Most of us put all those years in with our employers in the hope of someday retiring in comfort. If you have a coworker who is seeing that dream to fruition, then it is only natural to want to honor the moment and share in the celebration by giving a token of your acknowledgement of all that hard work.
There are a number of great ways you can let a retiring coworker know that he/she is appreciated and will be missed. Check out this list of five fun and useful retirement gifts:
1 – Hobby Gift Basket
Now that your coworker is retiring, he or she will have plenty of time to take up a new hobby, or to participate more in an existing hobby. Think long and hard about hobbies your coworker may have mentioned – this could be anything from golf to gardening – and then have each of your officemates contribute to a hobby gift basket.
2 – Gift Cards
Treat your coworker to a night at a local restaurant, a shopping excursion at a favorite store, a selection of salon or spa treatments, or anything else that might be a special enjoyment. Even gas gift cards are a great idea for future retirees with travel plans.
3 – Retirement Celebration Vacation
This is something the entire office can pitch in for. Find an inexpensive vacation package deal and split the cost. You’ll be amazed at the type of vacation you can put together on a shoe-string budget when the whole group contributes, and there is perhaps nothing more useful to your soon to be retired coworker than some much need relaxation and enjoyment.
4 – Private Lessons
If you can think of something your coworker is hoping to learn after retirement, then a great and useful gift idea is a private lesson (or more, if you can get other coworkers involved) from a professional. For example, your coworker who has always talked about wanting to learn how to paint in watercolors will be thrilled to receive a pre-paid private lesson or two from a local watercolor artist.
5 – Monogrammed Clothing
Give a special gift that will last as both a useful piece and a keepsake when you purchase quality clothing and have it monogrammed in your coworker’s initials. To customize this gift even more, add the company logo and the years your coworker served as an employee. Retirement gifts like these are sure to be cherished.
As you can see, there are many great ideas to show your retiring coworker how happy you are to share in the special occasion. Choose from this list and you can be sure to send your coworker off with a smile.
About the Author: Hal Marcey works in a human resources department and is often coordinating retirement parties and gifts. It’s important to show your long-time employees how much you appreciate their service!
Credits: Photo courtesy of Yvonne Loomis and Lichen Rancourt.