Free resignation letter template

How to write it

A resignation letter follows a simple, predictable shape, and shorter is better. Fill in the blanks, keep it to a few lines, and you are done.

• Header: add your name and the date, and address it to your direct manager by name.
• Statement: say plainly that you are resigning from your position, and name the job title.
• Last day: give a specific final working day, for the customary two weeks or whatever notice you are giving.
• Thanks: add one or two lines of genuine, brief gratitude for the role.
• Transition: offer to help hand over your work, unless you are leaving immediately.
• Close and sign: end with a professional closing, then sign the letter or send it by email.

Do you have to give two weeks' notice?

Two weeks' notice is a professional custom, not a legal requirement. In almost all US jobs the employment is at-will, which means either you or your employer can end the relationship at any time, for any lawful reason, without notice; 49 states follow this rule, with Montana the one exception after a probationary period. So no federal or state law forces you to give two weeks, or any notice at all, before you quit. The reason to give it anyway is professional: it lets your employer plan, and it protects your references and your standing in your industry. There are real exceptions where notice actually is required. If you signed an employment contract, or you are covered by a union collective bargaining agreement, it may set a specific notice period, and some senior or executive contracts call for 30 to 90 days. An employee handbook that asks for two weeks is generally a guideline, not something the employer can enforce against you. Check your own contract before you assume the two-week custom is all that applies.

Types of resignation letter

The same letter adapts to a few common situations. A standard two weeks' notice is the default for most professional roles and simply sets your last day about two weeks out. An immediate resignation has your last day as today, used when health, safety, or a serious situation means you cannot stay, and it drops the transition offer. A short-notice letter gives less than two weeks, often because a new job or a move starts soon. A retirement letter is usually warmer and given further ahead, since it marks the end of a career rather than a job change. A relocation or personal-reasons letter names a move or keeps the reason private, which is your right. An emailed resignation carries the same content and is fine for remote or hybrid roles, though telling your manager first is still the professional move.

What to leave out

The most common mistake is writing too much. A resignation letter is not the place to explain everything, settle scores, or list what went wrong. Keep it short, factual, and positive, even if you are leaving on bad terms, because this letter can outlast the job and follow you through references. A few specifics help: resign to your manager in person or by call first, then send the letter to document the conversation; address it to your direct manager, not the whole company; state a clear last day so there is no confusion; and keep the tone gracious. You do not have to give a reason for leaving, and often it is better not to. Keep a copy for your own records, and if you are emailing it, send a copy to yourself as well.

Your final pay, PTO, and benefits

What you are owed when you leave, and when, is set mostly by state law and your employer's policy, not by the letter. On your final paycheck, federal law does not require an employer to pay you immediately; the Fair Labor Standards Act leaves the timing to the states. Many states have you paid on the next regular payday, while some, such as California, require it sooner, within 72 hours of a resignation given without notice. Unused vacation or PTO is a separate question and also depends on where you work. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require any payout of unused PTO, so whether you are paid for it turns on your state and your employer's written policy. Some states, California among them, treat accrued vacation as earned wages under state law, such as California Labor Code section 227.3, and do not let an employer take it away, while other states leave it to company policy. On health coverage, leaving a job is a qualifying event under COBRA, so if your employer had 20 or more employees you can usually keep the same group health plan for a time, commonly up to 18 months, by paying the premium yourself. Because these rules vary so much, check your state's labor department and your employee handbook rather than assuming.

Can your employer end it before your last day?

Because most employment is at-will, giving notice does not guarantee you get to work it. An employer can accept your resignation and decide to end your employment right away rather than keep you through the notice period. If that happens, you usually have no right to be paid for the days you would have worked, unless a contract or policy says otherwise. There is one nuance worth knowing. If you give notice and the employer cuts it short, letting you go before your chosen last day, some state unemployment agencies treat that gap as a termination rather than a voluntary quit, which can make you eligible for unemployment benefits for those days. Whether that applies depends on your state's rules, so if an employer shortens your notice, it is worth asking your state's unemployment office.

Signing and sending it

A resignation letter is a notice, not a contract, so it does not need to be notarized or witnessed; your signature, or even a clear email, is enough. If you fill it in and sign online, that electronic signature is valid under the ESIGN Act and UETA, the same laws that make any e-signed document hold up, so an e-signed or emailed resignation is just as effective as a printed one. In practice, tell your manager first, then send the letter the way your workplace prefers, whether that is a signed PDF by email or a printed copy handed over. Keep a copy for yourself with the date you sent it, since that date fixes your notice and your last day.