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Original poster

Last day at work - what would you do?

27 replies

KateShugakIsALegend · 07/02/2025 17:33

Asking for a friend (light-hearted)

My friend is retiring from their job. Been there a long time. Leaving as part of a wave of redundancies.

What would you do on your last day in their shoes, to lift the mood a little / bring some slightly subversive joy?

OP posts:
Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 07/02/2025 17:52

Googly eyes stuck on everything I could get away with and the stuff you probably shouldn’t (looking at you staff photo board).Bring loads of good biscuits in - if I liked the team I was leaving.
or…. Mess with computer fonts/colours/page set ups etc.

edit to add: someone did swap all the staff photos for post it notes with creative cartoons….. caused a lot of giggles once people realised, which took a long time.

Original poster
KateShugakIsALegend · 07/02/2025 18:50

I love the googly eyes idea!

Biscuits - nice one. We were thinking about a crazy hat.....

OP posts:
zzplec · 07/02/2025 19:00

Who are you/your friend intending to "bring joy" to? Often in redundancies there are people happy to be going (especially if they have a large payout or were thinking of leaving/retiring anyway), those unhappy about leaving (maybe they haven't got another job), and those who are staying but are unhappy not to have been chosen for redundancy or are worried they might be in the firing line in future.

You/your friend might feel positive about being made redundant but not necessarily everyone else does.

Vitriolinsanity · 07/02/2025 19:09

Post the Boss's car on Autotrader.

This may actually have happened, but it wasn't me wot dunnit.

I bloody love googly eyes 👀

Damnloginpopup · 07/02/2025 19:11

Fuck all.

I had a kip at one of them.

Original poster
KateShugakIsALegend · 07/02/2025 19:20

zzplec · 07/02/2025 19:00

Who are you/your friend intending to "bring joy" to? Often in redundancies there are people happy to be going (especially if they have a large payout or were thinking of leaving/retiring anyway), those unhappy about leaving (maybe they haven't got another job), and those who are staying but are unhappy not to have been chosen for redundancy or are worried they might be in the firing line in future.

You/your friend might feel positive about being made redundant but not necessarily everyone else does.

Fair point, and something we spoke about. Just thought that when someone is pretty much at retirement age there might be some better options than shuffling off.

OP posts:
Roselilly36 · 07/02/2025 20:11

Honestly I would’nt bother, no one really cares too much. Perhaps just have a pub lunch with colleagues they particularly like.

Original poster
KateShugakIsALegend · 07/02/2025 20:24

Roselilly36 · 07/02/2025 20:11

Honestly I would’nt bother, no one really cares too much. Perhaps just have a pub lunch with colleagues they particularly like.

Ok, thanks for responding

OP posts:
ScottBakula · 07/02/2025 20:49

I think it depends on the company, your relationship with your workmates and how devilish you are feeling.

A workmate left on good terms a few years ago .
He ordered a load of pizzas and while everyone was eating them he did things like swaping a few of the lesser used keys around on the keyboards, covering the sensors on the mice, changing the font, tying mismatch boots laces together ( everyone had safety boots under their desk ) lowering all the desk chairs to as low as they would go.

coxesorangepippin · 07/02/2025 20:53

Delete all the important passwords

Order stuff with the company credit card

Send delayed emails to all clients saying silly things

That kinda thing

Original poster
KateShugakIsALegend · 07/02/2025 21:11

ScottBakula · 07/02/2025 20:49

I think it depends on the company, your relationship with your workmates and how devilish you are feeling.

A workmate left on good terms a few years ago .
He ordered a load of pizzas and while everyone was eating them he did things like swaping a few of the lesser used keys around on the keyboards, covering the sensors on the mice, changing the font, tying mismatch boots laces together ( everyone had safety boots under their desk ) lowering all the desk chairs to as low as they would go.

That's the kind of thing, thanks (also love the pizzas idea!)

OP posts:
Original poster
KateShugakIsALegend · 07/02/2025 21:13

coxesorangepippin · 07/02/2025 20:53

Delete all the important passwords

Order stuff with the company credit card

Send delayed emails to all clients saying silly things

That kinda thing

Crikey! Wasn't looking to leave any lasting damage 😊

OP posts:
LittleGreenDuck · 07/02/2025 21:23

I don't see why you'd do some of these things, like taping over the mice sensors or changing fonts. Your (friend's) remaining colleagues are going to be pretty pissed off when they need to get some work done and someone has messed about with the tools they need.

I get that you don't need a reference, but unless your remaining colleagues are all a bunch of wankers, this is seems petty and unnecessary.

Buy a round in the pub and some cream cakes. Skip off into the sunset and enjoy retirement.

