You’re retiring soon and you want to do something extra to thank your boss, because of your special relationship. Or he/ she helped you out a lot during your career. And that is why you might wonder, how do you thank your boss when you retire?
You thank your boss when you retire with a thank you letter, card, or say thanks during a speech. Other ways to show gratitude are delivering a cake to your boss, gifting a gift, or handing out a thank-you award.
These are just a couple of ideas. I’ve listed 25 amazing ways on how to thank your boss when you retire in this article. So continue reading below.
1) Send A Thank You (hand-written) Letter
The most common way to thank your boss is to send him/ her a letter. You can type a letter and print it out to send it or leave it at his/ her desk, but if you want to make it more personal you can write a hand-written letter. Don’t mistake a thank you letter with an official retirement letter. This thank you letter comes later and is mostly sent in the last week of work or the first weeks of retirement.
And to help you out I’ve created some examples you can use and tweak for your own Thank You Letter:
Thank You Letter Examples
Dear (name boss),
I can’t thank you enough for being a fantastic mentor, leader, and boss to me over the last XX years. You’ve helped me grow professionally and personally and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Although my time at the company is ending, I will always be grateful for the many years we’ve worked together.
I’m going to miss your joy and positive energy.
I wish you all the best in your personal and professional life!
Sincerely thanks,
Kirsten
Ps: if you need to contact me in retirement, here is my contact information: (email address) + (phone number)
Location & Date (optional)
Dear (name boss)
Thank you for showing me what it means to be a true boss. Perhaps I didn’t say it a lot, so that is why I want to express my gratitude for your leadership and say thank you with this personal letter.
Working for you has been a pleasure. Your graciousness, friendliness, and leadership skills are what always inspired me to do and be better. You have played a key role in my development as a (job position). And I could always lean on you for both professional and personal advice.
Thank you so much for having me on your team and thank you for the amazing retirement party you organized for me. My retirement couldn’t have started in a better way.
Beyond grateful,
Bob
Thank You Letter Format
You can use this format below as a guide to write your thank you letter more easily.
- Start With A Greeting (e.g. Dear Name,)
- The second paragraph is to share your gratitude with specific examples
- The third paragraph is to express a personal anecdote that you cherish, lessons you’ve learned, etc
- The fourth paragraph is to extend your wishes for the future
- End with a polite closing (Gratefully, With gratitude, Sincerely, Beyond Grateful, etc)
- Optional: include personal contact information & perhaps that you are available as a freelance advisor/ consultant.
2) Send A Thank You Email
You can also send a thank you email to your boss. An email is less personal but works perfectly if that is a normal way of communicating for you with your boss. It is a fine way to say thanks if it’s a strictly working relationship you have with your boss.
And the best part is you can compose this email beforehand and plan to send it on your last day of work or first day in retirement (make sure your business email account is still working on the day you want to send the email to your boss or use your personal email account).
Thank You Email Example
Dear Boss,
With this email, I want to express my gratitude for your efforts in organizing the amazing retirement party last week. It made me feel loved by everyone who was present. I was overwhelmed by all the amazing gifts, loving words, and best wishes cards.
I also want to say thank you for the opportunity you gave me to work out your company. Being on your team was a pleasure, and I couldn’t wish for a better boss. I loved working for you and alongside you on wonderful and interesting projects. I’m going to cherish these moments forever. And use the lessons I have learned to make my retirement a success!
I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!
Sincerely,
Kirsten
3) Send A Thank You Card (for a party/ gift)
Another way to say thanks to your boss when you retire is to send him or her a thank you card.
An even more creative way to say thank you is with Greetabl. It’s more than just a card because you send your boss a thank you card wrapped in a small unique gift box with a personal message. Curious?
Thank You Note Examples For A Party/ Gift
- Thank you for the amazing retirement party you hosted last week. I’ll always remember your kindness!
- Wow, that was a fun party! Still recovering from it. Thank you so much for such a memorable and special night. I felt so loved and honored.
- I sincerely thank you for your generosity. I love my gift and I think of you every time I use it.
- No one makes me feel important and appreciated as you do. Thank you for throwing such an amazing retirement party.
