What is included in a Resignation Letter?

This Resignation Letter template covers: your and your employer’s details your notice period your date of resignation your employment end date based on your notice period the amount of time you have spent in your job the reasons why you are leaving your job (optional)

Why do I need a Resignation Letter?

Whenever you want to leave a job you should formally resign. Your employment contract should set out how you should resign and will often require a written resignation. You can use a Resignation Letter to do precisely this. Even if you resign verbally, it is a good idea to provide a written notice afterwards to ensure that there is a clear record of your resignation. By writing a professional Resignation Letter you let your employer know that you are leaving your position. This can help you to resign on good terms. This can be beneficial if you intend to ask your employer for a Reference letter to support your application for a new job. Using a Resignation Letter can also help provide evidence in case of any disputes. For instance, it may clear up any disagreement over the date that your notice period began. In other words, a Resignation Letter formalises your resignation and ensures that your correspondence with your employer is recorded. For more information, read Resigning from employment .

What can I do before resigning?

Before resigning from your job, you may want to consider other options. These include: Resolving a dispute If you are considering resigning because of a dispute between you and your employer, you may prefer to attempt to resolve the dispute first. It is healthy to attempt to resolve any disputes through open dialogue with your employer (or your manager or the HR department). However, if you would feel more comfortable taking a formal approach, you can create a Grievance letter to communicate your complaint. If your employer makes a decision that you disagree with, you can challenge it using an Appeal letter . Recording all communications about the dispute (eg in a grievance letter) can also be beneficial if the dispute is taken further (eg to an employment tribunal ). Requesting new working arrangements If you’re resigning because your current working arrangements are no longer appropriate, you could attempt to agree on new arrangements with your employer instead of resigning. For example, you could use a Flexible working request to formally ask your employer to agree to new flexible working arrangements.

Can my employer impose conditions when I resign?

You should receive your normal pay and benefits (eg annual leave) when you resign and begin working out your notice period. However, your employer may offer you (or, if allowed in your employment contract, require you to take) garden leave or payment in lieu of notice . For more information, read Resigning from employment . If they were included in your employment contract, your employer may also impose restrictions (known as ‘restrictive covenants’) on how you can work once you leave. For example, you may be restricted from immediately working for a competitor of your employer. For more information, read Post-employment restrictions .

When do I need to hand in a Resignation Letter?

Your notice period will usually be specified in your employment contract or job offer letter. It is important to hand in your Resignation Letter on a date that gives you adequate time to work out your notice period before the date that you have chosen for your employment to end. If possible, deliver the letter by hand so the date is the actual date of receipt.

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Other Names: Letter of Resignation Employment Resignation Letter Notice of Resignation Resignation Notice Letter of Resignation Template Employee Resignation Letter

What is a Resignation Letter?

A Resignation Letter is a formal letter informing your employer of your decision to resign from your job. Resignation Letters are used by employees who want to leave their employment.

When should I use a Resignation Letter?

Use this Resignation Letter to resign from your job:

to take up a new job
for personal reasons (eg to spend more time with your family), or
because you simply no longer enjoy the job or it’s no longer a good fit for you (eg if your circumstances have changed and you want to find a remote role)

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LETTER OF RESIGNATION

I am writing to inform you of my decision to resign from my role as . Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation.

In line with my contractual notice period, I am giving you notice of . According to my calculations, my last day of employment will therefore be .

I would like to provide my gratitude for the opportunities, guidance and professional development I have received over the last .

Please let me know if I can be of any assistance during the transition period. I wish you all the best for the future.

Yours sincerely,

_________________________________

About Resignation Letters

Learn more about making your Resignation Letter

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How to write a Resignation Letter
Making a Resignation Letter online is simple. Just answer a few questions and Rocket Lawyer will build your document for you. When you have all of the details prepared in advance, making your document is a quick and easy process.

To make your Resignation Letter you will need the following information:

Party details
- The employer’s details (eg its legal structure, name and address).
- Your details (eg name, address and job title).
Notice periods
- How long is the notice period to end the employment contract?
- What is the employment end date?
Resignation
- Do you want to set out your reasons for resigning? If so, why are you resigning?
- How long have you been in this job?
Letter details
- If the employer is a company, partnership or LLP, who is the recipient of the Letter?
- On what date will the Letter be sent or handed to the employer?
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Common terms in a Resignation Letter

You can use a Resignation Letter to formally resign from your position. To facilitate your resignation, this Resignation Letter covers:

Sender and recipient details

The start of the Resignation Letter provides details of the employer and the employee who is resigning.

The resignation

The body of the Letter acts as the formal notice of resignation. It provides details of the resignation, including the notice period, the last date of employment and reasons for the resignation (if the employee wants to provide these). In the Resignation Letter, the employee also thanks their employer for the opportunities, guidance and professional development received during the course of employment and expresses the employee’s willingness to assist during the transition period.

