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home » writing/communicating » resignation letters

resignation letters
writing letters of resignation - jobs, employment, business, professional
and retirement - free cover letters samples, templates and examples -
and resignation acceptance letters

Here are free templates and tips for writing resignation letters. Good resignation letters
and letters of resignation acceptance are important for individuals and employers, so that
the process of leaving a job is properly and professionally managed. Organisations and
individuals are liable to dispute or penalty if resignation is not handled properly;
resignation letters and resignation acceptance letters are therefore vital mechanisms for
handling the resignation and leaving process properly. Following these simple rules will
help you whether you are resigning, or managing the acceptance of the resignation an
employee.

First, it's very important to keep letters of resignation and resignation acceptance positive
- always leave friends behind, not enemies. See the love and spirituality page if you need
reassurance about doing the right thing. Try to behave with compassion and humanity,
even if the other side doesn't. Also by keeping resignation letters positive you avoid risk
of libel or defamation, which carry potential legal liabilities for employee and employer.
Positive resignation letters also increase the likelihood that your boss will provide a
positive reference for you if you need one, and as a general rule, the more support you
need from your boss then the more positive and appreciative you should be. As a general
rule, and particularly to maintain a positive relationship with your line manager, give
verbal notification of your resignation to your boss first, and then follow-up with a
confirmation resignation letter to your line manager, with a copy to your HR department
or equivalent. Obviously if the thought of having this discussion face-to-face worries you
a lot then don't do it - just write the letter.

Please note that these resignations tips and resignations letters samples use spellings
based on UK English common form, for example, 'recognise', 'organise', 'specialise',
whereas US English favours the 'ize' spelling. For these and any other spellings subject to
regional variation, change the spelling in your own resignations letters to suit your
situation.

N.B. The Age Discrimination legislation (UK and Europe) effective 1st October 2006 has
significant implications for retirement. See the Age Diversity information.

(Tips and letter examples for withdrawing resignations are below.)

sample resignation letters and templates

Certain contracts of employment state how resignation notice should be given -
particularly how given and to whom - if your contract states a procedure for resignation
take note accordingly. Resignation letters should be printed or hand-written (either is
acceptable) on a headed note-paper or a sheet of paper showing your home address
(normally positioned top-right corner or top-centre). Resignations should ideally be
delivered by post or by hand - avoid sending by fax, and email is not a good method
either because these methods are simply not robust, reliable methods of making or
terminating contracts. If you resign verbally (assuming you do not wish later to withdraw
it) you must confirm the resignation in writing. Failing to do so could leave you
vulnerable to losing certain rights, and if you then go on to leave the job you could be
dismissed without notice due to failing to show up for work, on the basis that you had not
formally resigned.

resignation letter

Top-left insert the name, title, organization and address of your line manager - not your
foreman, team-leader, supervisor or shift supervisor, unless they are formally responsible
for managing recruitment and resignations. Normally supervisory positions are not
responsible for employment issues - your supervisor's boss is normally your formal line
manager and the person to whom to address your resignation letter. It is important that
your resignation letter is received by a manager who is officially responsible, otherwise
disputes and confusion can arise as to whether you have actually resigned, and letters can
'go astray' if not sent to a responsible person in authority. If in any doubt as to whom to
address your resignation letter (in small or disorganized companies sometimes these
matters are not crystal clear) check with a senior manager, director, HR/Personnel
Manager or even the CEO's p.a., any one of whom should be able to advise you.

Top-left below your manager's address insert the date you are writing the letter.
Generally employers will deem the effective date of resignation to be the date shown on
the resignation letter, but in other situations employers can regard notice of resignation
effective from the date they receive the letter, so try to ensure that the date on the letter an
the date of receipt are the same or very close. (It is not unknown for resignation letters to
sit in a manager's in-tray for a week or more due to absence or holiday, leading to
inevitable confusion as to the effective resignation and leaving dates, also impacting on
termination pay and commencement of the person's new job.) Whatever, date your letter
with due regard for its possible effect on your notice period and final leaving date.

Start your letter with Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss (surname), or Dear (first name), whatever
you normally use when speaking to your boss - in all but the most traditional and formal
organizations first name terms are quite acceptable. The resignation letter below is a
sample which you can use as is, or as a letter template to amend as you need.

Clarity and simplicity are important - just say what is relevant and no more. Do not take
the opportunity to tell the employer all the things you'd do differently or would change
about the organization given the chance. If they want to know how you feel they'll hold
an exit interview, which is the place for feedback, not the resignation letter.

