The tone, length and details you choose for your farewell email depend on how long you were with the company, what your role was and how your company is structured. A goodbye email after six months at a start-up will be different from a farewell email written after 25 years in a leadership role at a multinational corporation.
You can mention why you’re leaving, but depending on the reason, this may or may not be a good idea. For example, if you were fired or found a new job, it may be more tactful not to include this information. Of course, a farewell email before retirement is different. If you’re only leaving your job temporarily, you should communicate that. You may also need an out-of-office message for your parental leave or sabbatical.
In the following sections, we’ve listed some other information that you should include in your email as well as details you’re better off not mentioning.