manager first on who contacts clients and what can be said.

Avoid sharing your new employer or poaching contacts on your way out; it's both poor form and, depending on your contract, sometimes a breach of it.

Should you share your contact details?

Adding a way to stay in touch — usually a LinkedIn profile, sometimes a personal email — is common and a good idea, especially for people you'd like to keep in your network. Only share what you're comfortable making public, and a professional channel like LinkedIn is usually better than a personal phone number for a group message.

Mistakes to avoid

A few things turn a nice farewell into one people remember for the wrong reasons. Don't use it to air grievances or take parting shots — it's permanent and it travels. Don't make it all about your exciting new job. Don't send a mass email before telling close colleagues personally. And don't overshare your reasons for leaving. Keep it warm, brief and gracious, and you can't go wrong.