How To Say Goodbye At Work

Here at Iron Horse Brewery we’ve had our fair share of goodbyes. We live in a college town so naturally a lot of the turnover we see is cyclical. Since I started working here 3 years ago at least 39 people have left the brewery leaving room for new people to join the team. (It’s possibly more than that, but my memory isn’t the best and listmaking only gets you so far).

I am the current person behind the content at IHB and I often ask others to write me farewell blogs when they decide their time at Iron Horse Brewery has come to an end. Since I’ve asked that of others, I thought it only fair to write one myself. 

Saying goodbye is hard. Reading goodbye emails is hard too. How do you tell your work family it’s not them it’s you? How do you find the words to respond when someone sends you an email that they are leaving? The answer is to try to remain as robotic as possible to avoid real feelings, and here’s an easy way to do that. Here is a handy guide of words you can use when quitting a job or when your beloved coworker hands in their resignation. 

A quick reference guide for when you don’t have the words to say goodbye to a colleague.

If you’re the one leaving: 

• I just wanted to say that I’ve enjoyed working with all of you over the last few years. I love this company and I wish you all the best. 
• Thanks for the great memories and don’t be strangers.
• I have learned so much in the past [ insert #] years. Thanks for being the most superfly group of people I’ve had the privilege of knowing. Keep on spreading the magic!
• I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to work with an awesome company and be a part of the cousinhood (or team). I can’t thank you all enough for your support and efforts making my job [insert job ] easy, but seriously, you all kick ass and are instrumental in the success of the company.
• To everyone I didn’t get to see it was a blast working with you, and to those who helped me out thanks. I learned a lot from you all. 
• I first wanted to say how much I’ve enjoyed working with all of you over the past [insert #] years. In every aspect and department I’ve worked in, I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by creative, kind, and genuinely wonderful people. 
• Thank you to everyone here at [ insert company name ]. I’ve gotten to know some of you more than others, but rest assured, all of you have influenced my life in some way. This job has been challenging, rewarding, and really, just fun. 
• I have some bittersweet news to announce. I’ve decided to take a new employment opportunity. I can’t thank all of you at [ insert company ] enough for all the fun and learning opportunities I’ve shared with you over the last [ insert # ] years. I’ll definitely miss many aspects of working with you. 
• “Don’t ever for any reason do anything to anyone for any reason ever, no matter what. No matter where, or who, or who you are with, or where you are going, or where you’ve been, ever, for any reason whatsoever.”
  — Michael Scott

How to respond to the announcement that someone is quitting you (as much as you want to, don’t tell them they suck): 

• You will be missed!
• It’s a bummer to see you go, but whatever this next adventure is, I’m sure you’ll do excellent!
• You are a truly wonderful person that will be sorely missed by me and so many others.  
• Thank you for your time and energy. 
• It’s been great to see you grow and change as an employee, you have definitely made an impact.
• Thanks for being so rad and one of those good humans in life.
• It’s a bummer for us to get to see you less but we totally understand! You’re a hard worker and you deserve it.
• Congrats! So happy for you!
• Congrats on the opportunity and I look forward to seeing you in the very near future. 
• I thank you for your contributions.
• I wish you the best. Your talents and perspective will surely be missed.
• Thanks for sharing your talents with us. 

Next time you find yourself in the situation of having to announce your departure or respond to one, just reference this guide and go with these tried and true phrases. 

Because nobody really wants to hear that they have changed your life more than anyone except your mom by: believing in you, challenging you to try new things and grow as a human, making you learn how adaptable you actually are, championing you, defending you, laughing with you, sharing triumphs and struggles with you, taking shots with you, letting their family spend time with you, listening to you vent about the injustices of the world, and just really getting you as a human. 

AND

They definitely don’t want to hear that you will miss them terribly and the thought of not seeing them five days a week makes you well up with tears and feel like your heart is breaking into a million little pieces. Right? Exactly. So stick with one of these generic goodbyes and you’ll be golden. 

Klauss The Closer has left the building.

Proof I worked at IHB: