Congratulations on finally reaching retirement age! The steps towards retirement involve crunching the numbers on pensions, retirement savings, Social Security benefits, and everything else you have to consider during this big change. While it is vital to consider all of these options, there is one big step towards official retirement that may have you at a loss  – the official retirement letter.  

How to write a retirement letter

Writing a retirement letter to your employer is a big step in transitioning out of working full-time and enjoying your retirement. It is also a formal and official correspondence between you and your employer indicating that you are stepping down from your post. This is important for two reasons: 

  • It allows time for your employer to transition and prepare the rest of the team for your departure;  
  • It acts as a formal request for the retirement benefits or pension offered by your employer.  

Crafting it well will help ease the process for you, your employer, and your coworkers. A retirement announcement letter is a bit different from a resignation letter because you are not seeking a new position. Because you are retiring and not resigning, there are different details and information that you’ll need to include in your letter. We’ll go over formatting and what the document should look like. We will also discuss what to include and what to omit.  

Format 

Most businesses and companies nowadays use email for formal and informal correspondence. Whether you are writing a letter to print it out later or plan on sending a retirement announcement email, you’ll want to format the content correctly.  

Because this is formal correspondence with your employer, you’ll format it in much the same way that you format other formal work-related correspondence. For most businesses and companies, this means including a header with your information like this: 

Your Name 

Street Address 

City, State Zip Code 

Followed by the recipient’s information: 

Recipient’s Name 

Street Address 

City, State Zip Code 

From here, you’ll write your letter. It helps to break paragraphs up to make them look clean and concise. In this same vein, a simple, short retirement letter that fits on a single page will do the trick without including excess information or detail. Let’s look at what to include and omit. 

What to include 

There are a few things you should include while writing a retirement letter. These things will help ensure you express gratitude, review your accomplishments in this position, go over your reasoning for retiring, and offer help in the transition. Crafting your letter in such a way will help ensure you leave on a positive note. After all, retirement is a reason for celebration and that positivity should be reflected in the letter’s content.  

Here’s a checklist of things to include in your retirement letter: 

  • Express gratitude and thanks to your employer for the opportunity to learn and grow over the years with the company;  
  • Explain your decision to retire. You don’t have to go into great detail here but the objective here is to show that you’ve thought about the decision thoroughly;
  • Share what you plan to do post-retirement to let your employer know you are excited for this next chapter in life;  
  • Offer your resources and time to help with transitioning a replacement for the position you will be leaving; 
  • Wish your employer well.  

Sticking to these tips will help show respect and appreciation for your employer while easing the transition of your departure. It can be hard for some people to avoid getting overly sentimental. While it is a good idea to express gratitude for your career and excitement for the next chapter, it’s best to keep things short and simple so that it all fits one page rather than craft a long-winded goodbye speech. 

What to omit 

When you are writing your retirement letter, there are also some topics you want to avoid. Most of these will cause unnecessary tension or negativity between you, your employers, or your coworkers which is not the goal of a retirement resignation letter.

Here are a few things to omit from your letter or email when announcing your retirement: 

  • Criticism of your managers or superiors. Not everyone gets along well with their supervisors but this letter is not the place to express frustration;  
  • Criticism of your coworkers. Similar to criticizing managers, it is not helpful or productive and should be omitted from the letter;  
  • Giving short notice of departure. It isn’t fair to the company or your coworkers to leave without ample time to transition a replacement to your position.  

Steering clear of these topics will keep your retirement announcement focused, short, and simple. It will keep the tone positive and make the time between your announcement and the last day much easier and more relaxed than it would be if your letter had an overly critical or negative tone.  

How to announce retirement to your staff 

As an employer, you’ll want to let your staff know well in advance to provide plenty of time for the transition. Make sure to include much of the same themes as other templates like your reason for retiring, what you’re looking forward to, and accomplishments during your history with the company. As the boss, it is equally important to keep things positive and avoid negative remarks like criticism. It is also beneficial to provide gratitude to your staff and wish them well throughout their careers. Providing ample time and showing respect to your staff will help ease the transition for everyone involved.  

Retirement letter template 

Ready to write your retirement letter? Here is a helpful template for a short and sweet letter that will cover what you need to include while properly notifying your employer of your retirement: 

Your Name 

Street Address 

City, State Zip Code 

Employer’s Name 

Business Name 

Street Address 

City, State Zip Code 

Dear [Manager’s Name], 

I’m writing to notify you of my decision to retire. My time at [Company] has been [positive description]. I am very grateful for the past [x] years as [your position] and the professional and personal growth that has come with it.  