Original poster
KateShugakIsALegend · 07/02/2025 21:41

LittleGreenDuck · 07/02/2025 21:23

I don't see why you'd do some of these things, like taping over the mice sensors or changing fonts. Your (friend's) remaining colleagues are going to be pretty pissed off when they need to get some work done and someone has messed about with the tools they need.

I get that you don't need a reference, but unless your remaining colleagues are all a bunch of wankers, this is seems petty and unnecessary.

Buy a round in the pub and some cream cakes. Skip off into the sunset and enjoy retirement.

Thanks. Yes, cake and skipping is more the vibe

OP posts:
ScottBakula · 08/02/2025 05:21

KateShugakIsALegend · 07/02/2025 21:11

That's the kind of thing, thanks (also love the pizzas idea!)

Show quote history

I forgot to add , most people put their coats on the back of their chairs so he zipped them all up so that the chairs were 'wearing' the coats

beachyhead · 08/02/2025 07:17

I worked lightly in the morning, closing off things, then went for lunch with a friend from the other office about three miles away and walked slowly back to the office, knowing no one would pick me up on a three hour lunch break as I was leaving. It was sooo good

TheyAreNotAngelsTheyDontCareAtAll · 08/02/2025 07:37

ScottBakula · 07/02/2025 20:49

I think it depends on the company, your relationship with your workmates and how devilish you are feeling.

A workmate left on good terms a few years ago .
He ordered a load of pizzas and while everyone was eating them he did things like swaping a few of the lesser used keys around on the keyboards, covering the sensors on the mice, changing the font, tying mismatch boots laces together ( everyone had safety boots under their desk ) lowering all the desk chairs to as low as they would go.

Hilarious

TheyAreNotAngelsTheyDontCareAtAll · 08/02/2025 07:42

coxesorangepippin · 07/02/2025 20:53

Delete all the important passwords

Order stuff with the company credit card

Send delayed emails to all clients saying silly things

That kinda thing

That's so very grown up. And likely to get you arrested.
Thank god I don't work anymore. It appears that the Barclays ad is reality, not a funny way of getting kids into financial management.

fallingrocks · 08/02/2025 07:49

ScottBakula · 08/02/2025 05:21

I forgot to add , most people put their coats on the back of their chairs so he zipped them all up so that the chairs were 'wearing' the coats

Show quote history

Hilarious

fallingrocks · 08/02/2025 07:51

ScottBakula · 07/02/2025 20:49

I think it depends on the company, your relationship with your workmates and how devilish you are feeling.

A workmate left on good terms a few years ago .
He ordered a load of pizzas and while everyone was eating them he did things like swaping a few of the lesser used keys around on the keyboards, covering the sensors on the mice, changing the font, tying mismatch boots laces together ( everyone had safety boots under their desk ) lowering all the desk chairs to as low as they would go.

Why? Did any of you find that funny?

Cynic17 · 08/02/2025 07:59

I will have my last day at work in a few months' time (not that work know it yet!).
I will be making sure everything is completed, left tidy etc then I will put my coat on and go home. That's it. What more is needed? No fuss.
All these ideas to make it "fun" just sound utterly ghastly, tbh.

Moorfellduck · 08/02/2025 09:09

I'd want to make sure I didn't leave any loose ends for collegues to have to deals with - so no "bloody Kate!" as a legacy in the preceeding weeks. I'd be happy with that, mindful that everyone's circumstances are different -- much like there is likely someone crying in the loos with every happy pregnancy announcement- and go home.

DilemmaDelilah · 08/02/2025 09:27

I hate 'fuss' and being singled out, so my last day will be:
Start early to get all the last minute work and handover stuff done
Be really really busy and unable to chat all morning
Take the afternoon off as annual leave but don't tell anyone

I'm retiring in 5 months. Can't wait! I had a mini retirement in 2022 (retired for a month and then came back - everyone knew that would be the case) and my then boss made me attend a team meeting where everybody in turn told me all the good things about me - which was excruciatingly embarrassing. Especially as the person I have known longest said something along the lines of how she could always rely on me to give a good handover before going on leave - and that was it! I call it my 'obituary'. I am intending to make it VERY clear that any fuss made will be most unwelcome.

Examconfusion · 08/02/2025 11:40

Some of these are ridiculous. Are these people year 11s leaving school?
I work in professional services in the city and have literally never heard of people doing these stupid things.

I once had a client outside of London who I'd been working with for a while, on his last day before retirement we put some banners up, a few gifts and cards and ordered pizza etc.

No idea it was a thing to pull some adolescent type stunts before you left, just making things difficult for your old colleagues who are left.

Dunkou · 08/02/2025 14:15

Just bring biscuits in.

I can't imagine sitting there in a 'crazy hat' and sticking googly eyes everywhere, when other colleagues are heading for unemployment rather than retirement.