What to write in a retirement card

It can be hard to know what to write in a retirement card. It’s a huge moment in someone’s life as they step away from the world of work, but you also want to make sure that they know they’ll be missed! To make it a little easier, we’ve pulled together some ideas for retirement messages and things to write in retirement cards, from funny to sincere and sweet.

If you need a card that’s just right for your favourite retiree-to-be, check out our range of retirement cards. Send them into their new life of leisure the right way, by buying them a bottle of bubbly and adding these inspirational retirement messages to their accompanying card.

Tips on writing retirement card messages

Before we delve into all of our inspiration on what to write in a retirement card, we’ve got some tips on how you can write an appropriate retirement message yourself, or make our suggestions your own:

• Read the room – Think about your relationship with the soon-to-be retiree and that will help you figure out what sort of message you want to write. For instance, if you’re very close then you can be a bit cheeky but if it’s someone you don’t know too well then keep it professional or vague.
• Touch on their achievements – One of the easiest ways to personalise your message is by mentioning what they’ve achieved during their career. Maybe it’s over 30 years of employment at the same place, an anecdote, or something else they should be proud of? Whatever it is, touch on that!
• Wish them well for the future – Towards the end of your message, it’s best to leave things on a good note. That could be wishing them the best, joking about how they might enjoy retirement life, or letting them know how much they’ll be missed.

Funny retirement messages

Looking for funny retirement messages for a card you’re sending? If you know someone who’s retiring who has a great sense of humour, they won’t mind if you poke a little fun at their expense.

Take inspiration from our funny retirement cards to really make them howl with laughter, and add one of these golden nuggets inside to make them giggle:

1. What do you call a person who is happy on a Monday? Retired.
2. Goodbye tension, hello pension.
3. Time to stop lying about your age and start lying around the house!
4. How do you know it’s time to retire? When you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it!
5. Congratulations on your great escape!
6. Old enough to retire, young enough to enjoy it.
7. Good luck with your new “no” job!
8. The only trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.
9. Congratulations on swapping office furniture for garden furniture.
10. Happy retirement – more time to get into mischief!

And you know what would go perfectly with these funny messages? A great bottle of whisky for them to guzzle while they giggle over your card! All you’ll need to do is check out our range of whisky retirement gifts.

Short retirement wishes

Sometimes, simple is best. If you’re not one for long sentiments or if you’re not sure what to write in a retirement card, simply wish them the best and keep it short and sweet. And pair your message with one of our traditional retirement cards to show your congratulations, without making too much of a fuss – for those who are wonderfully modest about their achievements.

Write these simple yet effective retirement messages:

11. The best is yet to come…
12. With love and congratulations on your retirement.
13. Best of luck with your retirement – you earned it!
14. All the best for this new chapter in your life!
15. It’s time for a new adventure.
16. Time for a never-ending weekend.
17. Not the end of the road, just a turn in the road.
18. Enjoy that forever-Friday feeling!
19. Time to do what you love, and do it often.
20. Your ‘someday’ is ‘today’. Congratulations and enjoy!

Heartfelt and sweet retirement card messages

For a loved one, relative, or close co-worker, you might want to consider these sweet and thoughtful retirement messages for cards or gifts. They’ll only retire once, so send them off with some heartfelt words and a thoughtful bunch of flowers from our varied gift selection.

Here’s a selection of sweet retirement messages to send their way:

21. You deserve the very best, because that’s what you’ve always been.
22. May your years be filled with all the things you’ve always wanted to do.
23. It’s time for afternoon naps, lazy days, and brand-new adventures.
24. Here’s to doing everything you ever wanted to do, whenever you want to do it.
25. New places to see, new stories to live – here’s to the next chapter!
26. You don’t stop laughing when you age, you age when you stop laughing.
27. You’ve worked so hard for so many years. It’s time to relax and take it easy for a change!
28. This isn’t an ending – it’s a brand-new beginning.
29. You’re leaving a legacy of hard work and good humour, so you can start your retirement with no regrets.
30. I know you’ll keep learning, growing, and discovering new things even in retirement. Keep showing us all how it’s done!

Playful retirement messages

If you’re really sure that they can take a joke, you can choose a witty and playful retirement message so they can retire with a smile!

