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A retirement letter should state your decision and intended last working day near the beginning, then briefly thank your employer and offer transition help if you wish. Before sending it, confirm the date and delivery process with your employment agreement, workplace policy, and applicable local rules.
Retirement letter template
Adapt this short template to your circumstances. Keep optional thanks, handover, and HR requests only if they fit what you want to say.
[Date]
Dear [Manager’s name],
I am writing to let you know that I plan to retire from my position as [role] at [organization]. My intended last working day is [date].
Thank you for [a specific, truthful example or brief expression of appreciation]. I am happy to discuss a handover plan and help with [specific transition task, if desired].
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Please let me know the next steps for coordinating my departure and any retirement or benefits paperwork with HR.
Sincerely,
[Name]
This is a practical template, not a legal form. Check that the date and the way you deliver notice fit your contract, workplace process, and local requirements.
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What to include
- Date and recipient: Include the date you send the letter and address it to your supervisor or manager by name and title. Add the company name for a formal letter.
- Your decision and date: Say plainly that you intend to retire. Give your intended retirement date or last working day near the start so there is little room for confusion.
- Thanks, if you wish: A short, genuine expression of appreciation is appropriate. Mention a real experience or contribution; do not add claims about your tenure, achievements, or relationships that are not true.
- Transition offer, if you wish: You can offer to help with a handover, knowledge transfer, or training. Be specific about the help you are comfortable providing rather than promising open-ended availability.
- Practical HR question, if useful: Ask about the employer’s departure steps or paperwork related to benefits, a pension or retirement plan, or accrued leave. Confirm details through your actual plan and employer process rather than assuming a particular benefit applies.
- Sign-off: Close courteously and include your name.
Examples for different situations
Short formal notice
For a straightforward announcement, a brief paragraph can cover the essentials:
Dear [Manager’s name],
I am writing to give notice that I plan to retire from my role as [role] at [organization]. My intended last working day is [date]. Please let me know the next steps for coordinating my departure.
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Sincerely,
[Name]
Acas offers a UK-focused copy-and-paste resignation notice with space for the notice period, expected final day, and optional thanks. It is general resignation guidance rather than a universal retirement form; adapt the wording and check your own requirements. See the Acas resignation letter template.
Warmer letter after a long career
If you want a more personal tone, add one brief, specific memory or contribution after stating your date. Then move to any transition offer you genuinely want to make. Avoid borrowing biographical details or performance claims from sample letters; an example’s personal story is not a fact about your own career.
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Retirement notice by email
Email can carry the same clear decision, role, employer, and intended last working day. Use a direct subject line, such as Retirement notice — [Name], and address the message to your manager. If your employer requires another method, follow that process; you can ask HR how to handle related paperwork. A follow-up conversation may help clarify the handover, but it does not replace any required written procedure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How much notice should you give?
There is no single notice period that applies to every employee. The right timing can depend on your employment agreement, employer process, and jurisdiction. Do not assume that a commonly suggested period, such as two weeks, is a universal legal or workplace requirement.
- Check your employment agreement and workplace policy for notice and retirement procedures.
- Confirm any applicable local requirements. In the UK, Acas directs employees to separate notice-period guidance; its general resignation template is not itself a retirement-specific rule. Read Acas guidance on notice periods.
- Ask your manager or HR how the employer wants notice delivered and whether any departure or retirement paperwork needs separate handling.
- Set the date in your letter only after checking that it works with those requirements and any agreed arrangements.
Rules can differ by country. For example, the French government’s model for retirement departure refers to formalities in the employment contract or collective agreement and describes notice in that context; it also says the employer and employee may agree to a shorter period or no notice. Those France-specific details should not be treated as rules for other jurisdictions. See the French government retirement-departure model.
Who should receive the letter?
Address the notice to your supervisor or manager. Copy HR when the employer’s benefits or retirement-plan process makes HR’s involvement useful, or ask HR separately about its required procedure. Acas provides UK workplace guidance on retirement and notice through its employment guidance hub. Visit the Acas employment guidance hub.
Quick Recap
Before you send it
- Make sure the intended last working day is clear and consistent everywhere in the letter or email.
- Verify the date and delivery method against your agreement, workplace policy, and local rules.
- Keep thanks and transition offers truthful, optional, and within the boundaries you intend.
- Ask the appropriate employer contact about the next steps for departure and any plan- or benefits-related paperwork.
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