When you spend so much time at work, you need to form bonds with your colleagues to help things run smoothly and make your days more pleasant. If you’re lucky, this bond will turn into a strong friendship outside of the office, and you’ll be there for one another in a more personal capacity. If you have worked alongside a colleague for years, it can be hard to hear that they are moving on, and although you are happy for their success and excited for them, you might feel sad that they are leaving, too. Nonetheless, it’s important to ensure that they have a great send-off and realize just how much everyone in the office appreciated them. So, if you have a work friend who is moving on, here is what you should do to say farewell the right way.
Arrange for People to go for Dinner or Afterwork Drinks
If they have been with the company for a long time, a quick goodbye feels quite dismissive and cold. If you want to show them how much they were valued at the company, get your team together and try to arrange to go out for dinner as a small leaving party, or at the very least, all going for a few drinks together after work to say goodbye.
Get Everyone to Sign a Card
You can easily buy an appropriate card from a gift store or order one online with a personal message. You should get everyone else on the team to sign the card as well, as this will allow them to leave a personal message that your colleague will enjoy reading. Try to do this before their last day, and try to avoid them seeing it get passed around as this can spoil the surprise and might make them feel a little awkward, too.
Get a Gift
A card is always a must, but you should think about getting them a gift as well, especially if they have worked with you all for years. Speak to the rest of your colleagues and see who is willing to chip in, and all agree on a budget that everyone is comfortable with so no one feels pressured to spend more than they can afford. With the money you have collected, you can get them a gift such as a gorgeous crystal photo like the ones from crystalimpressions.com, or you could give them vouchers for their favorite retailer, a spa day, or something that they might find useful for their new job could also be a thoughtful gift.
Make Their Last Day Fun
Although you will still need to get your work done for the day, if you want to give your colleague a good send-off, making sure their last day in the office is fun is key. Bring in some tasty treats that everyone can enjoy, or go all out and order a special cake for the occasion. You could even get people to play games during lunch break, and if you’re a team leader and everyone gets their work done on time, you could even let them finish early.
If you want to say farewell to a colleague in the right way, make sure you’re doing all of the above so that they know they will be missed.
