What to write in a maternity leave card
A maternity leave card has one simple job: wish your colleague well for what's ahead, and let them go without a single work thought trailing after them. It isn't the place for birth stories, baby name guesses or a handover note. Short and kind always reads best.
Pregnancy is personal. Your colleague has chosen what to share with the team, so stick to what they've told everyone and let them fill in the rest, if and when they want to. A few things worth bearing in mind before you pick up the pen:
- Wish them well, and their family too if they talk about it freely, without assuming anything about their circumstances.
- Reassure them about work in one line: the team's got it covered, and they needn't give it another thought.
- Leave out the baby's sex, name or due date unless they've announced them to everyone themselves.
- Don't second-guess their plans for coming back. That's between them and their employer.
- Keep it warm but measured on a group card, where everyone reads everyone else's message.
- Sign it clearly, especially if you share a first name with half the office.
For a colleague you're close to
With a close colleague, you can tell them you'll miss them and that you're thrilled for them. Save the personal questions for a proper chat over coffee: the card will be passed round, and quite possibly read out.
Swap the bits in square brackets for your own memories. One detail only you could have written is worth more than a paragraph of good wishes.
- I'm so happy for you. The office will be far too quiet without you, but it's for the best reason there is. Look after yourself, and send news only when you feel like it.
- Wishing you all the happiness in the world for what's coming. Thank you for [shared memory], and for every tea break that rescued a bad afternoon.
- Go and enjoy every bit of this. We've got everything covered here, so your only job now is you and yours.
- You'll be missed every single day, mostly at lunchtime. Sending you so much love for the weeks ahead.
- I've no doubt you'll take all this on with the same calm you bring to everything else. Thinking of you.
- If you ever fancy a coffee, a walk or a chat about anything at all, you know where I am. Lots of love, [name].
For someone you don't know well
If you've barely worked together, keep it short and friendly. There's no need to manufacture a bond, and even less need for advice: someone you hardly know won't want your views on sleep routines.
- Wishing you every happiness for this lovely time. Take good care of yourself.
- We haven't worked together much, but I wanted to wish you all the very best for what's ahead.
- Thanks for your help with [project]. Have a wonderful leave, surrounded by the people who matter to you.
- Congratulations, and very best wishes to you and yours.
- Sending you lots of warm wishes for the months ahead.
For your manager
When your line manager goes on maternity leave, the card can thank them for something concrete and reassure them that the team will hold the fort. Skip any questions about who's covering what: that's sorted elsewhere, and it's no longer their worry.
A single message from the whole team often works best here. Nobody has to agonise over their own line, and it makes it clear that everyone's behind them.
- Thank you for always backing us. Go off with a clear head: we've learnt a lot from you, and we'll do our best to show it.
- From all of us, every happiness. You gave us good habits, and we fully intend to keep them.
- For once, it's our turn to tell you not to worry. The team's in good hands, and you've got far better things to think about.
- Thank you for always making room for us to learn. Wishing you a wonderful time, well away from dashboards and Monday meetings.
- Your calm in the busy weeks taught us more than you'd think. Enjoy this time with the people who matter most.
Short lines for a group card
On a card that's going round the whole floor, one sincere sentence is plenty. If you're signing near the end, read what's already there, so you're not the fourth person to write ‘Good luck!’ in the same corner.
If part of the team works from home or at another site, start the card early, or collect messages by email and copy them in, so nobody's left off.
- Wishing you every happiness. Look after yourself!
- So much love for what's ahead. You'll be missed.
- Go with a clear head. We've got this.
- Hoping this next chapter brings you lots of joy.
- Congratulations, and all the very best for the adventure ahead.
- Enjoy every moment. We're thinking of you.
Funny maternity leave messages that stay kind
Humour works if you know your colleague well and keep the jokes about the office, never about their body, their tiredness or what parenthood's about to do to them. A good test: would it still feel fine read aloud in front of them, even if the pregnancy hasn't been easy? You may well not know.
- You're officially excused from Monday morning meetings. We're delighted for you, and only slightly jealous.
- Who's going to find the files nobody else can find? We'll manage, we promise. Every happiness.
- We've written down your instructions for the office plant. It's in safe hands. Mostly.
- Your chair and your mug are strictly off limits while you're away. Everything else, we can't guarantee. Take care!
- The printer may go on strike in solidarity. We'll talk it round. Wishing you all the best!
Paternity leave and shared parental leave
Paternity leave is for the baby's father or the mother's partner, whatever the make-up of the couple, and shared parental leave lets parents split time off between them. The same rules apply: warm wishes, no personal questions, and the reassurance that work will manage perfectly well without them.
In some offices, a partner's leave still gets treated as a bit of a holiday. Show the opposite: wish them a proper break from work, and skip the jokes about them putting their feet up.
- Congratulations! Enjoy every minute of this time with your family. We'll look after things here.
- Switch off properly: everything's in good hands. Wishing you all the happiness in the world.
- This time is precious, and we're counting on you not to open your inbox. Very best wishes.
- A big adventure starts now for you and yours. Make the most of every moment.
- Thank you for leaving everything so beautifully organised. Now go and focus on what matters most.
Adoption leave messages
Adoption leave is for parents welcoming a child into their family. The road there can be long and emotional, and your colleague may not want to talk about it at all. Stick to the joy of the arrival, and don't ask about the child's background, their age or the process.
Steer clear of lines written for a birth, too. Nobody adopting wants to be wished a smooth delivery, and the child they're welcoming may not be a baby.
- What wonderful news. Wishing you every happiness as you start this new life together.
- The whole team is sharing your joy. Take the time to settle in as a family; we've got everything covered here.
- Welcome to the newest member of your family. Thinking of you all.
- Congratulations on this lovely news. Enjoy every moment, and don't give work a second thought.
Keeping in touch without crowding them
Some people love hearing from the team while they're off; others would rather disappear completely for a while. Let them set the pace. Before they go, a simple ‘Would you like us to keep you posted, or leave you in peace?’ saves a lot of guesswork.
If your workplace uses keeping in touch days, those are arranged between your colleague and their employer, so they're not something to bring up in a card or the team chat. And whatever happens, don't send work questions: even a quick one pulls them straight back into what they've just stepped away from.
- Send news, not questions: a photo from the team lunch beats ‘How's it all going?’.
- Make it clear they don't need to reply.
- If they share news of the arrival, a short message of congratulations is all that's needed.
- Keep them in the loop on big team news they'd rather hear from a friend than through the grapevine, if they've said they'd like that.
Welcome back messages after maternity leave
Coming back deserves a few kind words too. The best welcome doesn't swamp them: no list of everything that's changed on the first morning, no questions about sleep or childcare. A genuine ‘welcome back’ and an offer of coffee will do nicely.
Bear in mind that the first day back can bring mixed feelings. Let them talk about their child if they want to, without nudging, and keep any opinions on their arrangements to yourself.
- Welcome back! It's lovely to have you here again. Take whatever time you need to find your feet.
- So good to see you. Coffee whenever you like, for the team news or a chat about something else entirely.
- We've missed you. No pressure these first few days: we're here to help you pick up the threads.
- Welcome back! We kept your seat, your mug and a healthy supply of biscuits waiting.
What to avoid in a maternity leave card
Most clangers come from good intentions: curiosity, or lines we've all heard so often we no longer notice them. Before you sign, read your message back and ask whether your colleague could read it comfortably, whatever they might be going through.
- Questions about the baby's sex, name, due date or how the pregnancy's going.
- Comments on their body, their bump or how tired they look, however affectionate.
- Birth stories and parenting advice nobody asked for.
- Any mention of work piling up: ‘We'll save your inbox for you’ or ‘You'll catch up when you're back’.
- Guilt trips dressed up as compliments, like ‘We'll fall apart without you’ or ‘Hurry back’.
- Assumptions about whether, when or how they'll return. That's their call.
- Jokes about a long holiday. Maternity, paternity and adoption leave are nothing of the sort.
- Sending the card round before they've told the whole team themselves.
Before they go: a few words about their work
Before time away, it's natural to wonder whether your work will be remembered. A card says the team cares. A written recommendation says something different: how your colleague works, what they've made possible, and what the team misses when they're not around.
It's one idea among several, and worth suggesting gently. On Take Your Skills, colleagues can each write a recommendation, with an assistant that asks about specific moments you've shared if you'd like a hand, and you read and edit the text before it's published. It sits on your colleague's free profile for them to read whenever they choose. If they don't have a profile yet, you only need their email address: they'll get an invitation to claim it, with your recommendation already in place. Write it before they go, or give them a heads-up, so the email doesn't land out of the blue in the middle of their leave.
If you're not sure how to put it into words, our thank-you messages for a colleague are a good place to start.