Do you need to give a retirement speech?

Are you retiring soon?  Do you need to give a speech at your retirement party?

Here is an example of one that has been written to help you…

I remember starting with this firm [xx] years ago. I had dreams and ambitions that I wanted to fulfil. After I had been here a while I realised that maybe I should change these ambitions and aim lower.

I remember receiving my first pay cheque, and in all honesty the fancy paper that it came on, along with the envelope and stamp, were worth more.

I will always remember the first time I met the boss. Believe me, he was bald and grumpy when he was 40, so don’t believe him when he says the work made him like he is!

But on a more serious note now. I have enjoyed every day of the [xx] years I have worked here. There have been hard times, long days and times when I wondered why I worked in the role that I did. But then we would have a good day. A day when everything went right and I remembered that I did this job because I love it. I couldn’t have done it without all of you, though. You have always supported me and made me see sense when things got a little blurry. And for this I thank you. I want to thank all the bosses for giving me the opportunity to achieve my full potential, and giving me a chance to make a name for myself. So thank you.

I hear you asking, if I love my job so much, why am I retiring ?

Well, it’s simple. I have made a list of the best reasons for retirement, and I think you should all have a copy as there aren’t as many spring chickens in here as there used to be!

Reasons for retirement:

• You are losing track of the years. When every day you wake up a new year is dawning, maybe it’s time to retire
• When you try and iron the wrinkles from your socks and realise you aren’t wearing any!
• When you and your teeth don’t sleep together
• When you go to water your plants and hear someone shout, ‘get out of my garden, granddad!’
• When your address book is mainly filled with doctors
• When getting ‘lucky’ means you remember where you parked your car
• When everything hurts and what doesn’t hurt isn’t working!
• When you know you’re over the hill, but don’t remember how you got there
• When you realise you have more hair in your ears and nose than you do on your head!
• You come to the realisation that you have to spend more time with your children, as in a few years they will be choosing your old people’s home.

Leaving this place will be the hardest thing I have done in a long time. That is, until I try and find my car keys again.

But thank you to everyone who has worked with me and made this such a special place to work.