It’s always tough when a beloved colleague or friend decides to leave – but the satisfaction of finding the perfect leaving present can really soften the blow.
Leaving presents are a way to show your colleague how much they meant to you – but they also ensure you remain in their thoughts after they’ve moved on, as they use their leaving gift in their new role or day-to-day life.
We’ve rounded up the very best leaving gift ideas for colleagues, from small token leaving presents under £10, to big, meaningful leaving gifts they’ll cherish forever.
Read on to discover the best leavers’ present ideas!
We’ve also got plenty of employee gift ideas, too.
Cheap Leaving Gifts Under £10
1. New Job Wine Label – £3.99, Not on the High Street
This funny wine label makes it very clear how you feel about your favourite co-worker leaving!
It’s a gloss label that you can easily peel and stick to attach to the bottle of your choice – pick something you know they’ll love, and they might even share it with you.
It’s important to note this only includes the label – you’ll have to buy the wine separately, but that’s no hardship for the perfect leaving present, right?
Delivery is free, but you have the option to pay if you need it tracked or in a hurry.
2. I’ll Miss You Being My Work Wife Coaster – £5.99, Not on the High Street
If you’re looking for leaving gifts for her, this funny coaster could be the perfect shout. It’s a cheap leaving present idea, but it’s practical as they’ll use it all the time at their new desk – what more could you ask for?
There are a range of different wording options available through the retailer if you’re not shopping for your work wife, but for a leaving gift for a different colleague instead.
This practical leaving gift is easy to keep clean and is hardwearing, thanks to the solid hardboard backing. It’s also available with free delivery, although you can pay for other options.
3. A Dozen Chocolate Dapper Dogs – £8.50, Hotel Chocolat
If you think your colleague is a real top dog, you should treat them to these dozen dapper dogs from Hotel Chocolat.
These 40% milk chocolate pups have 86 five-star reviews, with reviewers rating the presentation and the taste most highly.
One review claims that they are: “Chocolate for the connoisseur, decadent and rich in flavour. The perfect gift for dog lovers.”
So there you have it – if your co-worker has a fondness for dogs, these luxury chocolates could be the ideal affordable leaving gift. Let’s hope they share!
Standard delivery is £3.95, but click and collect is also available from multiple locations.
4. Nobody Liked You Anyway Soy Candle – £9.50, Not on the High Street
If you and your colleague share a love of banter (hey, it makes those long office days go by more quickly), then they’ll appreciate this funny soy candle.
It comes in at under £10, making it a lovely cheap leaving gift idea, but it can also be personalised so you can make it meaningful.
This quirky candle is made in Britain, and has a 4/5-star rating, with one reviewer writing: “A gift for a friend who thought it was hilarious. The candle was wrapped in tissue paper with a cute sticker. Lots of choice in fragrances.”
Delivery costs £3.75 for standard service, but you can pay more for express if you need it in a hurry.
Leaving Gifts Under £20
5. Bistro Tiled Monogram Mug – £10, Anthropologie
This Anthropologie mug is an absolute classic gift, and for good reason.
Everyone loves a good mug, and in a work environment, a personalised mug is a huge asset – no longer will Kevin be able to nab your favourite cup, as it has your initial on it (unless your initial is ‘K’, in which case, we’re sorry).
We have these mugs at TGC HQ and we can confirm that they are sturdy, solid, hold a great amount of coffee (or tea, if you prefer), and that they wash well. It does say hand wash only on the product description, but we’ve dishwasher-ed ours and it looks totally fine.
It’s not microwave safe though, and we’re taking their word on that due to that lovely metallic finish.
You can collect in store for free, or enjoy free delivery when you spend over £75.
6. YR Studio Leaving Candle – £11.99, Etsy
Another candle yes, but this sassy candle is slightly less sweary than the one above, which makes it a winner if you want to let your pal know their new colleagues won’t be as good, but in a slightly more refined way.
