Retirements gifts are a thoughtful way to celebrate time spent with a colleague, but it’s not easy to pick the perfect leaving present.
Small but perfectly formed retirement gifts bought by individuals, through to pricey ones from a generous office whip round, both boil down to one rule – you must choose something with the recipient in mind.
A gift without relevance, such as an object grabbed from the local card shop, is disappointing – it lacks imagination and just screams ‘We couldn’t be bothered’. You can do better than that and we can help.
- Wooden plaque
- Gift
- Twine to hang
- 17cm x 12.5cm
- MACHINE WASHABLE HIGH QUALITY APRON: Our aprons are made from a high quality hard wearing cotton blend fabric that is machine washable, these are perfect for using in the kitchen, or at the barbecue
- ONE SIZE BBQ KITCHEN APRON:- The aprons measure 23 inches in width and 33 inches top to bottom. All our novelty aprons have with ties at the back and a wide neck loop and are knee length on the average height adult. There is a very useful double pocket on the front which is great for keeping cooking utensils to hand
- GUARANTEE NO CRACKING OR PEELING: Our designs are printed here in the UK using high quality materials so we guarantee no peeling, cracking or fading whatsoever. Fully machine washable
- GREAT GIFT PRESENT FOR THE CHEF COOK IN YOUR LIFE: Our humorous aprons always raise a smile and make great gift ideas for the special cook or chef in your life. Great birthday gifts for dads, mums and grandads.
- FOUR COLOURS TO SELECT FROM: Our funny aprons are available in 4 colours - Black, Red, Blue and Pink - with many options for personalised apron gifts available
- High Quality Ceramic Coffee Mug with black handle and insides
- Dishwasher and Microwave Safe
- Design is on both sides of the mug
- 11 ounce (312ml) capacity
- Hand Decorated in the UK by AMC Photographics
Here’s why you need to buy a well-thought out retirement gift:
• Retirement gifts are a way saying ‘We know you as a person’. After all you may have been working with them for some time. Everyone wants to know they were liked and appreciated.
• Retirement gifts are a long-lasting thank you and good luck wish to your colleague when they leave. It will form one of their last impressions of you, so make it a good one.
If you need help choosing a suitable retirement gift, take a look at our selection of thoughtful, funny and useful gifts to suit all budgets and tastes. Remember a retirement gift doesn’t have to be expensive, it just needs some thought.
Humour
Funny gifts are a good way to lighten a mood, but you need to make sure that you’ve gauged their reaction correctly. Amusing gifts are a great way to celebrate with a fun-filled person, but there are levels of acceptability. Is the recipient happy with rude language for example and will they laugh at an oldie joke? Think carefully so you don’t cause offence at what should be a meaningful time.
If you want just a little bit of humour consider funny mugs and survival kits alongside a handpicked relevant gift.
No-one wants to cry during the leaving speech, and you can stave off tears by revealing a funny gift. These moments tend to get emotional, and unless your colleague is desperate to leave, they’ll have made friendships and be sad to leave them behind.
Something To Do
The days following retirement can seem empty. Recent retirees may appreciate a gift that keeps them occupied. Games, vouchers anything to keep busy during working hours will be valued as they settle into a new pace of life.
Check With Their Family and Friends
Checking with a spouse or close friend is a sure fire way to hit the spot with a retirement gift, even if you think you know them well. It’s worth making sure they don’t already own bigger ticket items, and it’s worth checking the appropriateness of a funny gift.
Family and friends may also have some ideas to help you choose the right retirement gift. You might realise you didn’t know them that well when it’s revealed Vincent in accounts is a hot salsa dancer, or Karen regularly sky-dives.
Personalised Retirement Gifts
Thoughtful gifts nod towards hobbies and interests. Gardening, cooking, travel, pets or grandchildren – whatever they have shared stories about at work should be your target area. Check our wide range of hobby-related retirement gifts for some inspiration.
Alongside their hobbies and interests you could consider a personalised present. These always go down well as thoughtful retirement gifts. Run-of-the-mill generic presents are fine for people you don’t know well, but marking longer working relationships requires a personal touch.
Celebratory plaques and engraved keep-sakes fit the bill because they demonstrate you do care and will miss them a great deal.
Redundancy
Of course, retirement isn’t always planned and some unlucky individuals may not want to leave their work place. This is a time for sensitivity – joke presents and humour are not best placed. Avoid congratulations and commiserations, but let them know you appreciate their contributions and understand their situation with a thoughtful gift instead.
The Essential Handwritten Goodbye Note
This may seem old-fashioned, but if you really enjoyed working with a retiring colleague, or they have helped you in some way, a handwritten note is a nice touch. Even if your retirement gift is a maserati, a thoughtful note is always appreciated.
Phrases to include are I’ve enjoyed working with you, we’re really going to miss you, and enjoy your future plans.
So there you have a quick guide to finding the right retirement present. Take a browse through our selection for spot-on gifts that suit a treasured or otherwise colleague who is moving onto new pastures.