Resignation Letter Templates
Resignation letters announce your intent to leave a role on a specific date, formally closing your employment relationship in writing. Templates in this collection cover the common situations including two weeks notice (the standard for most positions), immediate resignation when circumstances require it, retirement transitions after long tenure, and role changes within the same organisation. Each one includes a clear statement of departure, your final working day, and appropriate tone for the circumstance. Some add language for transitioning responsibilities, expressing gratitude for the role, or addressing a specific reason for leaving. Pick the template closest to your situation and adjust the details before sending.
A resignation letter is permanent record that stays in your personnel file and may be referenced for years afterward in reference checks, rehire decisions, and unemployment claims. The letter that keeps the relationship positive is short, factual, and gracious: state your last day, thank the organisation for the opportunity, offer to help with transition, and skip the reasons for leaving even if they are negative. Detailed complaints about the company, the manager, or the role have no useful place in the resignation letter, since they remain on file long after the emotion behind them has passed and they accomplish nothing the resignation itself does not.
Timing matters as much as wording. Resign only after a written offer from the next employer has been signed and any contingencies (background check, references, drug testing) have cleared, since rescinded offers do happen and the original role rarely remains available once notice has been given. Two weeks is standard notice in the United States but some roles call for more, particularly senior positions and roles with long handover requirements. For roles with contractual notice periods, follow the contract. For roles with no formal requirement, the goodwill you create through generous notice often pays back through references, network connections, and possible future opportunities at the same organisation.