A leaving gift has an audience: the whole team watches it opened, and it goes to a new office where new colleagues see it. That rules out most in-jokes and most novelty. What works is something the person will use at the next desk, with the team's name and the years on it. This is the short list, the wording, and the mistakes.
The desk pair
A personalised fabric coaster and a kraft notebook with the person's name and the team or company and the years ("Priya · Marketing · 2019–2026"). Both go straight to the new desk, and the coaster is the one thing on it that says where they came from.
The mug with the whole team on it
A photo mug with the team photo on one side and "Thanks for everything, from all of us" on the other; dishwasher-safe, so it survives the new office's kitchen. If there is no photo, the company name and the years in Serif.
The tumbler for the commute they are escaping
A 20oz tumbler with their name and a line about the new place ("New chapter", "Off to better meetings"). It fits a car cup holder and a train table, which is where most leaving gifts spend their first week.
Wording that stays professional
- Priya · Marketing · 2019–2026
- Thanks for everything, from all of us
- The one who fixed the printer
- New chapter
- Good luck, you'll be missed
- Team Finance, 2021–2026
- We'll miss you at 4pm on Fridays
- Our loss, their gain
- Onwards
- Still one of us
Serif for the name and the years, Mono for a dry line. The font guide shows the six styles.
What to avoid
- The nickname only three people use.
- Anything about the boss, the redundancy, the reason they are leaving, or the new salary.
- Jokes about age, retirement or "finally escaping", unless they are retiring and made the joke themselves.
- Anything that will embarrass them at the new desk.
The card is for the private lines and the twenty signatures. The gift is for the new desk.
Collecting and ordering
One person collects, one person orders, one card goes round. Everything is printed to order in Cheshire, usually dispatched within one to three working days, with free UK delivery; order a week before the last day, to the office, in a named presentation bag so it can be handed over without wrapping. Because each piece carries the name you type, it cannot be returned for a spelling change; check the name on their email signature. More in leaving and retirement gifts and thank you gifts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good personalised leaving gift for a colleague?
A named coaster and notebook for the new desk, a photo mug with the team photo, or a 20oz tumbler with their name and a line about the new chapter.
What should a leaving gift say?
The name, the team or company and the years ('Priya · Marketing · 2019–2026'), or 'Thanks for everything, from all of us'. Keep the private jokes for the card.
What should we avoid printing on a leaving gift?
Nicknames only a few people use, anything about the reason they are leaving or the boss, and jokes about age or 'escaping', unless they made the joke first.
