Saying goodbye to a boss can be a bittersweet moment, whether they’re retiring, moving to a new opportunity, or leaving the company for personal reasons. A farewell gift is the perfect way to express your gratitude, show appreciation for their leadership, and wish them well in their next chapter.
Choosing the right gift can be tricky—after all, you want something thoughtful, memorable, and appropriate. Whether your boss is male or female, you’re shopping last minute, or you’re looking for something unique or luxurious, this guide will help you find the perfect farewell gift.
Last-Minute Farewell Gifts
Gift Cards to Favorite Restaurants or Stores
If you’re in a rush, a gift card for your boss to enjoy a meal on you, or to go shopping at their favorite store is a quick, easy, and practical gift that is still thoughtful when it’s tailored to their tastes. Giftcards.com has all kinds of gift cards that you can deliver via text message.
Digital Subscriptions
Sign your boss up for an interesting online class, audiobook service, or streaming platform that they can enjoy in their spare time. Some examples include:
- A Masterclass in a subject they’re interested in
- An Audible membership or specific titles if they already have a membership.
- An Atlas Coffee Club subscription, which delivers coffee beans from around the world.
- A membership to a meditation app like Headspace
- A fitness and wellness app membership with Alo Moves
- A book of the month subscription
Flower Arrangement or Plant Delivery
Find a local flower or plant shop to deliver a beautiful, same-day option to show your appreciation. If you’re not a fan of flowers, you can choose a potted plant.
Personalized Gift Ideas
Personalized Collaborative Memory Book
A collaborative gift where coworkers can contribute messages and memories is a gift your boss can open again and again for years to come (not to mention to show off)! Newlywords makes collaboration easy to help you create a memory book with photos, stories and notes they’ll appreciate.
Commemorative Plaques or Trophies
A commemorative plaque or trophy is a formal way to honor a retiring boss’s achievements and years of service. Awards.com is a great option where you can find and create these.
Personalized Travel Accessories
Perfect for a boss planning to travel during retirement—think personalized luggage, a travel kit, or an international guidebook. Mark & Graham is one example of a company that makes personalized luggage and travel accessories.
Food and Drink Subscription Services
Send them a wine, book, or gourmet food subscription to enjoy in their free time. Cratejoy has subscription boxes for everything from wine, to at-home retreat boxes, to exotic foods and candy and much more.
Engraved Pen Set or Office Items
Add their name, a quote, or a company logo to make it special. The Executive Gift Shoppe has classic pens and gift sets ready to be engraved and gifted.
Custom Illustration or Print
A framed piece featuring a favorite quote, a group photo, or the company’s mission statement. United Goods and Etsy sellers offer these and will work with you to customize your gift.
Personalized Whiskey or Wine Bottles
Include a personal message or company logo on the label for a meaningful farewell. Personal Wine is a great place to get both of these types of bottles.
Executive Farewell Gifts
Luxury Stationery Sets
Luxury stationery is a classic executive gift, ideal for a professional boss who values style and sophistication, from a company like Pineider.
Customized Desk Accessories
Monogrammed or engraved items like a nameplate, a sleek organizer, or a premium leather notebook. CrystalPlus has executive and professional desk accessories to check out.
High-end Watches or Jewelry
A high-end watch or jewelry piece is a timeless gift option for a departing boss, showing lasting appreciation. Winston’s Crown Jewelers is one company where you can start looking for options.
Sleek Tech Accessories For Office & Home
Sleek tech accessories that can be customized, like this custom eco wireless charger, can be used anywhere and look professional!
Travel Tumbler
Any boss who is ever on the go can use a travel tumbler for coffee, water or whatever drink they prefer! These can be customized too, like Yeti tumblers.
Specific Gift Ideas for Male or Female Bosses
Gourmet Whiskey or Wine Sets
For male bosses, check out Teroforma for a sleek, masculine appeal. For female bosses, consider companies like Vinebox, which offers elegant wine tasting kits. No matter the choice, personalizing the set with engraved glassware or a custom message can add that extra thoughtful touch.
Tech Gadgets and Accessories
From noise-canceling headphones to a smart speaker, tech gadgets make practical yet impressive gifts for both male and female bosses. For a more masculine aesthetic, consider items like sleek black or metallic Bose noise-canceling headphones or a Sonos smart speaker that adds a tech-savvy touch to their home or office.
For female bosses, you might opt for something like Kate Spade’s tech accessories or a stylish, compact Ember temperature control smart mug in soft tones.
Check out Uncommon Goods for unique, gender-specific tech gadgets and accessories they’re sure to get a kick out of!
Spa or Wellness Packages
Help your boss unwind with a day at the spa or a wellness retreat gift card—everyone deserves to relax! For a male boss, consider options like men’s grooming and massage packages or sports therapy sessions that focus on relaxation and recovery.
For a female boss, opt for something like a luxury facial treatment, aromatherapy massage, or a wellness retreat focused on mindfulness and yoga. Check out Spafinder for gift cards that can be used at a wide variety of spa and wellness locations, tailored to their preferences.
