Retirement gift
A leaving gift the whole team writes.
Thirty-five years of Friday biscuits, one fax machine only she could fix, a cruise booked for the spring. Collect the office stories, send them to us, and we turn them into a crossword about the person who is leaving.
What to collect
Work, and the life around it
A retirement crossword should be about the person rather than the job title. Ask each colleague for one thing and aim for a mix like this:
- The start year, the first desk, the department's old name
- A habit everyone knows: the tea round, the 7.45 kettle, the desk plant
- The skill they were always asked for, and the machine only they could fix
- What they are retiring to: the garden, the grandchildren, the trip already booked
Keep it kind. A leaving gift is often read out at the do, so leave out the difficult year and the client nobody liked. The retirement memory prompts help with choosing.
Questions
Ordering for a team
Who should place the order?
Whoever is collecting for the leaving present. They order on Etsy and type the team's memories into the personalisation boxes, one per line; the dedication box can carry “From all of us in Accounts”.
Can colleagues sign it?
Yes: print page 1 with a wide margin or on card and pass it round like a leaving card. The PDF can be printed as many times as you like, so keep a spare.
How far ahead do we need to order?
The finished PDF is normally uploaded to your Etsy order within 1–3 days of receiving your complete details. Collecting the memories usually takes longer than that, so start there.
Is it all right to mention the company or clients?
You decide what goes in. Company names, departments and in-jokes are fine as long as they are kind. We would leave out anything confidential and anything the retiree might not want printed.
We write the clues from your memories with the help of an AI writing tool, and a person reads and edits every clue before the puzzle is sent. Prefer to write them yourselves? The make-it-yourself version is an instant download with our online tool.
Retirement crossword