If you want your Resignation Letter to include further or more detailed provisions, you can edit your document. However, if you do this, you may want a lawyer to review or change the Resignation Letter for you, to make sure it complies with all relevant laws and meets your specific needs. Ask a lawyer for assistance.

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Legal tips for making a Resignation Letter
Understand when this Resignation Letter may not be suitable

You should use this Resignation Letter when you are resigning from your current position because you have a new job lined up, for personal reasons, or because you no longer want to work in your current position.

You should not use this Resignation Letter template if you are resigning because of something that your employer did which may have been in breach of your employment contract. For example, if your employer didn’t pay you or didn’t address allegations you made regarding workplace bullying. If this is the case, you should create a Constructive dismissal letter instead. For more information, read Constructive dismissal.

Comply with your notice period

A notice period is the period for which an employee needs to work in their role after they have officially resigned. You should check your employment contract to see how long your notice period is.

Working through your notice period in accordance with your employment contract is a matter of courtesy. If you fail to work during part of your notice period, your employer can usually refuse to pay you in respect of time not worked (unless your absence is due to sickness, annual leave or being on family leave).

To avoid any disputes, you should work your notice period or reach an agreement with your employer.

For more information, read Notice periods.

Understand when to seek advice from a lawyer

Ask a lawyer for advice if:
- you want to resign due to a problem at work which may lead to constructive dismissal (eg you experienced discrimination or were suddenly demoted without justification)
- you are a director or you have shares in the company you wish to leave
- there are any complicated issues which you need to resolve before leaving your job (eg restrictive covenants which you wish to negotiate)
- this document doesn’t meet your needs
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Resignation Letter FAQs

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What is included in a Resignation Letter?
This Resignation Letter template covers:
- your and your employer’s details
- your notice period
- your date of resignation
- your employment end date based on your notice period
- the amount of time you have spent in your job
- the reasons why you are leaving your job (optional)
Why do I need a Resignation Letter?

Whenever you want to leave a job you should formally resign. Your employment contract should set out how you should resign and will often require a written resignation. You can use a Resignation Letter to do precisely this. Even if you resign verbally, it is a good idea to provide a written notice afterwards to ensure that there is a clear record of your resignation.

By writing a professional Resignation Letter you let your employer know that you are leaving your position. This can help you to resign on good terms. This can be beneficial if you intend to ask your employer for a Reference letter to support your application for a new job.

Using a Resignation Letter can also help provide evidence in case of any disputes. For instance, it may clear up any disagreement over the date that your notice period began.

In other words, a Resignation Letter formalises your resignation and ensures that your correspondence with your employer is recorded.

For more information, read Resigning from employment.
What can I do before resigning?

Before resigning from your job, you may want to consider other options. These include:

Resolving a dispute

If you are considering resigning because of a dispute between you and your employer, you may prefer to attempt to resolve the dispute first. It is healthy to attempt to resolve any disputes through open dialogue with your employer (or your manager or the HR department). However, if you would feel more comfortable taking a formal approach, you can create a Grievance letter to communicate your complaint. If your employer makes a decision that you disagree with, you can challenge it using an Appeal letter.

Recording all communications about the dispute (eg in a grievance letter) can also be beneficial if the dispute is taken further (eg to an employment tribunal).

Requesting new working arrangements

If you’re resigning because your current working arrangements are no longer appropriate, you could attempt to agree on new arrangements with your employer instead of resigning. For example, you could use a Flexible working request to formally ask your employer to agree to new flexible working arrangements.
Can my employer impose conditions when I resign?

You should receive your normal pay and benefits (eg annual leave) when you resign and begin working out your notice period. However, your employer may offer you (or, if allowed in your employment contract, require you to take) garden leave or payment in lieu of notice. For more information, read Resigning from employment.

If they were included in your employment contract, your employer may also impose restrictions (known as ‘restrictive covenants’) on how you can work once you leave. For example, you may be restricted from immediately working for a competitor of your employer. For more information, read Post-employment restrictions.
When do I need to hand in a Resignation Letter?

Your notice period will usually be specified in your employment contract or job offer letter. It is important to hand in your Resignation Letter on a date that gives you adequate time to work out your notice period before the date that you have chosen for your employment to end. If possible, deliver the letter by hand so the date is the actual date of receipt.

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Important details
- Your Resignation Letter is a formal notice that you must serve properly on your employer. Before sending your Letter, check your employment contract for any specific rules about serving notices and make sure to follow them.
- If you hand in your Resignation Letter in person, make sure to give it to the relevant party (eg your manager) personally. Keep a copy of the signed Letter and any other additional details or documents provided with it.
- If you send your Resignation Letter by post, use recorded delivery and keep a copy of the proof of posting and delivery. You should also keep a copy of the signed Letter and anything else (eg supporting documentation) that you sent.
- If you submit your Resignation Letter by email, check that you are allowed to do so. Keep a copy of the email, any attachments and ‘read receipts’ as proof of delivery.
- Inform your employer in person before you send or hand-deliver the Resignation Letter. If this is not practical, make sure that your employer has received and read your Letter.

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