- You put a lot of time and effort into making me feel special and ensuring my party was a success — and it was! I had so much fun. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will remember it forever.
- Thank you for adding joy to my retirement party with your well wishes and fantastic gift.
Thank You Note Examples For Your Boss
- Thank you for making work a happy place to be. You truly know what it means to be a great boss.
- It was a pleasure working for you. I’ll always remember (insert special memory/ projects)
- Thank you for being the best boss!
- I almost didn’t want to retire, because of you. Almost.
- I loved working for you and alongside you these past XX years. Thank you for believing in me and helping me grow.
- When I remember the highlights of my career, there is one thing that strikes out the most. And that is you. Thank you for being my boss and my friend.
- You’re not just a boss. You’re a friend. And I can’t wait to hit the golf course together more often when you retire.
4) Give A (Best Boss) Gift
Show your gratitude with a fun gift for your boss. This mug with the text: A Truly Great Boss Is Hard to Find Difficult to Part with and Impossible to Forget can be a fun and small gift idea.
5) Create A Tribute Video
Consider creating a Thank You video when you really want to make things special to thank your boss. It can be a very simple video you record with your phone and send out to his phone. Or you can make a compilation of fun photos, career highlights, and other special moments in the video. The easy online video maker Vidday can help you out creating a video by doing all the work.
6) Give An Invitation To Your Retirement Party (At Home)
If you’re planning to organize a retirement party at home you can consider inviting your boss to celebrate your retirement together with friends and family. Your boss will feel honored to be invited to your home and you can say thank you in a more private setting which makes it more special.
24) Make A Gift Basket (with your boss’s favorites)
Another creative way to show thanks is to create a gift basket for your boss with all his/ her favorite snacks, cheese, candy, chocolates, wine, beer, liquor, etc. And if you have no clue in what your boss’s favorite things are. No need to worry, I’m here to help you out. Below are two amazing gift baskets, one for a lady boss and one for a male boss.
Beer Bouquet Gift Basket
Thanks For Being Awesome Spa Gift Basket
8) Thank Your Boss In Your Speech
Many people like to give a speech when they retire. A great moment for that is the last meeting, last day at work, or during their retirement party. So a good opportunity to thank your boss is to dedicate a couple of special words to him/ her in your speech.
Read more: 20 Expert Tips For The Best Retirement Speech
9) Deliver A Thank You Cake
“Thank you” becomes a lot sweeter when you write it on a cake and have it delivered to your boss’s desk/workplace. You can bake it yourself and put a Thank You cake topper on top or order a delicious cake that says:
Thank You Cake Sayings
- Thank You For Being The Best Boss Ever, (your name).
- Going To Miss You!
- You’re Are Finally Rid Of Me
- You’ve Been An Inspiration, Thank You
- Work Will Suck Without Me
- Goodbye And All The Best
- Thanks For The Fun, Laughter, And Good Times
- You’re Gonna Miss Me
- A Truly Great Boss Is Hard To Fun, Difficult To Part With And Impossible To Forget
- Hooray, You Cannot Boss Me Around Anymore
- Peace At Last
- Thank God It’s Friday Everyday Now!
- I Won’t Be Back
10) Make A Toast To Your Boss
When there is a moment that includes champagne you can take the time to propose a toast to your boss and say a couple of words. Below are some examples:
Toast Examples To Thank Your Boss
- Cheers to you (name boss), Thank you for supporting me during my career. I couldn’t have done it without you.
- It was a great experience to work with a boss like you.
- I forever cherish the moments of having a hard-working and fantastic Boss like you. I hope you also don’t forget me.
- It has been a privilege to have had a brilliant mentor boss like you.
- It will be a strange feeling not seeing your face anymore.
- You showed me that the secret to success is hard work and perseverance. Thank you for your guidance and wisdom
- Other Bosses give out an order, but you give direction. Thanks for being such an inspiration and a great leader!
- Thank you for being a great boss, but also thanks for being a great friend as well.
