An Introduction To Letters Of Retirement
Writing a letter of retirement helps a retiree convey his or her feelings of reaching the retirement milestone. Letters of retirement are often shared with co-workers or friends. People who read them may use some of the remarks to plan for their own futures. Based on the remarks made by those who had come before them, others can try to avoid similar pitfalls and get great ideas regarding potential activities to undertake during their golden years. Since many people share similar thoughts regarding their retirements, these letters of retirement can be a great resource for others planning theirs. Defining A Schedule Writing a letter of retirement does not come naturally to everyone. Many people tend to procrastinate doing this. Defining a schedule gets your project of writing a letter of retirement underway. Sometimes writing a letter of retirement is an indirect means of notifying your employer that you plan to retire soon. It is a good idea to give your employer the letter of retirement as early as possible so that they can plan ahead to hire your replacement. The retiree will have sufficient time to help train their replacement before they leave. This allows for a smoother transition in the company. Giving your employer adequate time to react will be seen as an act of good faith and show your intention to leave on a positive note. Leave On A Good Note When writing the letter of retirement, it is important to remember that leaving as friends is better than leaving as enemies. Remember to thank the soon to be former employer for the opportunities they offered during your employment with them and the skills you have acquired over the years. It is also nice to mention in your letter of retirement some of the fun times you had or successful projects that you managed to complete with the help of great teamwork. Sometimes more than one person needs a copy of a written letter of retirement. These people can include human resources, a boss (or supervisor), employees, and/or co-workers. It is appropriate for letters of retirement written to different people to be a little different. Writing The Letter Of Retirement The letter of retirement should be somewhat formal. It should have a format much like a business letter beginning with the employers address, the date and addressing the employer. The body of the letter should include the expected last date of work, well wishes to the company after leaving and a willingness to ease the transition in anyway possible. If a contract is involved, that should be acknowledged. Many employers will require a retiring employee to complete their contract. The closing should also be formal and should include a written signature. Handing In The Letter Of Retirement In order not to ruffle any feathers, identify the person who you need to hand in your letter of retirement. Perhaps you could make a short appointment with that person in order to have a short discussion before personally handing in the letter. Another useful tip would be to choose an appropriate day to hand in your letter of retirement. Avoid days when your superior is expected to be busy. Also avoid the eve of holidays or the day before your superior leaves for his or her vacation. Writing and presenting a letter of retirement kicks off your planned exit from the company. Keep it professional so that you leave on a good note.
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