The seller of this soy candle has over 20,000 five-star reviews, making them a top seller on Etsy. The candles are hand-poured in Somerset, and come wrapped in brown paper with biodegradable corn starch peanuts to ensure a safe delivery.
Delivery costs £3.99 and takes around 3-5 days.
7. Leaving Tote Bag – £11.80, Zazzle
If your colleague is forever lugging around books, their laptop, papers and various other things, send them on their way with a cute tote bag.
This one from Zazzle comes in five different sizes, and is made from 100% natural materials.
There is reinforced stitching on the handles for added durability, and you can customise the text to make it truly personal to them.
Delivery can take around two weeks, so allow plenty of time if you’re ordering this leaving present.
8. Noodle Up Portable Ramen Lunch Bowl – £12, Oliver Bonas
Does your co-worker look forward to lunch every day? If so, this portable ramen lunch bowl will be right up their street, and will revolutionise their work day.
There’s a section for uncooked noodles, a section for your other ingredients and even a smartphone slot in the lid, so you can watch a show while you slurp noodles at your desk. Truly, we are living in the future.
Standard delivery takes 2-3 days and costs £3.95, but click and collect is available for £2.
9. Personalised Birth Flower Notebook – £15.95, Not on the High Street
This is the perfect personalised leaving gift for her – you can make it really bespoke by adding their name and birth flower to this notebook, and choosing the paper type too.
This item has 161 reviews, with an average review of 4.8/5. One review states they love this item: “We have purchased three so far for different birthdays – will most definitely be back for more!”
Delivery is free and takes around five days.
Leaving Gift Ideas Under £50
10. Personalised Leather Mousepad – £24, Not on the High Street
You can personalise this leather mouse mat by choosing the colour and adding initials, making it a really lovely and useful personalised leaving gift.
The product has 19 positive reviews, with commenters noting how the item was ‘well packaged’, and others remarking on how they love the quality.
The mouse mat is hand crafted in the UK, and made with vegetable tanned leather. The cork base will keep your mouse mat from sliding as you use it.
Delivery is free, but you can pay for express if you need it in a hurry.
11. Daily Planner – £25, Papier
Everyone loves good stationery and Papier is the very best. This chic daily planner is undated, meaning your colleague can get stuck into using it right away in their new role.
It comes in six different colourways, and you can personalise it with their name. It includes a mind map inside, as well as pages devoted to setting and achieving goals. Each week has three overview pages and seven daily pages, so they’ll be able to stay super organised.
Products are made to order, so delivery can take a little longer – allow around five days.
12. Ficus Ginseng Bonsai – £29.99, Appleyard London
Whether they’re moving to a new office, or starting another role from a desk at home, a beautiful plant is always a lovely leaving gift idea.
Dress up their desk view with this miniature bonsai tree from Appleyard. It’s a great beginner’s bonsai, and comes beautifully presented in a ceramic pot.
You can also add a personalised gift card to accompany it, making it a great gift for a remote worker. All of the reviews on this item are five stars and you can choose your delivery date. Tracked delivery is £8.99.
13. Personalised Memories Book – £25, Not on the High Street
This personalised memories book contains blank pages, so you can either all club together to fill it with memories of your time at work, or give it to them blank and allow them to choose their favourite moments to add in.
You can personalise the copy and choose whether it’s got gold or silver lettering and binding. You can also choose the size and colour of the book itself – no wonder it scores 4.8/5 in its reviews.
One reviewer notes that it’s a “good quality memory book for news cuttings, photos and personal messages.” Sounds like a pretty perfect leaving gift to us!
Allow plenty of time when ordering as this item is made to order. Delivery costs £3.75.
14. Personalised Vacuum Flask in Marble and Gold – £24.99, Getting Personal
No more wasting time in the kitchen filling up endless glasses of water or boiling the kettle. This personalised flask will allow your colleague to become more productive!
It keeps cold drinks cold for 48 hours, and will keep hot drinks warm for up to 12 hours, and it can be personalised with their initials.
