Retirement letter: templates for telling your employer you're retiring.
A retirement letter is a resignation letter with a different tone: the practical details are the same, but it also marks the end of a career chapter and is often kept for years.
A retirement letter states that you are retiring, your last working day, and your thanks, and offers help with the transition. Tell your manager in person first, give generous notice where you can so the handover can be planned, and ask HR about any steps for retirement benefits or pension paperwork. Keep it warm and concise; save longer reflections for a farewell message.
Before you write
Notice
Retirements are often planned well ahead. Longer notice helps your employer plan a successor and handover.
Benefits and paperwork
Ask HR about retirement plan, pension and health coverage steps, and their timing. A financial adviser can help with decisions.
Phased retirement
Some employers offer reduced hours or consulting before full retirement. Ask if it interests you.
Your legacy
A clear handover of knowledge, contacts and documents is the most useful thing you can leave.
3 copy-ready letters
Illustrative: names, companies, dates and numbers in these templates and examples are fictional. Replace every bracket with your own true details before you use anything.
Formal retirement letter
When to use: To your manager, copied to HR.
Dear [Manager's name], Please accept this letter as formal notice of my retirement from [Company], with my last working day on [date]. After [number] years with [Company], I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had, especially [highlight]. I'd be glad to help with the transition, including documenting [key processes] and supporting my successor. Thank you for your support over the years. With best wishes, [Your name]
Offer a phased transition
When to use: If you'd consider reduced hours or a handover period.
I'd also be open to a phased transition, such as working [reduced schedule] until [date], or being available for questions after I leave, if that would help the team.
Farewell message to colleagues
When to use: Closer to your last day.
Dear colleagues, after [number] wonderful years, I'm retiring on [date]. Thank you for the teamwork, the laughs and everything you've taught me. I'll miss you all. Please stay in touch at [personal email]. [Your name]
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Planning your notice
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Senior or specialist role | Give extra notice for succession. |
| Phased retirement wanted | Raise it before you set a final date. |
| Benefits timing matters | Check with HR before choosing your last day. |
| Telling the team | After your manager and HR know. |
The same move, done two ways
Illustrative example with fictional details.
| Version | Example |
|---|---|
| Weak | 'I'm retiring. Last day is in two weeks.' |
| Strong | 'After 22 years at Lakeshore Credit Union, I'm retiring on June 30. I'd be glad to document the loan-review process and help train my successor.' |
Why it matters: A warm, specific letter and a planned handover are how colleagues remember your career.
Mistakes to avoid
- Too little notice for a key role.
- Not checking benefits timing first.
- Telling colleagues before your manager.
- No handover plan.
Keep going
Questions people ask
How much notice should I give for retirement?
Who should I send a retirement letter to?
Should I mention retirement benefits in the letter?
Can I retire and keep working part-time?
How this page is built
Written by Maid Dizdarevic, a career coach and 8x LinkedIn Top Voice. The steps, scripts and timing guides are practical advice, labelled as advice. We do not publish response rates, success rates or shares of employers, and every example uses fictional details.
- How a specific employer, recruiter or manager will act: practices vary by company, industry and person.
- Legal advice: for contracts, background-check disputes, pay classification or a termination, talk to an employment attorney, the U.S. Department of Labor or your state agency.
- Outcomes: no message, plan or program can promise an interview, a raise or a job.
- TryHired editorial guidance by Maid Dizdarevic, career coach, Nov 4, 2026.