Thank You Letter to Colleagues on Last Day of Work

It is customary in many organisations for employees who are leaving to send thank you letters to their colleagues on their last days of work. Such thank you letters need not be long, but they should always be polite and sincere.

Content of a Thank You Letter to Colleagues On a Last Day of Work

A thank you letter to colleagues on a last day of work is still a communication sent by an employee of an organisation. As such, this kind of letter should remain professional and polite in tone and contain sincere thanks for something that the employee has learned or experienced while employed by the organisation. In some instances this might be a stretch, of example if an employee is leaving on bad terms, however it would be better to send no thank you letter at all than to send one full of double meanings, lies or attacks on others. If colleagues have done something special to mark an individual’s last day, such as taking him or her out for a meal, surprising him or her with a cake or generously contributing to a present, then these efforts should be acknowledged as well.

Presentation of a Thank You Letter to Colleagues on a Last Day of Work

In very small organisations it might be possible for an employee who is leaving to write individual thank you notes to all of his or her colleagues, or to present one overall thank you note to everyone on his or her last day of work. However, in many larger organisations it has become customary for employees to send around a mass email to everyone. While these emails do not need to follow strict business letter formats, including an appropriate salutation and closing is a good idea. Usually these emails will be sent on the afternoon of an individual’s last day.

Sample of Thank You Letter to Colleagues on a Last Day of Work

Below is a sample letter as a starting point to tweak for your circumstances. Of course you may not share all of the sentiments in the letter but remember to stay positive!

What About Colleagues Who've Become Good Friends?

Sometimes if you work with someone for a long time, you become more than work colleagues. If you're leaving your job you might want to stay in touch. Why not drop them a note to thank them for their friendship?