35 going away party ideas for a coworker's farewell
Ideas for the office, a lunch, after work or a video call, plus themes and games. And 30 messages for the going away card.
Most people give about two weeks’ notice, so a going away party usually comes together in a few days. These 35 going away party ideas are sorted by where you’ll hold it: the office, a lunch or evening out, or a video call for remote teammates. Below them you’ll find themes, eight farewell games, 30 card messages and send-off gifts. Pick one idea, one game and a short toast, and the goodbye takes care of itself.
How to plan a going away party in a week
Five steps. Do the first three on the day you hear the news.
- Ask what they'd like. A big party, a quiet lunch or drinks with a few friends. Not everyone wants a send-off with speeches.
- Pick a day two or three days before the last one. The last day goes to hand-offs, returning equipment and goodbyes at every desk.
- Send the card and the collection the same day. Remote and part-time colleagues need a few days to sign and chip in.
- Book the place or the host now. Restaurants and hosts fill up, and a week is not much notice.
- Ask one person to give a short toast. Two minutes, one story, one thank-you. Their manager or closest teammate is usually right.
Going away party ideas for the office
Easy to set up during the workday, with a conference room and a few days' notice.
1. Farewell breakfast. Bagels or pastries before the morning stand-up. Low effort, and almost everyone can make it.
2. Desk takeover. Cover their desk in sticky notes, photos and one balloon before they arrive.
3. Memory whiteboard. Write “Best moment with...” on a whiteboard and let people fill it all week.
4. Cake with an inside joke. Put their catchphrase or the team's running joke on top.
5. Signed keepsake. A team photo with a wide mat, a book or a mug that everyone signs.
6. Farewell awards. Give them a few honorary titles, like Fastest Slack Reply. Borrow from our office superlatives.
7. Advice for the new job. Everyone writes one tip on a card. Keep them kind and a little funny.
8. Video goodbye. Ten-second clips from each teammate, cut together and played at the party.
9. Last-day playlist. Each person adds one song they associate with the person leaving.
10. Team photo by the office sign. Take it early in the week, print it and frame it for their send-off.
11. Their snack, stocked. Fill the kitchen with the snack they always took the last of.
12. Final stand-up toast. End their last team meeting with a two-minute thank-you and a round of applause.
Farewell lunch and after-work ideas
Fun going away party ideas for when the team wants to get out of the building.
13. Lunch at their favorite place. Let them pick, and book a long table for the whole team.
14. Potluck of their favorite foods. Everyone brings one dish the person leaving loves.
15. Happy hour at the usual spot. First round on the team, and good options for people who don't drink.
16. Bowling or arcade night. Easy for any skill level, and the scoreboard does the talking.
17. Trivia night at a bar. Name your team after an inside joke and play for bragging rights.
18. Karaoke. Book a private room so the shy people can sing too.
19. Cooking or pizza-making class. A group class gives people something to do with their hands besides holding a drink.
20. Escape room. One hour, one locked room, one last project together.
21. Food truck lunch. Book a truck outside the office if the building allows it.
22. Dessert crawl. Three stops for something sweet, walking distance from the office.
23. Ballgame outing. Cheap seats at a local game, with the first round of hot dogs on the team.
Virtual farewell party ideas for remote teams
For a coworker you've only met on camera, or a team spread across time zones.
24. Hosted game show on Zoom. A live host runs an hour of team games, so a remote goodbye feels like a party. See virtual game shows.
25. Virtual happy hour with a kit. A cocktail or wine kit shipped to every home, with a host on the call. See virtual happy hour ideas.
26. Photo background day. Everyone uses a photo of the person leaving as their video background.
27. Shared slide deck. One slide per teammate with a photo and a message, presented live.
28. Digital group card. One link everyone signs, so remote teammates don't miss the card.
29. Trivia about them. Ten questions about the person leaving, answered in a poll.
30. One-minute stories. Each person tells one story about them. Post the order and keep a timer.
31. Lunch on the company. Give everyone a meal budget and eat together on camera.
32. Play an escape room together. Solve puzzles as a team one last time. Try our free online escape room.
33. Async goodbye thread. Open a channel a week ahead for teammates in other time zones.
34. Video message reel. Collect short clips, stitch them together and play them on the call.
35. Send-off box to their door. A gift box from the team that arrives the week they leave.
Going away party themes
A theme is optional. When it fits the person, it makes the decorations and the cake easy.
- Bon voyage: Travel posters, passports and a map, for someone moving to a new city.
- Graduation: A paper cap and a diploma that says they've graduated from the team.
- The next chapter: Book-themed decor and a guest book everyone signs.
- Out of office: Beach towels, lemonade and a big printed auto-reply.
- Award show: Fake red carpet, envelopes and a trophy for the person leaving.
- Throwback to their first day: Their start date's music, snacks and prices.