31. Congratulations on your senior bus pass!
32. You’re officially too old for this crap.
33. They say with age comes wisdom – so you must be a genius.
34. Hip, hip replacement!
35. Bugger off, then! (We miss you already)
36. Happy retirement! Now the only thing to make you get up out of bed is your bladder.
37. Of all the people I’ve ever worked with, I can honestly say you were one of them.
38. Young at heart… but definitely a bit older in other places.
39. Wait, you’re still here? I thought you retired years ago!
40. Congratulations on being so tired that you had to retire.

Retirement messages for colleagues

Saying goodbye to someone who’s retiring can be bittersweet, especially for long-standing employees and co-workers. You’ll likely feel a little teary saying goodbye, so channel this emotion into their retirement card to show them how much you’ll miss them.

Here are some sweet and sincere retirement messages for colleagues or close office mates:

41. It’s been a genuine pleasure working alongside you. Here’s to a happy and well-deserved retirement.
42. You are an irreplaceable boss/co-worker, and we’ll miss you every day – thank you for your hard work. You’ve earned this!
43. To one of the best and kindest people I’ve worked with, sincere congratulations and thank you for everything.
44. Your only job now is to have fun – hope you pass your performance review!
45. You’ve done a great job, now it’s time to have fun. It’s time for retirement, your work here is done!
46. Just think of the hours you’ll spend doing nothing, staring out the window while pretending to do something with your day – oh wait, that’s me. Enjoy your retirement!
47. You’ve been such a hard worker, we’ve decided to extend your weekend by five days. Enjoy retirement, and thanks for everything!
48. We love all that you did. Now go and do all that you love.
49. Thank you for putting your heart and soul into your work for all these years. You’ve made a real difference, and we’re all so very grateful.
50. Nothing but the best—that’s what you always gave. And that’s what we’re wishing for you as you retire.

And if you want to show them how appreciative you are for all their hard work and the vibe they bring to the team, we’ve already rounded up some gift ideas for coworkers that should give you the inspiration you need!

Retirement messages for boss

Maybe you’re after extra special retirement messages for your boss? The person who has likely been your rock at work, let them know how much you appreciated working alongside them before they leave.

Whether you prefer to keep things professional or feel like they’ve become a real friend, here are some retirement words we’ve come up with that are suitable for your boss:

51. Happy retirement, it’s time for you to finally put your feet up!
52. Who knew you could become so close with your boss?! It’s been an absolute dream working with you and now it’s time for you to enjoy having basically zero responsibilities.
53. All those adventures you wanted to do can now finally become a reality! Wishing you all the best with your retirement, I’ll never have another boss like you.
54. Congratulations on your retirement. I hope you know just how big of an impact you’ve had on me at work, thanks for everything.
55. Thank you for believing in me right from the beginning and may your retirement be everything you deserve!

Retirement quotes

Retirement messages that you’re planning to write inside your card don’t necessarily have to come from you directly. In fact, you could get really creative and add in some famous quotes from famous people who’ve retired instead. Think about it, some of the greats have retired, and this life-changing event has brought them true wisdom and with that, some cracking quotes to live by.

Here are some of the best retirement quotes to add inside your card either alone or with another happy retirement message:

56. “I never had the sense that there was an end: that there was a retirement or that there was a jackpot.” Leonard Cohen
57. “Retirement life is different because there is no set routine. You are able to let the day unfold as it should. Enjoy, be happy and live each day.” – Suzanne Steel
58. “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
59. “Retirement: That’s when you return from work one day and say, “Hi, Honey, I’m home — forever.” – Gene Perret
60. “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 card wording for grandparents

Got a grandparent who’s about to celebrate their retirement? As their grandchild, it will mean a lot for them to hear from you, especially as they’ll now have loads more free time to spend with their family.

We know you’ve likely not written many retirement card messages so, to help you out, we’ve come up with some retirement card wording for grandparents specifically:

61. Do you know what this means? You can spend all your days doing puzzles, watching tv, and drinking.
62. Happy retirement grandma/grandad, time to rely on your pension now!
63. Part of being a grandparent is enjoying the retired lifestyle and doting on the grandkids, right?
64. At least you’ll always still have one important job– grandad/grandma, of course!
65. For as long as I’ve been alive you’ve been working your socks off, finally time to sit back and relax now.

Finding what to write in a retirement card doesn’t have to be hard if you write from the heart – or use our suggestions to help you say what you want to say! Don’t forget to make the most of the occasion by planning the ultimate retirement party (luckily, we’ve got some tips to help with that). And for more special occasion inspiration, head on over to the rest of the thortful blog.