State the date that you regard to be your leaving date, calculated by adding your
contractual notice period (normally a week or a month, or in senior positions anything
from three months to more than a year. Stating your preparedness to work your full notice
period is significant - asking to leave sooner will reduce your chances of receiving a
settlement payment in lieu of notice if it is to be offered. This is when for certain jobs the
employer stipulates an earlier leaving date than required by your contractual notice
period, in which case the employer must pay you for the notice period, being your
entitlement whether you work it or not. In certain jobs, particularly business sales and
management positions, resigning employees are often not required to serve their notice
period. Many employers have a policy to release resigning (or otherwise terminated)
employees immediately to minimise potential disruption or subversion, in which case
don't take such a reaction to your own resignation personally. Generally if the employer
asks you to leave before your notice period is served then you are entitled to pay in lieu
of notice, unless you first indicate an intention or wish, or agree, to leave before serving
your notice period. Obviously if you want or need particularly to leave before your notice
period permits, then you should ask for this to happen, in which case if the employer
agrees (which they generally will) you will forego your pay during the notice period.

sample resignation letter and template - (when you are prepared to work
your notice period)

Name, Position, Organisation Name and Address (each on a separate line)

Date

Dear (line manager name - eg., Mr Smith, or first name if appropriate)

Please accept this as formal notice of my resignation from the position of (your job title
and site/department/division as applicable), with effect from (normally date of the letter
or receipt of letter - check your contract - if in doubt refer to date of letter).

In accordance with my contract of employment I am happy to continue to work until

(date that your employment ceases according to notice period, calculated from your
stated effective date of resignation).

(This part is optional:) While I believe that I am moving for good reasons, I am sorry to
leave, and I thank you for your support during my time with the company, which I have
found enjoyable and fulfilling.

(And if applicable:) Please let me know the arrangements for handing back equipment,
company car, etc, and handing over outstanding work and responsibilities.

Yours sincerely etc.

sample resignation letter and template - (when you are not able, or firmly
do not wish, to work your notice period)

Name, Position, Organisation Name and Address (each on a separate line)

Date

Dear (line manager name - eg., Mr Smith, or first name if appropriate)

Please accept this as formal notice of my resignation from the position of (your job title
and site/department/division as applicable), with effect from (normally date of the letter
or receipt of letter - check your contract - if in doubt refer to date of letter).

I realise that my contract of employment requires me to work until (date that your
employment ceases according to notice period, calculated from your stated effective date
of resignation), however I'd be grateful to be released earlier on (date that you actually
need to leave), and will assume that this is acceptable unless you inform me to the
contrary.

(This part is optional:) While I believe that I am moving for good reasons, I am sorry to
leave, and I thank you for your support during my time with the company, which I have
found enjoyable and fulfilling.

(And if applicable:) Please let me know the arrangements for handing back equipment,
company car, etc, and handing over outstanding work and responsibilities.

Yours sincerely etc.

sample retirement resignation letter and template

Use this simple format when you wish to notify or remind your employer that you will be
leaving due to retirement. In most cases the employer should be ahead of you on this and
will set matters in motion for you. Again, write using your home address or headed
notepaper. Write to your line manager, with a copy to your HR or Personnel department
or equivalent. If in doubt about policy and process refer to your contract of employment
and contact your local government employment office. You should give notice according
to your contract of employment.
You should also be mindful of your rights under the Age Discrimination Regulations
effective 1st October 2006 (UK and similar legislation across Europe), which subject to
transitional arrangements applicable from 1 October 2006 to 31 March 2007, forbids
employers from enforcing retirement before the 'default' statutory age of 65 years,
unless the employer can satisfy the requirements of the 'objective justification' contained
in the regulations (evidence that the early retirement is appropriate and legitimate for the
organisational context and aims). The regulations also require employers to give at least
six months' notice of retirement to people retiring and to follow certain procedures for the
retirement.

Employees must give at least three months' notice in writing to their employers of their
wish to work beyond their expected retirement date.

See the Age Diversity and Discrimination information which is important for employers
and employees. The featured resources contain sample retirement letters for employers
and employees for each stage of the retirement process under the new (UK/European)
legislation.

sample retirement letter

Different versions for different situations will appear in due course. Meanwhile see the
Age Diversity and Discrimination page.

Name, Position, Organisation Name and Address (each on a separate line)

Date

Dear (line manager name - eg., Mr Smith, or first name if appropriate)

Please accept this as formal notice of my retirement due on (date of retirement). I'll
therefore be leaving my position of (your job title and site/department/division as
applicable) as of that date.

