Sample Resignation letters
Writing Letters of Resignation – jobs, employment,
business, professional and retirement – free cover letters samples, templates
advertisement
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. 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.
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.
sample retirement letter
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, 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. 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 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.
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.