Companies and friends

Leaving book for a colleague: one book from the whole team

A leaving book for a colleague works like a Freundebuch, the German book in which friends each fill in a page: every colleague gets their own double-page spread with two photos and answers about your time together. It is a shared book rather than a book just for the person leaving: they get a copy, everyone in the book can get one too, and the minimum order is 10 books. It suits retirement, a move to a new job or the boss leaving. A book costs €24.90 including design, printing and shipping, and the books arrive 5 to 7 working days after the last answers and payments.

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The book, the questionnaire and our WhatsApp support are in German. Other languages and shipping to other countries on request.

Left half of a sample double-page spread for a colleague who is retiring, in German: drawn portrait of a young colleague with blond curls in a light blue shirt, answers to prompts such as Renate showed me, how Renate sounds on the phone and what I am taking over from you, four awards with nominations such as inherits the office plants, and a wish for the time ahead Right half of the sample double-page spread, in German: a second drawn portrait in a blue jumper, answers to prompts such as my tip for all that free time and what you invented here, what I learnt from you, what I want to thank you for, a signature, name and four details: purchasing, since 2020, the 2023 office move and birthday
Sample page. The names and answers are made up; the background and the icons are design examples.

What goes into a leaving book for a colleague?

Every spread is about the person who is leaving. Each writer gets space for two photos, their own answers, a name, a signature and four short details with icons. We adapt the title and questions to your group. For a colleague called Renate, the questionnaire might include these prompts:

If the manager is leaving, “what we will keep doing your way” works better than “what I am taking over from you”.

The pages for the farewell

The whole team is on the cover: the photos are cut out and combined into one cover image. You choose the background, for example your building or the person's favourite place. Inside, you also get:

The book is a landscape A5 hardcover on 170 g/m² paper that you can write on with a ballpoint pen. The cover says “Abschiedsbuch” (farewell book) or a title of your own, such as “Danke, Renate”.

A shared book: who it suits

To be honest from the start: a Flashbook is a shared book. It holds 8 to 42 people, everyone in it can get a copy, and the minimum order is 10 books. It isn't meant to be a single copy just for the person who is leaving. For other quantities and special requests, just send us an enquiry.

When someone leaves, that is often an advantage: the person leaving gets their book, and the team keeps the same book as a reminder of your time together. Not everyone in the book has to buy one.

It is not the right choice if there are fewer than 8 of you or you definitely only want a single copy. In that case Make your own friendship book or have one made? will help, and you will find more ideas under leaving gifts for colleagues.

A retirement memory book, or a leaving book for a new job or the boss

Retirement. After many years in the company there are plenty of stories. Prompts like “what you invented here” and “my tip for all that free time” bring them into the book.

A new job. Someone moving to another company will enjoy prompts like “this is where we will meet again”. Leave out questions about the new employer: the book is about your time together.

Saying goodbye to the boss. The team says thank you together. “What I learnt from you” and “what I want to thank you for” work better than any question about who comes next.

If the team is staying together and simply wants to introduce itself, the company yearbook is the right book.

Creating a leaving book online: how it works

Only one person needs to organise it, and everyone fills it in on their phone.

  1. Enquiring takes 2 minutes. You then get the link via WhatsApp.
  2. You share the link with the team, ideally in a group without the person who is leaving. Everyone answers the questions on their phone in about 5 minutes and uploads two photos. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays you get an overview via WhatsApp of who is still missing.
  3. Once all the answers are in and all the books are paid for, we design and print. The books reach you 5 to 7 working days later.

Once the last working day is set, plan backwards and start a few weeks beforehand. Whether the book arrives before the farewell depends on how quickly everyone answers and pays; there is no fixed delivery date.

How much does a leaving book cost?

A book costs €24.90 including design, printing and shipping to Germany and Austria. If several groups order together, it gets cheaper.

1 to 2 groups
€24.90
from 3 groups
€22.90
from 5 groups
€19.90

Nobody has to pay up front: everyone pays by payment link, or one person pays for everyone by invoice within 14 days. Because each book is designed individually, orders cannot be cancelled.

Frequently asked questions about the leaving book

Can the leaving book stay a surprise?

Yes. Only share the link in a group without the person who is leaving. They do not have to fill anything in, because the spreads in the book belong to the colleagues who write them.

There are fewer than 8 of us. Can we still do it?

The book holds 8 to 42 people. Bring in people from other departments or former colleagues who know the person well. If that does not work, send us an enquiry.

Who pays for the leaving book?

That is up to you. Everyone can pay for their own book by payment link, or one person pays for everyone by invoice within 14 days, and that can be the company. Your accounts team can tell you what that means for tax. This is not legal or tax advice.

Is there a digital farewell book for colleagues?

The Flashbook is a printed book. The digital part is how you get there: the questionnaire and photos are handled on your phone, and the overview of who is still missing arrives via WhatsApp.

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