(This part is optional:) I'll be sorry to leave, and I thank you for your support during my
time with the company, which I have found enjoyable and fulfilling.

Please let me know the arrangements for handing back equipment, company car, etc, and
handing over outstanding work and responsibilities.

Yours sincerely etc.

responding to, and accepting resignations
As a manager, having confirmed that the resignation is real and genuine, you must then
decide whether you wish to try to persuade the person resigning to stay. This is a
complex issue. Some managers never, as a matter of principle, try to persuade anyone to
withdraw a resignation. This old-fashioned attitude is not helpful at all, (it's typical X-
Theory behaviour) usually stemming from the manager's desire to enhance his autocratic
reputation. Management and organizational response to a resignation should depend on
the person and the situation: resignations can sometimes be a cry for help, a technique to
achieve a pay rise, or an attempt to win promotion or improvement in conditions. On
other occasions a resignation can be prompted by a determined approach by a competitor
or head-hunter. Resignations can also be prompted by stress, which might be work
related or domestic, or both. Resignations can also be caused by illness and related
stresses (see the stress section). People occasionally resign in a fit of temper or as a result
of an argument at work. So, resignations are not always what they seem, and as a rule the
first response of the manager must be to counsel the person resigning to assess the real
reasons for the resignation (see conflict resolution and trust). Also the manager should
normally notify other departments as required by the organization's procedures, typically
HR/Personnel, and usually your own line boss. If there is a valid and genuine reason for
the resignation, you as the manager must then decide what to do about it, if necessary
seeking advice from other people in the business (mindful of the need to maintain
discretion at all times). If you decide to accept the resignation, again check your own
organizational policy and follow it.

It is important to consider matters from a compassionate standpoint - people have

feelings and must be treated with care. See the notes about love and spirituality in
management and business, which help explain the value of bringing compassion and
humanity to work.

If having done this you still need guidance, example or template for a resignation
acceptance letter, use the sample below and amend it as you need.

In writing acceptance of resignation letters ensure you keep the acceptance positive.
There is nothing to gain from being critical, or by raking up old issues, moreover you are
liable to legal action for defamation if you choose to write anything negative. (N.B. This
is different of course from disciplinary letters or termination letters following disciplinary
action, when necessarily you must state the reasons for dismissal, in addition to adhering
to other proper processes, about which your HR department or relevant government
employment agency should be able to advise.)

Print the resignation acceptance letter on your organization's letterhead. Do not send your
acceptance of someone's resignation by fax or email - use the post or give it by hand.
Other methods such as email and fax, or worse still, mobile phone text messaging, are not
contractually robust (or kind) and could lead to confusion and disputes. Never accept a
resignation using only verbal confirmation - it is simply not valid and leaves the situation
open to all sorts of difficulties.
sample resignation acceptance letter and template (when the person is
required to work out their notice according to contract)

Ensure you check correct policy and procedures with, and seek approval from, your HR
department (or equivalent) before sending any formal letters such as a resignation
acceptance.

Name and Address of person who has resigned.

Date

Dear (name - Mr Smith, or first name if appropriate)

Your resignation from the position of (job title and site/department/division as

applicable), effective from (date of effective resignation which should be confirmed with
HR department or equivalent), is accepted.

According to your contract of employment you will work until (date that employment
ceases according to notice period, calculated from stated effective date of resignation -
and agreed with HR department or equivalent).

(Optional:) While working your period of notice you will obviously continue to be
subject to your conditions of employment, and I would be grateful for you to maintain
your normal high level of commitment to your job up to the time you leave.

(Insert specific instructions relating to leaving procedures, eg., return of equipment,

company car, completion of expenses, final pay details, etc.)

(Insert details of exit interview date, time, venue and interviewer, if applicable.)

(Optional, and generally recommended unless there are disciplinary implications:) I thank
you for your efforts and contribution during your time with us, and I wish you all the best
for the future.

(Also optional:) I am happy to provide a reference if required.

Yours sincerely etc.

sample resignation acceptance letter and template (when the person is not
required to work out their notice according to contract)

This situation commonly applies to sales and management jobs, and particularly when the
person resigning plans to join a competitor, or cannot be relied on to continue to work in
a committed way in the interests of the employer. Again, check correct policy and
procedures with, and seek approval from, your HR department (or equivalent) before
deciding and taking action about resignation acceptance.

Name and Address of person who has resigned.

Date

Dear (name - Mr Smith, or first name if appropriate)

Your resignation from the position of (job title and site/department/division as

applicable), effective from (date of effective resignation which should be confirmed with
HR department or equivalent), is accepted.

