Tag: Retirement

Retirement Party Ideas For Coworkers

When planning someone’s retirement party, think about what they like when it comes to the theme, speeches, and who to invite. Not all retirement parties need to be galas. Think about local hangouts, parks or even a party in the office depending on what suits the person.

A retirement party can be anything you want it to be:

  • A luncheon during the workday
  • A big gala on a Saturday night
  • A sporting event on a Sunday afternoon
  • After work dinner with the team

There are no particular etiquette rules to guide a retirement party. The party can really be anything that suits the interests and personality of the retiree.

A retirement party is the opportunity to celebrate the retiree’s past accomplishments as well as their future endeavors. The party should therefore reflect these endeavors.

Some retirement party ideas for what to do at the party are as follows: Speeches, Commemorate the Retiree, Create a theme, do invite Family and Friends of the retiree, and create a playlist with fun songs.

The final thing to decide on would be the food. If you know the retiree’s palette then you can order food that they would like followed by CAKE.

Warmest Wishes – What to Write on Your Co-Worker’s Retirement Card

A co-worker’s retirement is a wonderful occasion to celebrate.  You will no doubt want to share a heartfelt sentiment to wish your co-worker well on a retirement card.  Here are some tips and suggestions to help you express your warm wishes.

-Be positive.  Sometimes retirement can be a scary time of transition in a person’s life.  While he or she may really want to retire, it is still a big lifestyle adjustment and can make even the most financially comfortable retiree a little nervous.  Also, retirement signals that one is definitely getting older, which can also be a little unsettling to your co-worker.  You can help ease the tension by being nothing but positive in your message on the retirement card.

-Be personal. While it’s nice to express standard congratulatory sentiments-like wishing your co-worker the well-meaning but generic “good luck”, it’s even better to try to be specific and show your co-worker that you connected to him or her on a personal level.  Instead of just saying, “Now you will have more time to pursue your hobbies”, get specific!  Is he or she an avid reader? Say “Now you’ll be up-to-date on all the current bestsellers!” Maybe gardening is more your co-workers thing?  Mention that “now you’ll have more time to tend to those gorgeous roses!”  If she or he is a sports and fitness enthusiast, you can quip that you expect to see her in the next marathon, or see him serving aces on the tennis court.  Many retirees long to travel, having put it off while working.  If this applies to your co-worker, you should definitely wish her or him exciting and safe travels. If you happen to know where he or she is interested in visiting, it’s even better to mention it specifically!  Whatever your co-workers interests or hobbies, it will mean so much to her or him that you remembered and mentioned it!

-Be sincere.  Everyone wants to hear that they will be missed, so make sure to end your message with such a sentiment.  It’s great to get personal here as well and mention something that you will specifically miss about your co-worker.  We all want to be remembered for something other than just showing up every day and doing our jobs; we like to be recognized as individuals.  Maybe she has a great sense of humor and you will miss her witty one-liners that always made your Mondays a little less bleak; be sure to tell her!  Maybe he always had a bowl of candies that often got you through a rough day; let him know!    If you don’t know your co-worker that well, try to at least think of one anecdote or memory that you share and mention that-perhaps there was a dreadfully long meeting you both attended or a festive holiday party where you shared a toast?  Taking the time to recall such memories will make your co-worker feel very special.

 

Retirement Party Themes For A Coworker

There are many stops along the trail leading to the end of a career.  Whether those forays were from one occupation to another or simply from one desk to another, the final destination of this journey is always the same – retirement.  This is often a happy occasion as concluding a career will offer an individual the freedom to invest more energy in their hobbies and passions, to spend more time with the ones they love, and to bask in the feeling of a lifelong job well done.  At the same time, retirement has the potential to engender a sense of loss and finality as an individual is permanently leaving work they may have felt strongly about and coworkers whose company they’ve come to appreciate and enjoy over the years.  Therefore, it is usually a good idea to keep retirement parties fun and light both to celebrate the positive aspects of retirement and mitigate any sadness associated with it.  A few retirement party theme ideas found below aim to accomplish just that.

Retirement Party Themes

  • Gag gifts – In addition to any actual gifts the retiree may receive, make a point to throw in at least one or two gag gifts to put a smile on his or her face. For example, you may wish to wrap up an alarm clock set to 5:00am and a shiny, new hammer and welcome the retiree to make good use of that hammer.
  • Mock Award Show – The red carpet could literally be rolled out for the retiree as coworkers pepper him or her with fun award show-type questions as he or she arrives at work. A video montage of work accomplishments could be shown as background narration is provided by someone impersonating an overly dramatic movie trailer announcer (In a world where budgets are always balanced…).  A silly award (maybe a “Linda” if the retiree is named Linda) could be presented amidst thunderous applause.
  • Retirement Interview – Easy “yes or no” questions could be fired in rapid succession at the retiree much like those asked during a job interview, but the questions would be instead attempting to evaluate if he or she is the right candidate for retirement.  For example, “Do you have any experience relaxing on the beach?” “Are you up to date on the latest television shows?,” “Is your greatest strength spending time with your family?”  Of course, no matter the answers given, the interviewer must say, “I’m sorry, Joe, but I just don’t think you’re the right fit for retirement.  We’ll see you at your desk on Monday.”