Retirement is a momentous moment in anyone’s life. After decades of being in the workforce, retirement is truly a special time to rest and reflect and fill your time with the people and activities that bring you joy.
However, when a coworker retires, it’s not always easy to know what to say or even how to say it. Do you say congratulations? Or wish them luck with, well, retirement?
Depending on the nature of your relationship with the retiring coworker, it’s not always so easy. We’ve made it nearly effortless for you with our list of 96 retirement wishes to choose from.
Taking the time to send them a retirement card, a text, an email, or even just directly telling them in person will go a long way in making the person feel special and appreciated.
Retirement is a massive life change, and the person might be feeling all kinds of emotions as they embark on this new chapter.
Read on for a list of retirement wishes for coworkers that will make wishing them well easy for you and memorable for the person embarking on this new phase of life.
- Today we are celebrating a massive milestone. Enjoy this wonderful new chapter in life.
- Life has finally given you official permission to relax. Enjoy every moment of retirement.
- I wish you a fulfilling, healthy, and joyous retirement.
- I hope you have a wonderful retirement after such an illustrious career.
- Congrats on your second act. I hope it’s even more memorable than the first.
- You’ve worked so hard – finally, it’s time to kick back and enjoy the small things. Congrats on your retirement.
- Congratulations on this massive milestone. I hope you enjoy every second.
- All the best with this new chapter. I’m thankful we got to work together.
- Congrats on your retirement. You’ll definitely be missed around the office.
- Thanks for your hard work and dedication over the years. Now you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
- You were a delightful colleague, and I hope you enjoy every minute of your retirement.
- Congrats on your retirement. I hope these years will be some of the most rewarding years of your life.
- You always went above and beyond at work, but now it’s time to take some well-deserved rest. Congrats on your retirement.
- Congrats on your retirement. I hope this new chapter is filled with the things and people you love.
- I’m sad to lose you as a coworker, but I’m happy that I’ll still have you as a friend. Enjoy your second act!
- I wish you good health, joy, and success in this new chapter of life.
- You’ve made a huge difference to the company with your hard work and dedication. Now you get to enjoy a relaxing and fulfilling future.
- Congrats on the years of hard work and dedication that led up to this moment.
- I can’t believe this moment has come! Congrats on this big achievement.
- Thanks for everything you’ve done for the company. You’ve made a lasting impact.
- Congrats on your retirement. You’ve earned it through and through.
- Thanks for your hard work, unrivaled work ethic, and positive energy. The team won’t be the same without you.
- We are sad that we are losing such a fantastic coworker, but we’re overjoyed that you can finally enjoy the rest you deserve.
- Your sense of humor and positive energy has played a big role in our team’s success. Thank you for your dedication, and congrats on this new chapter.
- We hope this chapter is full of magnificent friends, loving family, and happy memories. Congrats on your retirement!
- You’re not really retired – golfing is really a full-time job. Best wishes for this exciting new chapter in your life.
- I’ve been told there’s never sufficient time to get round to everything you want to do in retirement – I hope you give it your best shot!
- Congrats on your retirement. Here’s to watching your grandchildren instead of meetings and reports.
- To one of my favorite people in the office, you embody hard work and good spirits. Congratulations on your retirement
- Retirement doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a coffee break. Make sure I’m on your schedule!
- Congrats, you’re now your own boss. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement.
- Thanks for always giving your best at work! Now enjoy your second chapter.
- It was great working with you. You made a lasting impact on your team and the company.
- I can’t believe I’ll be stepping into the office and not see your face. I’m going to miss having you around.
16 Happy retirement wishes for Coworkers
You can never go wrong with a friendly and upbeat retirement wish. Pick something from our list of happy retirement wishes, and you are guaranteed to put a smile on your coworker’s face.
- I’m wishing you a long and joyous retirement – enjoy ticking those dream travel destinations off your bucket list.
- I wish you an incredible life in retirement – it’s finally your time to really relax.
- Cheers to one of my favorite people on the team. You deserve a healthy and happy retirement.
- Congrats! We hope you enjoy every minute of your retirement.
- You’ve had a fantastic career, and now it’s time for some well-deserved time for yourself and your family.
- What an exciting time for you and your family. I hope retirement is even better than you imagined.
- I hope this new chapter is the best part of your life.
- Congrats on your retirement. Now you finally have time to enjoy all the finer things in life.
- Enjoy a long-overdue retirement! I hope your second act is even more enjoyable and exciting than the first
- Enjoy your retirement. I believe some of your biggest adventures still lie ahead of you.
- Congrats on this new found freedom! I hope you’ll wake up with a smile every day.
- Enjoy the start of your never-ending vacation. You deserve it!
- You’ve been a real cornerstone of this company. Thanks for playing such a huge and important role. Now it’s time to sit back, relax and appreciate the amazing career you built.
- Congrats on your retirement. If you get bored, you can also stop by for a coffee.
- It’s time to enjoy the freedom you’ve earned with your dedication and hard work. Congratulations on your retirement!