Although your contract of employment provides that you should work until (date
employment theoretically ceases according to notice period, calculated from stated
effective date of resignation - confirmed by HR department or equivalent), your
employment will actually cease on (date of actual termination), and you will be paid in
lieu of notice up to (contractual date of termination, or any other date that you might
negotiate - sooner or later - with the resigning person).

(Insert specific instructions relating to leaving procedures, eg., return of equipment,

company car, completion of expenses, expenses float, final pay details, etc.)

(Insert details of exit interview date, time, venue and interviewer, if applicable.)

(Optional, and generally recommended unless there are disciplinary implications:) I thank
you for your efforts and contribution during your time with us, and I wish you all the best
for the future.

(Also optional:) I am happy to provide a reference if required.

Yours sincerely etc.

withdrawing a resignation - letter examples

There are many reasons which cause people to resign, and sometimes the reason can
disappear or change after you've resigned or sent your resignation letter. Think carefully
about how you feel and what you want to do. If you conclude that you really do not now
wish to leave, you wish to withdraw your resignation. It is an option that most people
dismiss because they prefer to save face.

If after resigning, your circumstances change so that it really does makes sense to stay on,
then consider trying to.

Going through with what may no longer be a good decision, just to save face, is not a
good idea.

Without knowing the circumstances (it helps to give a reason), how long ago you
resigned, and your formal notice period, which are all factors in this, here's a simple
withdrawal of resignation letter, which you should write on your own headed paper:

resignation withdrawal letter example (soon after resigning)

(Name, address, and date)

Dear...........

I wish to withdraw my resignation of (date).

I hope that you are happy for me to carry on in my job as normal, and I will assume this
is so unless you notify me otherwise.

Thank you in anticipation of your understanding, and apologise for any inconvenience I
may have caused.

Yours sincerely, etc.

If there is a sensible and understandable reason for your change of mind then it would
help to very briefly explain it, which you should do between the 1st and 2nd paragraphs.
Don't beg or feel guilty - these things happen. Hopefully your employer will see it that
way too. If they don't or can't, then be philosophical - sometimes that's just the way it
goes.

If the situation is more complex, and/or you have completed a more than a quarter of
your notice period, then a different sort of letter is appropriate, with a more questioning
tone:

resignation withdrawal letter example (significantly after resigning)

(Name, address, and date)

Dear...........

I realise that various processes are now under way for me to leave the organization since I
resigned on (date).

My circumstances and therefore my feelings have changed (due to.....), and if possible I
would now like to withdraw my resignation.

I hope that I can continue in my job as normal, although I appreciate matters may not be
that simple, and I await your response.

Thank you in anticipation of your understanding and apologise for any inconvenience I
may have caused.

Yours sincerely, etc.

Make sure you copy the letter to all relevant people (ie HR or personnel department, your
line boss, and the up-line decision-maker if appropriate).

Always follow-up a letter by phone or face-to-face discussion, and try to judge how best
you can help the organization respond positively to your request.

This might be the first time that your boss has had to deal with someone wanting to
withdraw a resignation and they may initially not know how to deal with it, so try to help
and be flexible.

Many employers will look kindly on a request to withdraw a resignation if you present it
in a mature and reasonable manner, so if things have changed and now you'd really rather
not leave, it's always worth making an attempt to stay.

Of course there may be contractual issues, especially if you try to withdraw a resignation
after a period of more than a few days. If the organization has already begun to make
other arrangements to fill your job, then it may be difficult for them to reverse things
even if they want to. And obviously if the organization treats the request as an
opportunity to reduce your terms, or nail you to some unfair expectations, be very wary.
Sometimes there is no going back, and if that's the case for any reason then grit your teeth
and drive on.

The main point of this item about resignation withdrawals is simply that if things change
and you no longer want to leave, it's often worth swallowing your pride and asking the
question.
see also

Other useful free information and easy guides to personal and organizational
development, plus other writing techniques, templates, samples and examples:

• job-hunting method and tool - adaptable for your own situation

• love and spirituality in management and business - anyone can help bring
compassion and humanity to work
• job interviews - tips, techniques, questions, answers
• achieving personal change, developing confidence, and self-belief
• effective writing techniques and tips
• complaints letters examples and templates
• job adverts designing and writing - examples and templates
• job descriptions writing tips, templates, examples and samples
• sales introductions letters - tips, techniques, examples and templates
• references letters samples - personal, character and employment - templates, tips,
examples
• confidence and assertiveness

And on a lighter note, some amusing letters examples:

• letters to the council - real examples

• example of a good letter to a higher authority

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