11) Prank Your Boss
If your boss has a great sense of humor and pranking each other is normal, then perhaps the most honoring thing you can do to thank your boss is doing the ultimate prank, which tops off all other pranks of the past. What do you have the lose? You’re retiring anyway, so you can’t get fired.
12) Hand Out A “Thank You” Award
Another creative way to thank your boss when you retire is to hand out a “Thank You” trophy or have a customized engraved Crystal Award made with a personal message that he can put on his/ her desk.
13) Thanks For Taking The Thyme To Help Me Grow!” Plant
You can also give him/ her a Thanks For Taking The Thyme To Help Me Grow!” plant that your boss can put on his/ her desk. It’s a very creative, cute, and green way of saying thanks. Especially a great idea when you look for something small.
14) Invite Your Boss On A Trip
When you have a special relationship with your boss that blossomed into a friendship, it can perhaps be a good idea to go on a trip together.
Trip Ideas For Your Boss
- a wine tour,
- visiting a game of your favorites sports team
- weekend boating at the lake or camping with both your families
- a weekend away with both your spouses
15) Give Your Boss Tickets To An Event
As a sign of gratitude, you can gift your boss tickets to an event you’ll know he/ she will love. For example tickets to a sports game, movie theater, music festival, theater show, etc.
16) Make A Gift Bag
Get creative and make a gift bag for your boss with funny gifts, memorable keepsakes, or things your boss needs at work when you’re not around anymore. You can make it funny or very meaningful. That is up to you.
17) Roast Your Boss
Many people who retire get roasted at their retirement party by their family, friends, boss, or co-worker. When you know this is going to happen, or you want to switch things around you can consider roasting your boss. Roasting someone is actually a sign of showing your respect in a very dark humorous kind of way. And if that is the way you and your boss like to roll, then go for it.
18) Write A Thank You Poem
You can also thank your boss with a nice poem if that is more up your alley. Perhaps you’re a poet and you can write a nice custom poem. Or use the example below.
Thank You Poem For Your Boss
Thanks for being a buddy
More than a taskmaster
Thanks for being a comrade
More than an employer
Thanks for being a friend
More than an angry manager
Thanks for being a mentor
More than an arrogant leader
(from Wishesmessages.com)
19) Post Thank You Message On Social Media
Show thanks by posting a nice message on social media. Be cautious with posting names and pictures, especially when your boss is not very active on Social Media. If he or she is, not a problem. Just make sure that your boss will be okay with such an online gesture.
20) Deliver “Thank You” Cookies
Bake or order gourmet cookies with a special message and have them delivered to your boss’s desk or at home. This can be fun to do in the first week/ month of your retirement. It is a sweet and cute kind of way to show your gratitude. And how can do not forget you, when you deliver delicious gourmet cookies?
21) Give A Framed Picture
Do you have a fun picture together with your boss? Have it framed and write a thank you message on the back to make it even more memorable.
22) Give A Bouquet Of Flowers
One of the most common and most classic thank you gifts are a bouquet of flowers. And it still works. Especially with women (most women love getting flowers). You can gift your boss’s favorite flowers or have a nice bouquet made by a florist.
23) Give Your Boss “Thank You Berry Much” Jam
Nothing beats a good jam. So if your boss loves jams, then a “Thank You Berry Much” Jam could be a cute way to say thanks to your boss when you retire. You can make your own jam or buy one and put a Thank You Berry Much sticker on it.
24) Invite Him/ Her For Special Lunch or Dinner
Another way to thank your boss when you retire is to invite him/ her to lunch or dinner. Perhaps you can make it a double date with both your spouses. What better way to express your gratitude than with good food and quality time together.
25) Hand-Made Portrait
Looking for something really special for your boss? Then gift him or her a handmade portrait painting from a special moment in their life.
Paint Your Life has professional artists who make beautiful paintings from a photo sent in by you. A photo of your boss’s favorite pet, a statue photo on the job, a family photo with grandchildren, or an old wedding photo are great ideas for a beautiful oil painting. It’s handpainted by an experienced artist of your choice. And you have unlimited revisions. Also, when you’re not happy with the result you get 100% of your money back. So satisfaction is guaranteed!
Awesome way to say thanks!