How to write a resignation letter
A resignation letter has one job: to put your departure and your last working day on the record. It is not the place to explain your decision, settle scores, or audition for a farewell speech. The strongest letters are three or four short paragraphs: the facts, a brief thank you, an offer to help with the transition, and a sign-off. A letter of resignation and a resignation letter are the same document under two names, and both are usually two weeks notice letters, because the date you name is what turns one into the other.
Tone matters more than length. A professional letter keeps the door open for references and boomerang offers. A warm letter suits a team you genuinely liked. A direct letter states the facts and nothing else, which is sometimes exactly right. This generator writes all three so you can pick the one that fits how you want to leave.
Whatever you write stays in your employment file long after you are gone. Write the version of yourself you want remembered. If you are still weighing the decision itself, the should I quit my job quiz is the better place to start.
State the facts
Your role, the company, and your last working day belong in the first paragraph. That single sentence is the legal and practical core of the letter; everything after it is courtesy.
Give proper notice
Two weeks is the US standard, a courtesy rather than a law in most states. Check your contract or handbook first: some roles specify more, and that document wins.
Exit gracious
One short thank you and one offer to help with the handover. No grievances, no backstory, no negotiation. The letter stays in your file long after the feelings fade.
What to include, and what to leave out
Include: a clear statement that you are resigning from your role, your last working day, one sentence of thanks, an offer to make the handover easy, and a request for written confirmation of receipt and of your final working day. That confirmation line matters more than it looks: it creates a dated record that protects you if there is ever a dispute over notice, final pay, or accrued leave. Optionally, add a single neutral sentence on why you are leaving. That is the entire checklist, and the Society for Human Resource Management guidance on resignations says much the same.
Leave out: grievances, criticism of colleagues, apologies that spiral, the full story of your decision, and anything you would not want read back to you in two years. If something genuinely needs saying, say it in the exit conversation. The letter is the record. Once the letter is in, the next thing people check is your profile, so the LinkedIn headline generator gives you five fresh options in a minute.
Resignation letter template
Every resignation letter is the same 7 blocks in the same order. Here is the template with the details left blank: replace anything in brackets and it is ready to hand in. Filling in the fields at the top of this page does the same replacing for you, then hands you a Word file, a text file, or a print sheet.
Formal resignation letter template
The professional tone with no reason given. This is the version to copy when you want a formal letter that works whatever your situation.
A formal resignation letter and a professional resignation letter are the same document, and the template above is it. The tone switcher on the result screen also writes a warm version for a team you liked and a stripped-back direct version for a clean exit, from the details you already typed.
Resignation letter format: the 7 blocks
US business format puts your name and the date at the top, the recipient underneath, and your job title under your signature. Keep the whole thing to 1 page. The Word download from this page is already formatted this way.
| Block | What goes in it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Header | Your full name, then the date you hand the letter in | Alex Moreno / August 10, 2026 |
| 2. Recipient | Your manager's name, then the company | Dana Whitfield / Brightline Retail |
| 3. Salutation | Dear plus your manager's name | Dear Dana Whitfield, |
| 4. Statement | That you are resigning, your job title, and your last working day | My final working day will be August 24, 2026. |
| 5. Reason | Optional. One neutral sentence, or nothing at all | I have accepted a role at another company. |
| 6. Thanks and handover | One line of thanks, one offer to hand over, one request for written confirmation | I will document my responsibilities so the handover is straightforward. |
| 7. Sign-off | Sincerely, Regards or With gratitude, then your name and job title | Regards, / Alex Moreno / Assistant Manager |
Two weeks notice: what you actually owe
In most US states, employment is at-will: your employer can end it without notice, and so can you. Two weeks is a professional courtesy that protects your reference, not a legal requirement. The exceptions live in contracts and employee handbooks, which can specify a notice period, and in state rules about final paychecks, which the Department of Labor's state labor offices list for every state. Check both before you set a date, then give the notice you would want to receive. If the exit is not your choice, the severance pay calculator shows what a package is worth after tax. Before a final payslip, it is worth checking the premium hours in it with the time and a half calculator, and the accrued balance with the PTO accrual calculator.
How to write a two weeks notice letter
A two weeks notice letter is a resignation letter with a specific date in it. It needs five things, and it is finished in a paragraph.
- Date the letter the day you hand it in, then count 14 calendar days forward to your last working day. Two weeks means two calendar weeks, not ten working days, unless your handbook says otherwise.
- Open by stating that you are resigning, your role, and that final date. Put all three in the first two sentences so nothing is ambiguous if the letter gets filed or forwarded.
- Give a reason only if you want to. It is never required, and one line such as “I have accepted a role at another company” is plenty.
