Letter to an employee who is about to retire
Author: Lynda Macdonald
When to use this model retirement letter
Use this model letter to convey good wishes to an employee who is about to retire.
Letter wording
[Sender's name]
[Sender's address]
[Sender's town]
[Sender's postcode]
[Date]
[Recipient's name]
[Recipient's address]
[Recipient's town]
[Recipient's postcode]
Dear [ ]
As your retirement date is rapidly approaching, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for your retirement. We do hope that you will keep in touch with us here at the organisation. [I would also like personally to thank you for all your hard work and contributions to the organisation over the years you have worked here.]
[We have already issued/we will shortly issue] a separate letter confirming the details of your final pay, including [any outstanding holiday pay/other payments due/pension entitlement from the organisation's occupational pension scheme].
Yours sincerely
[ ]
How to use this document
This is an example document and should be adapted to suit your circumstances.
Law relating to this document
Leading statutory authority
Employment Rights Act 1996
Equality Act 2010
Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/1069)
In the absence of an employer justified retirement age (EJRA), employers that compulsorily retire employees, or attempt to pressurise employees to retire, are at risk of direct age discrimination and unfair dismissal claims. Employers need to treat their older employees with care. Managers should avoid making stereotypical assumptions about the abilities or performance of older employees or future intentions to "wind down".
Where there is no EJRA, older employees are free to choose when they wish to stop working. Employees should provide their contractual notice period as a minimum to their employer. This will constitute a resignation and not a dismissal by the employer.
Notes
None.
Warning
None.
Future developments
None.