- Their favorite food: Tacos, dumplings or pizza, done properly.
- Team colors: Everyone wears the jersey or colors of their favorite team.
8 farewell party games
Keep it to one or two games, and make them about the person leaving. All of these work in a room, and most work on a call with a poll or the chat.
1. How well do you know them?
Ten questions about the person leaving: their first project, their go-to lunch, their worst commute story. Teams answer, then they reveal the truth.
15 min · Teams of 4 · Answer sheets or a poll
2. Who said it?
Read famous lines from the team chat over the years. Guests guess who said each one.
10 min · Everyone · 10 to 15 quotes
3. Farewell bingo
Squares for things likely to happen: someone cries, someone says “we'll still get lunch,” someone asks who gets their chair. First full row wins.
Runs all party · Everyone · Printed cards
4. Pass the parcel with notes
Wrap a small gift in layers, with a goodbye note between each one. Pass it around; whoever holds it when the music stops reads a note out loud.
10 min · Up to 20 · A small gift, wrapping paper, notes
5. Two truths and a lie, farewell edition
The person leaving shares three facts about their time on the team. Everyone votes on the lie. More ways to play two truths and a lie.
10 min · Everyone · Nothing
6. Most likely to
Read prompts like “most likely to text us from the new job by Friday.” Everyone points at the teammate who fits; the person leaving breaks ties.
10 min · Everyone · A list of 10 prompts
7. Guess the new city
If they're moving, show close-up photos of their new city's landmarks and foods. First to name the place wins.
10 min · Everyone · 8 to 10 photos
8. Memory charades
Teams act out famous team moments: the projector disaster, the offsite in the rain, the all-hands where the mic died.
15 min · Teams of 3 to 6 · Slips of paper
30 going away messages for a coworker's card
Add their name and one real detail: the project you shipped together, the lunch spot, the joke only your team gets.
Heartfelt farewell messages for a coworker
1. We're going to miss you, and we're so glad we got to work with you. Go show the next team how it's done.
2. Your new team has no idea how lucky they are. Congratulations on the new role.
3. Thank you for the help, the patience and the jokes that saved a lot of long days. Stay in touch.
4. It won't be the same without you. Congratulations, and good luck with everything ahead.
5. You made coming to work better. I hope the next place is as lucky as we were.
6. I've learned so much working next to you. Thank you, and congratulations on the big move.
7. Wherever you land, you'll make it better. Wishing you every success.
8. Thank you for always having time for my questions. I hope your new team asks good ones.
9. Watching you grow here has been one of the best parts of my job. I can't wait to see what you do next.
10. Goodbyes are hard when someone's this easy to work with. Keep in touch, and good luck.
Funny going away messages
11. Congratulations on escaping. Please send instructions.
12. Who's going to laugh at our jokes now? Please fix this before you go.
13. Good luck at the new job. They'll never appreciate your spreadsheets like we did.
14. Your new coworkers are lucky. Your old coworkers are devastated and slightly jealous.
15. Sorry you're leaving. Sorry we can't come with you. Mostly the second one.
16. Remember us when you're famous. Or at least when you update your LinkedIn.
17. You still owe us one more “quick question” before you go.
18. Congratulations on the new job. We hope their coffee is worse than ours, so you miss us.
19. Thanks for everything. We're keeping your stapler as a memorial.
20. The group chat will never be the same. Please do not mute it.
Short goodbye messages for a card or Slack
21. Good luck, and thank you for everything!
22. You'll be missed. Congrats on the new adventure.
23. Best of luck in your next chapter.
24. So lucky we got to work with you. Stay in touch!
25. Congrats! Your new team is in for a treat.
26. It's been a pleasure. Go do great things.
27. Thanks for the laughs. We'll miss you.
28. Onward and upward. Congratulations!
29. Wishing you all the best in the new role.
30. Not goodbye, just see you on LinkedIn.
Signing a different card this month? Try our happy birthday messages for coworkers.
Send-off gifts and a hosted goodbye
One group gift beats a pile of small ones. A few that work for almost anyone:
- A good notebook and pen for the first week at the new job
- A desk plant that's hard to kill
- A framed team photo, signed on the mat
- A travel bag or guidebook if they're moving
- A coffee shop gift card for the new commute
- A gift box of chocolates and treats with the team's note inside
Our corporate gift boxes run from $22 to $192 and ship to any address with the team’s note inside, which helps when the person leaving works remotely.
Want someone to run the goodbye? A live host runs about an hour on Zoom (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request). Games book about 2 weeks ahead; cocktail kits need about 3 weeks to ship, so short notice is tight: ask us anyway.
See every option for a virtual happy hour or a virtual game show, or get a free quote with the date and headcount. Saying goodbye to someone at the end of a long career? Our retirement party ideas have a full run of show.
