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In two weeks, I will be leaving my employment, in what I hope to be good terms with management and coworkers. I have given appropriate notice and am trying to ease the transition for everyone involved.

But in professional conversations, I am struggling with word choice.

  • "My upcoming termination" sounds a little harsh.
  • "The transition period" seems overly vague.
  • "When I leave," "After I'm gone," or "My departure" would work, but I'm not actually going anywhere. Just no longer employed with this particular company.

What is the right way to treat this subject without making it sound like a death in the family?

Notes added for clarification:

  • I am seeking for terminology rather than how to handle the departure in general
  • Perhaps one of the reasons I hesitate to say "leave" "go" or "depart" is because I live very close to my current workplace. But, as BSMP pointed out, I will not actually be entering that exact building/office anymore, so they are in fact valid choices.
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    I think you're overthinking it. Why do you care what they do after you leave, and more importantly, why do you think they will be bound by your decisions after you've left the company? Asides from that "after I leave" is good enough. It's up to your managers to manage the "transition", not you.
    – user1666620
    Aug 13 '18 at 19:12
  • Just to clarify: you're wondering exclusively about which term to use to your actual departure, and this question isn't about how to handle departing in general, right?
    – Bernhard Barker
    Aug 13 '18 at 20:29
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    As you yourself say, you're leaving your employment. Why do you have a problem with phasing it that way?
    – Bernhard Barker
    Aug 13 '18 at 20:30
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    ...but I'm not actually going anywhere. Wait, what? Do you mean you're still going to be working in the same building/office but for a different company?
    – BSMP
    Aug 14 '18 at 14:55
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    "Termination" is being laid of or fired (unless Schwarzenegger does the terminating, then it is more serious). When you quit, it's "resigning".
    – gnasher729
    Aug 14 '18 at 18:25
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Once you've given notice, you want to be sure that the last two weeks are generally tolerable and as you say you want to leave on good terms. Sounds like you are trying to be helpful and make sure any loose ends are taken care of before you leave. I'd use language that reflects that sentiment. Here are some examples:

  1. "I'm leaving in 2 weeks - is there anything you'd like me to prioritize in that time?"
  2. You know the XXth is my last day - how should we handle ABC after that?"
  3. I'd love to keep in touch after I leave - here is my contact information"
  4. Thanks for being a good mentor/boss/coworker/team member, etc, I hope we can keep in touch after my last day.

Be comforted by the fact that you care way more about these word choices than almost anyone else on your team.

Good luck in your future endeavors either way.

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Dear colleagues,

After {years} years with {Company name} I have decided to move on. My last day will be {date}. I have enjoyed my time with all of you at {Company name} and have many fond memories of my time here. I am leaving on very good terms, and want to make sure everything is finished and all knowledge is transferred during my remaining time here. Please feel free to stop by with any questions you may have about any information you may need after my departure.

Then you can include something with your email if you want some colleagues to have it, or simply go around and talk to people. Say nothing but positive things, and enjoy your remaining time

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Here are some items I recommend:

  1. Remind them of the good things you've done together

I recommend taking some time to celebrate the things you and your team have achieved, memorable team events, and thank people for helping you grow in your career.

  1. Cover the logistics

Communicate what your last day will be and how and when you'll transition your work. Are you going to schedule meetings with small groups? Will you give a big knowledge transfer presentation? Etc. Etc.

  1. Use the time to connect (optional)

You may hose to share your contact information such as email or cell phone with your colleagues before you go. I recommend doing this on a very small scale to minimize the risk of people taking advantage. You may also want to do some one-on-one meetings to give people a chance to ask you questions professional or personal to help give them closure.

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  • Why the down vote? I've personally use this combination and see others use it. It's very effective.
    – jcmack
    Aug 17 '18 at 17:16

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