My last day at [company] will be [last day]. I would be happy to help with the transition until my last day and wish you and all of my colleagues well.  

After a long and fulfilling career, I am looking forward to [something you’re excited about] during this new chapter of my life.  

[Here you can discuss setting a time to discuss retirement benefits and/or pension.] 

Thank you again for the opportunity to work with you. Please let me know how I can help with the transition before my departure.  

Best Regards,  

[Your Name] 

Retirement letter samples 

Looking at retirement letters that have already been written can help inspire you as far as content and tone for the one you send to your employer. Here are a few retirement announcement examples to help you with what to send to your employer as well as one to send to your colleagues to notify them of your departure.  

Retirement letter sample #1 (for employer) 

Sara Thompson 

Street Address 

City, State Zip Code 

John Smith 

Business Name 

Street Address 

City, State Zip Code 

Dear John Smith, 

I’m writing to notify you of my decision to retire. My time at Verizon has been a rewarding and gratifying experience. I am very grateful for the past 18 years as a Marketing Coordinator and the professional and personal growth that has come with it.  

My last day at Verizon will be August 12th. I would be happy to help with the transition until my last day and wish you and all of my colleagues well.  

After a long and fulfilling career, I am looking forward to spending time with my family and taking lots of trips during this new chapter of my life.  

I would love to set up a time to discuss my pension and other loose ends that will need tying up before my last day.

Thank you again for the opportunity to work with you. Please let me know how I can help with the transition before my departure.  

Best Regards,  

Sara Thompson 

Retirement letter sample #2 (for employer) 

Tom Miller 

Street Address 

City, State Zip Code 

Joan Edwards 

Business Name 

Street Address 

City, State Zip Code 

Dear Joan Edwards, 

This letter is to inform you of my decision to retire. I have valued my time at J.P. Morgan immensely and have learned so much from you and my colleagues. After careful consideration, I have determined that retirement is my next step. Over the past 22 years as an Investment Consultant, I have grown professionally and personally and will fondly remember my time here.  

September 5th will be my last day at J.P. Morgan. I would be happy to help with the transition that will come with my retirement until the time of my departure.  

During this next chapter of my life, I look forward to relaxing with my family and making our move to Florida to enjoy this special time in our lives.  

I would like to discuss my pension and retirement benefits with you at your earliest convenience to further plan for this next chapter.  

The opportunity to work with you and everyone on our team at J.P. Morgan has been a highlight of my professional career. Feel free to let me know of anything I can do to help the team after I leave.  

Best Regards,  

Tom Miller 

Retirement letter sample #3 (for colleagues) 

To All Of My Colleagues at State Farm, 

I am writing to celebrate this next life change for me as I move on to retirement. The past 12 years have been filled with personal and professional growth. It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside every one of you.  

I’d like to thank all those who welcomed me to State Farm and made me feel right at home here and passed on their knowledge and advice to thriving here.  

I do not doubt that you will all continue to do an amazing job here and keep making our managers and the company proud.  

Keep an eye out for an invitation to my retirement celebration. I’d love to celebrate this monumental time with all of you.  

Please let me know if there is anything I can help you all with before my departure. I’m proud to have been a valued part of the State Farm team.  

Sincerely Yours, 

Mark Jones 

When to send a retirement letter 

Knowing how to write a retirement letter is incredibly important. Equally important is when you send the letter itself. Giving your employer ample time to find and train a replacement will help ease the transition for your colleagues and manager and ensure there are no hard feelings common with short-notice departures. Generally, it is recommended to send the letter 6-12 months before your intended retirement date to allow adequate time for your employer to prepare.  

It is recommended to send the letter 6-12 months before your intended retirement date to allow adequate time for your employer to prepare.  

Conclusion 

Writing a retirement letter is an important step for this next chapter of your life. Refer back to this template and guide to know what to include and omit for a well-structured and to-the-point letter that expresses gratitude. Send your letter with plenty of advance notice to make it easier for everyone involved. Once you send your letter, it’s time to solidify all the little details like budget and health insurance. If you’re looking for a knowledgeable and experienced source for help with finding affordable Medicare, check out Hella Health