How to write a resignation letter or email professionally: Example phrases and templates

If you decide to quit your job, it’s good practice to put your resignation in writing with a resignation letter or email. You’ll usually do this after discussing your departure with your boss face-to-face.

Here we will look at how to write a resignation letter professionally, in such a way that you stay on good terms with the company and people you are leaving behind.

We have listed some simple phrases that you can use as a template for your own letter of resignation. We also have some ideas for resignation email subject lines, and things to avoid including.

So, even if English is your second language and you are not so confident using business English yet, we hope this helps you with writing a resignation letter.

How to write a resignation letter or email

The purpose of a resignation letter is to inform the company that you are leaving and confirm your departure date. Therefore, it is best to keep the letter short, simple, and professional.

Here is a typical resignation letter format:

• Salutation addressed to your line manager or supervisor
• State your intention to resign
• Confirm your leaving date as per your contracted notice period
• Provide a brief reason for leaving (optional)
• Thank the company and/or your manager
• Offer help with the transition
• Sign off with your name, position, and contact details

Now, we will look at how to write each of these parts of your resignation letter.

How to start a resignation letter

Begin with a polite salutation (greeting) addressed to your direct manager or supervisor. Use their full name if you don’t know them well, or just their first name if you usually address them in this way.

• Dear Matthew Ryder,
• Dear Matthew,

Your opening paragraph should get straight to the point. State that you wish to resign and then confirm your last working day, according to your contractual notice period.

Here are some examples of how to start a resignation letter:

• I’m writing to give you official notice of my resignation from [company name]. My last working date will be [date].
• I would like to inform you that I am resigning from my position of [job title] at [company name]. My leaving date will be two weeks from today on [date].
• I am writing to notify you that I have decided to resign from [company name]. My last working day will be [date], which is one month from now.
• Please accept this letter/email as formal notice of my resignation from [company name]. After working my two weeks’ notice, my final working day will be [date].

Reasons for resigning from your job

You are not obliged to state your reason for leaving in your letter of resignation. However, your boss is likely to ask you about this anyway, so you may wish to put it in writing.

Try to be diplomatic here, especially if you want your boss to write you a referral letter at some point in the future. If you want to make an official complaint about the company, talk to your HR department rather than being overly negative in your resignation letter.

Here are some acceptable reasons for leaving a job:

• Change of career
• Better job offer elsewhere
• Wanting more family time
• Fulfilling your dream (travel around the world, start a business, etc.)
• Returning to full-time education
• Joining a family member who is relocating
• Health reasons
• Personal reasons

Here are some sample sentences you can use in your job resignation letter to explain why you are leaving:

• I have enjoyed working at [company name] but I have decided it is time for me to pursue a different career.
• My main reason for leaving is that I feel I need a better work/life balance to enable me to spend more time with my children.
• The reason for this is that I have received another job offer that I feel is a better fit for my skills and expertise.
• I have decided to fulfill my dream of …
• After some deliberation, I have decided to leave for personal reasons.
• Unfortunately, because of health reasons, I am unable to continue in this role.
• My husband/wife is relocating to [location] and I will be moving with him/her.

Thanking your company/manager and offering help

It’s polite to offer some thanks or appreciation for the time spent at the company, although you don’t have to include this if your time there has been particularly short or you really don’t have anything good to say about it.

Here are some phrases you can use for this:

• I would like to thank you for …
• I really appreciate …
• My time working for [company name] has been …
• I have really enjoyed …
• It’s been invaluable for me to …
• The past X years/months have been a great experience for me.

Then, you can offer assistance with the transition as you leave:

• Please let me know how I can best assist with the transition.
• During the next two weeks, I’ll make sure that all my responsibilities are handed over.
• I will, of course, do my best to help make the transition as smooth as possible.
• Please let me know how I can help with training my replacement.
• All of my tasks are already documented and I’m happy to run through everything before I leave.
• I hope we can meet soon to discuss how best to cover my responsibilities in the team.
• I will send you an update on my current project shortly.

Again, this part is not essential but it helps to maintain a good relationship as you depart.

How to end a resignation letter

It’s polite to wish your boss or company well as you end your resignation letter. You can use one of these examples:

• I hope that [company name] continues to grow and have success in the year ahead.
• I wish you all the best with the great work you’re doing at [company name].
• I hope that [a specific project] goes on to be a success.
• I would like to wish you and [company or team name] all the best for the future.

After this, sign off with your name, position, and contact details.

Professional resignation letter sample

And now you know how to write a resignation email or letter in a professional way. Putting all of these elements together, here is a short resignation letter example:

Dear Samir,

I would like to inform you of my resignation from my position of Account Executive. My leaving date will be one month from today on 11th November.

It has been a pleasure working with you but I have decided to pursue another career path. I’d be happy to have a meeting to discuss how I can best assist with the transition of my role.

I wish you and the rest of the team all the best for the future.

Best regards,

Before printing your letter or sending your email, make sure you have proofread it to check for clarity and mistakes. If you’re not confident doing this yourself, consider a proofreading tool like Grammarly that checks whatever you write and offers corrections and suggestions for improvement.

How to write a resignation letter effective immediately

If you want your resignation to be effective immediately, or you can only give very short notice, you will need to write your letter of resignation slightly differently. Be aware that this may breach the terms of your contract, so you should have a good reason for not working your full notice period.

Depending on your reason for writing an immediate resignation letter, you could phrase it something like this:

I am writing to give notice of my resignation, effective immediately.

As you know, I have been receiving medical treatment recently and my doctor has advised me to rest for an indefinite period.

I am sorry for the inconvenience this will cause as I am unable to work my full notice.

Other possible reasons for giving short notice include:

Due to unforeseen personal circumstances, I am unable to continue working in this role.

Unfortunately, I will be unable to work two weeks’ notice because of an unexpected change in personal circumstances.

If you are leaving suddenly because of harassment, abuse, or discrimination in the workplace, there are further steps you can take to report the problem.

What’s a good resignation email subject line?

When considering the subject line for a resignation email, it’s best to be direct and clear about the purpose of the email while maintaining a professional tone. These are all good resignation email subject lines:

• Notice of resignation
• