25 Condolence Messages for a Boss or Manager
What to write when your boss or manager loses someone: respectful condolence messages from an individual and from the team, and what to avoid when the hierarchy makes it awkward.
Writing to your boss when they’ve lost someone feels harder than writing to a peer. The hierarchy makes people stiff: too formal and it reads like a memo, too familiar and it feels presumptuous. The answer is the same as for anyone: be brief, be sincere, and take work off their mind. Managers are often the people least likely to step away when something happens, so the most useful thing a team can say is we’ve got this.
From an individual
- I’m so sorry for your loss. Thinking of you and your family.
- I was very sorry to hear the news. Please take all the time you need.
- With deepest sympathy. We’ll keep everything running here.
- I’m so sorry. Please don’t give work a moment’s thought.
- Thinking of you at this difficult time. You’ve always looked out for us; let us look after things for a while.
- Please accept my sincere condolences.
- I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m here if there’s anything at all I can take on.
- Holding you and your family in my thoughts.
From the team
- With deepest sympathy from all of us on the team. Everything is in hand here, so please take the time you need.
- We were so sorry to hear about your loss. You’re in all our thoughts.
- The whole team is thinking of you. Please don’t worry about anything here.
- With love and sympathy from everyone in [team].
- We’re so sorry. You’ve looked after us for a long time; we’ll look after things now.
When you know them well
- I’m so sorry about your [mum / dad / partner]. I know how close you were.
- I’ve been thinking about you all week. I’m so sorry.
- You’ve been such a good manager and a kind person to work for. I’m so sorry this has happened to you.
- I remember you talking about [name]. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Short and respectful
- Deepest condolences.
- Thinking of you.
- With sincere sympathy.
- So sorry for your loss.
- With heartfelt condolences.
From a senior leader or the company
- On behalf of everyone at [company], please accept our deepest sympathy. Take all the time you need.
- We were so sorry to hear of your loss. Your team has everything covered.
- Thinking of you and your family. If there is anything the company can do, please tell us.
What to avoid with a manager
- Business in disguise. “When you’re back we’ll need to discuss Q4” belongs nowhere near a sympathy card.
- Over-formality. “Please be advised of our condolences” reads like legal correspondence.
- Flattery. A sympathy card isn’t the place to tell your boss how great a leader they are; “you’ve always looked out for us” is the limit.
- Asking for decisions. If something genuinely needs them, ask someone else first.
General guidance on wording, with more examples, is in 40 sympathy messages for a coworker.
Frequently asked questions
What do you say to your boss when someone in their family dies? “I’m so sorry for your loss. Thinking of you, and we’ll keep things running here.”
Is it appropriate to send your boss a sympathy card? Yes. A team card is usually easier to receive than many separate messages.
Should I mention work in a condolence message to my manager? Only to take it off their mind. Never ask about deadlines or their return.
Send it from the whole team
Start a free group sympathy card and invite the team by email. Everyone adds a line from their own device, with no account, and the card arrives quietly on the day you choose.
More: what to write in a sympathy card from the office · farewell message for a boss