- You’ve been a valued member of this company! Go and enjoy the deserving retirement years you worked so hard for.
25 Funny retirement wishes for Coworkers
Sending a funny retirement wish is ideal if you had a close relationship with a coworker and enjoyed the occasional banter. Or if you know the person is looking forward to endless hours of golfing or practicing their hobby.
- Retirement is a vacation that never ends, so enjoy it! Congratulations on this milestone!
- You’ve made it to retirement! Here’s to planning travels instead of meetings.
- Put on your party hat and grab those dancing shoes – you’ve worked hard, but now it’s time to party!
- We only have one question for you: Can you please take us with you?
- There is no better excuse to spend your entire life savings than retirement. Have the time of your life!
- What is the secret to a happy life? Never having to use work acronyms again. Enjoy this new chapter!
- Lucky you! You never have to laugh at the boss’ jokes anymore!
- I hope your new manager isn’t too hard on you! (P.S. It’s your partner!)
- We all thought you were going to be fired first, but somehow you held out until retirement. Congrats!
- Goodbye work apps, hello cat naps.
- Finally – you can browse the internet without being caught!
- We are sorry to tell you this, but – it’s time you learn how to make your own coffee. Enjoy retirement.
- I can’t believe you beat me to retirement! Can we swap places?
- Goodbye early meetings and hello senior discounts!
- Enjoy the new chapter in your life where every day is Saturday.
- I hate to break it to you, but the “weekend” as you know it has now lost all meaning. Okay, I’m just a little bit jealous.
- What do you call a happy person on a Monday morning? A retired one!
- Goodbye tension and hi there pension! Congrats. You truly deserve it.
- We know you’ll miss all the overtime and Monday mornings. So why don’t we just switch places?
- We want you to know that we’ll miss you on the team. Too bad the feeling isn’t mutual. Enjoy your new chapter.
- Late shifts, project deadlines, bad coffee…we know you’ll miss it all! Congrats on making it to retirement from your envious coworkers.
- I’ve been told retirement isn’t as wonderful as it sounds. No deadlines and performance reviews, no angry clients – how will you survive?
- Enjoy retirement! We know the pay isn’t great, but the hours sure are.
- No more hitting that snooze button in the morning: you’ve now uncovered the retirement button.
- The retirement years are like a long vacation in Las Vegas. You should enjoy it to the fullest, but not so much that you run out of money!
10 Inspirational retirement wishes for Coworkers
An inspirational wish for your retiring coworker could just be the thing to help remind them of the new and exciting journey they are embarking on. If you know the person is looking forward to more than just fishing or gardening, then this is the category for you.
- Retirement is the time in your life when you can no longer equate time with money. Enjoy your second act!
- Congrats on your retirement – now is the time to enjoy the finer things you never had space for.
- The best part about retirement is the quality time you can spend with your loved ones. Enjoy every minute of it!
- Congrats on reaching this momentous milestone. I hope you take the time to chase after all the dreams you still have.
- I hope you’ve started creating a bucketlist, because now you finally have time to seek out unforgettable adventures.
- Retirement is only the end of one chapter. The most exciting one is still to come. Enjoy this new phase in your life.
- Whatever adventure you will embark on next, I hope it gives you as much joy as you’ve given your team.
- I hope this new chapter in life will provide you with buckets of inspiration to chase after the dreams and goals you never had time for.
- You were a source of inspiration to your peers at the office, it’s now time to be that for your loved ones and community. Enjoy this special time in your life.
- Your positive energy was infectious at the office. It’s time to spread those good vibes with the rest of the world. Wishing you a wonderful retirement.
11 Famous retirement quotes for Coworkers
Famous quotes are famous for a reason, so why struggle thinking about what to say when it’s already been beautifully articulated before. Here’s a list of our favorite quotes from Mark Twain to Fred Rogers.
- “For many, retirement is a time for personal growth, which becomes the path to greater freedom.” – Robert Delamontague
- “Retirement isn’t the end of the road, but just a turn in the road” – Unknown
- “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” – Fred Rogers
- “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” – Mark Twain
- “Living each day as if it were your last doesn’t mean your last day of retirement on a remote island. It means to live fully, authentically, and spontaneously with nothing being held back.” – Jack Canfield
- “Retirement’s the most wonderful thing. I get to enjoy all the things I never stopped to notice on the way up. After an extraordinary life, it’s time to enjoy my retirement.” – Patrick Macnee
- “I found out retirement means playing golf, or I don’t know what the hell it means. But to me, retirement means doing what you have fun doing.” – Dick Van Dyke
- “As your life changes, it takes time to recalibrate, to find your values again. You might also find that retirement is the time when you stretch out and find your potential.” – Sid Miramontes, Retirement: Your New Beginning
- “Retire from work, but not from life.” – M.K. Soni
- “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” – Fred Rogers
- “Don’t act your age in retirement. Act like the inner young person you have always been.” – J. A. West