We love the stylish marble effect, and the super speedy and affordable delivery. It costs from 95p for one to two days delivery for items from Getting Personal, with more details available on the basket page for your chosen items.
15. Tipples & Treats Collection – £39.50, Not on the High Street
If your co-worker likes the finer things, they’ll love this Tipples & Treats box from Hotel Chocolat.
It contains Hotel Chocolat’s signature prosecco, pink champagne truffles, and some of their most popular chocolate treats. It’s the ideal gift for someone who likes the finer things, and has an exciting new phase of life to celebrate.
Delivery is available from £3.95, and there are click and collect options too.
16. Stars & Swirls Celebration Cake – from £27, Konditor & Cook
Nothing says celebration like a cake – and this Konditor & Cook beauty is ideal if you want to celebrate your colleague’s new job.
This is a great leaving gift idea as you can have it delivered to the office and everyone can tuck in, and you can personalise it with a special message.
You can also choose the size, colour and the flavour of the cake. We’d go for milk chocolate curly wurly!
This item can be delivered throughout London from £6.95.
17. Nomu Gold Glass Decanter & Tumbler Set – £45, Oliver Bonas
This vintage-inspired glassware set is perfect for the person who dreams they’re living out Mad Men in real life.
It comes with a glass decanter and two glasses, and they have 73 five-star reviews. Reviewers comment on how “appears more expensive than it was”.
Pair it with a bottle of something special for a gift they’ll cherish forever. There is a gift box option for this item, and click and collect is available. Standard delivery is between two and three days and costs £3.95.
Expensive Leaving Gifts for £50 & Up
18. Moet & Chandon with a Personalised Tin – £59.99, Selfridges
Toast to your co-worker’s new job with a delicious bottle of champagne.
This jubilant gift comes with a personalised tin, which you can customise with up to 18 characters. UK standard delivery comes in at £5, but there are timed and nominated day options too.
19. Personalised Luggage Tag – £85, Smythson
Are they leaving because they’re off on a new adventure? This personalised luggage tag from Smythson is the ideal leaving present for them.
Choose from a range of colours, and add personalisation if you like to make it even more special. It’s something they’ll cherish forever.
20. The World is Yours Leafy Globe Art – £65, Oliver Bonas
This beautiful print is the perfect gift to give someone who is about to spread their wings.
It comes with a frame, which means it’s ready to hang right away, and has multiple high reviews. Many comment on how sturdy the frame is, and how uplifting the positive messaging is.
Your colleague will adore it!
21. Masterclass Gift Subscription – from £170, Masterclass
This is an excellent leaving gift idea, particularly for a colleague who is retiring or scaling back on work.
A masterclass with a legend will help them to build a new skill, or hone an existing one, and will give them something to fill their time. It’s a great choice if you’re all clubbing in together.
A year’s subscription to this platform will allow them to be taught by a whole host of famous names – from film with Jodie Foster, to cooking with Gordon Ramsay and even writing with Margaret Atwood!
22. Executive Zipped Padfolio – Aspinal of London, £215
This is a totally refined, elegant leaving gift that will be greatly appreciated by serious professionals.
This A4 zipped padfolio comes in three different shades, and you can add personalisation and luxury wrapping.
It is handcrafted from the finest full-grain leather, and has a pocket for loose paperwork, four card slots, a pen loop and a refillable writing pad. They’ll look like a total boss heading into their new job with this.
23. Starwalker Metal Ballpoint Pen – £550, Mont Blanc
Is there anything nicer than writing with a fancy pen? If you’ve raised a lot of funds for your leaving gift, a Mont Blanc pen is a real luxury treat.
Inspired by the idea of walking amongst the stars, it’s a personal and touching gift for someone who is reaching new heights. You can also have this gift personalised.
This gift will last generations, making it one of the loveliest leaving gift ideas we’ve ever come across.
Still after ideas? You can’t go wrong with our wine gift ideas.
