From leaving gifts to parties | How do you give a departing colleague a proper send-off?

When in the process of leaving an organisation, goodbyes are made, handovers are due, and often, leaving drinks or a party might occur.

The importance of this event typically depends on the significance of a person to a company, and how long they’ve been there.

The way this send-off happens, and how important it is to get it right, was brought to light with a story in the New York Times, of 70-something year old man named John who had dedicated 42 years of his career to his job. Despite his hard work and long reign at the business, when John came to leave the company, his employer recognised his time at the firm with a humble barbeque.

In response, a colleague shared a video on social media of John’s last day with a caption explaining “The company only threw him a barbecue and gave him a certificate”.