- Offer a specific handover: the open work you will close, the responsibilities you will document, and time to brief whoever follows you.
- Ask for written confirmation of receipt and of your final day, sign off, and keep a copy for yourself.
Two weeks notice letter, short and sweet
Handed in on August 10, 2026 for a last day of August 24, 2026, exactly two weeks apart. Short is not rude: this covers everything an employer needs on file.
How to put in your 2 weeks notice
The letter is step 2. Step 1 is a short conversation: ask your manager for 10 minutes, say you have decided to resign and name your last working day, and keep it to a couple of sentences. Send the letter the same day so the date is on the record while the conversation is fresh. Two things to avoid: opening with the letter over email when a conversation is possible, and telling colleagues before you tell your manager.
Notice periods other than 2 weeks
2 weeks is the default rather than the only option. The generator takes any last working day, so the same letter covers a 1 month notice period, a 30 day notice period, 1 week, or no notice at all. What changes is the date in the first paragraph and how much handover you can honestly promise.
| Notice | When it fits | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month or 30 days | Your contract or handbook asks for it, or you run a team | Common in senior and contracted roles. The document wins over the custom |
| 2 weeks | The US default for most roles | Reads as professional and protects the reference |
| 1 week or short notice | A new employer needs you sooner than 2 weeks | Usually accepted. Offer a tighter, specific handover in writing |
| None, effective immediately | Health, safety, unpaid wages, or a role you cannot stay in another day | Generally allowed under at-will employment. Expect to lose the PTO payout where state law does not require it, and the reference |
One week notice resignation letter
Handed in on August 14, 2026 for a last day of August 21, 2026, which is 1 week. Nothing in it apologizes for the shorter notice: the date is stated plainly and the handover offer does the work.
Resignation letter effective immediately
Sometimes two weeks is not possible: a health situation, a family emergency, an unsafe workplace, or a role you cannot stay in another day. Because most US employment is at-will, you can generally resign immediately, but understand the trade before you do. You may forfeit accrued PTO payout where state law does not require it, you may be marked ineligible for rehire, and you are unlikely to get a reference from that manager. Check your contract and handbook first: a notice clause can bind you even where state law does not.
Keep the letter short and unemotional. State the last day as today, skip the grievance, and leave the door as open as you honestly can.
Immediate resignation letter, personal reasons
The professional tone, with the last day set to the day the letter is handed in. It gives a reason without detailing it, which is all you owe.
Resignation letter for personal reasons
You never owe your employer the detail. Naming the category is enough, and one sentence of it. The same wording carries health reasons, a family situation, or a relocation: say that personal circumstances need your attention, give the date, and stop there. Writing more invites follow-up questions that then live in your file.
Resignation letter for personal reasons, warm tone
A full notice period with a reason named at the level of a category. Use this shape for health, family, or a move, and change nothing but the date.
If you would rather give no reason at all, choose “prefer not to say” in the form above. The letter then states the facts alone, which is complete on its own.
Resignation email: subject line and body
Resigning by email is normal, especially in remote roles. Best practice is a short conversation or call with your manager first, then the email the same day as the written record. The email is what gets filed, so the wording matters more than the conversation does.
Resignation email subject line
Put your name in it. Someone in HR will search the inbox for this email months later, and the subject line is how they find it. Any of these work:
- Resignation, [your name]
- Notice of resignation, [your name]
- Resignation, [your name], last day [date]
Resignation email body
The body is the letter with the postal header removed. Drop your name, the date, and the company block at the top; everything from the salutation down stays exactly as it is. Copy the letter this page generates, delete everything above the salutation, and send it.
Resignation email example
Subject: Resignation, Grace Adeyemi, last day September 11, 2026
Resignation letter samples and examples
Three complete samples, written by the same engine that powers the generator above. Steal the structure; the tool fills in your details.
Short and simple resignation letter
The direct tone with no stated reason. Every fact an employer needs, nothing they do not. This is the letter to use when you want a clean, unremarkable exit.
Two weeks notice letter
The professional tone for the most common case: you have accepted another offer and want to leave on good terms with a full two weeks of notice.
Career change resignation letter
The warm tone for leaving a job you liked to pursue a different path. It names the change without over-explaining it and keeps the goodwill intact.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to what people ask before they hand in notice.
The letter closes one door. Knowing which one to open next is the harder question.
Take the free career quiz nowFor information and inspiration only. This tool is not financial, tax, legal, or career advice, and MyPassion.AI accepts no liability for decisions made using it. Every figure and template is an estimate that can differ from your circumstances, so confirm anything important with an employment lawyer before you act. Use of this tool and its content is subject to our Terms of Service.