Everyday Bags and Carriers
Whether your boss carries a handbag, briefcase, messenger bag, or even a backpack, a high-quality, stylish new bag can be a thoughtful and durable gift they’ll appreciate! For male bosses, consider a sleek leather briefcase or a rugged messenger bag, perfect for commuting or business trips.
For female bosses, a chic designer handbag or a stylish tote bag can combine fashion with function. To make the gift even more personal, opt for a monogrammed option that reflects their unique style and adds a special touch to their everyday routine.
Pickleball Set
For the boss who loves pickleball, a gift set is a fantastic idea! For male bosses, consider a classic pickleball set with high-quality paddles and gear in a sleek, sporty design, such as those from Selkirk Sport.
For female bosses, check out options like the stylish and fun pickleball set from Recess, which offers paddles in vibrant colors and patterns that match her personality. Whether male or female, this is a fun and active gift that’s sure to be a hit on the court!
Funny and Unique Gift Ideas
Unique Tea Sampler
For any boss who drinks tea, a unique tea sampler like this National Park-inspired one is a fun and truly unique gift they’ll actually use!
Funny Mug
A funny mug, like this one that says “I used to work with legends” and includes photos of coworkers, is a perfect gift idea to make your boss laugh, and one they can actually use and remember you by!
Custom Bobblehead or Caricature
Getting a bobblehead like this one or a caricature of your boss is hilarious and also flattering. It’s something they can bring to their new office to get some notoriety!
Weighted Emotional Support Sloth
This weighted emotional support sloth is funny, unique and useful for stress relief and relaxation for your boss!
A Unique Hobby Gift
Using your boss’s favorite hobby to find a quirky but lovable gift is a great idea to help your boss remember you! Some examples include:
- This golf scoring tumbler for the golfers
- This custom pet embroidered sweatshirt for the ones who love their animals
- This pickleball paddle snack tray for the pickleball-obsessed boss
- This National Park-themed travel size cornhole set for ones who love travel and yard games
Expensive Farewell Gift Ideas
Luxury Weekend Getaway
A high-end experience gift to help your boss unwind after leaving their job would be appreciated by pretty much any boss. Virgin Experience Gifts has a lot of options to find luxury gift getaways to fit your boss’s preferences.
Designer Accessories
Think a classic brand-name handbag, wallet, or cufflinks. Check out a department store like Nordstrom to find the perfect one for your boss.
Self-Heating Mug
Self-heating mugs are literally perfect for anyone who likes to keep their coffee or tea warm, even when work distracts them! OHOM makes luxurious handcrafted self-heating mugs plus more gifts like self-purifying water bottles to choose from.
Engraved Grandfather Clock
You can choose any size of grandfather clock, from desktop to full-size furniture piece, to show your appreciation for your boss’s legacy as something they can use and show off for the long-term.
Experience Gift Ideas
Cooking or Art Class
Gifting a fun, hands-on experience your boss can enjoy in their free time is a great way to give a stand-out gift that will be memorable and help them get a break from their regular schedule. Virgin Experience Gifts has a lot of ideas to get you started.
Adventure Days
Consider something exhilarating, like skydiving, hot air balloon rides, or a sports car driving experience. Xperience Days has a ton of options to choose from!
A ClassPass Gift Membership
ClassPass unlocks the ability to try out different fitness classes, gyms, spas and salons, and makes a fantastic gift option so your boss can try out new places, whether they’re relocating or staying in town for their new venture.
Concert or Event Tickets
Treat your boss to a night out at their favorite concert, theater show, or sports event. Ticketmaster has tickets to all of the above and you can purchase gift cards through them.
Charitable Donation
Donation to a Cause They Care About
Make a contribution in their name to a charity or organization aligned with their values. CharityChoice has over 2,500 options to choose from for gifting donations.
Buy a Tree in Their Name
Honor their legacy with something symbolic, like sponsoring a tree planting. The Nature Conservancy is a great organization to do this with.
Retirement Gifts
Gift Basket With Something They Love
Whether your boss loves coffee, tea, a good book, bath and body products, technology, cooking, cocktail or mocktail making accessories or something else, Marigold & Gray has luxury gift boxes for every interest!
Trekking Poles
Trekking poles make the perfect gift for active and travel-loving retiring bosses. They’re great for hiking and traveling to places where the terrain isn’t completely flat, helping them explore to their heart’s content!
US National Parks Pass
If your boss loves to travel, a National Parks Pass makes it fun to have a goal of exploring US Parks. It will save them fees for a whole year and is good for a family of up to 4 people, allowing entry to 2,000 sites.
A Heartfelt Note
With any retirement gift, a heartfelt note of appreciation is recommended. Here are all our best suggestions for writing retirement wishes for your boss.
When your boss is retiring, the above gifts can make excellent ideas. There are even more gifts to celebrate the legacy and impact of a retiring boss, and this post has all our best suggestions!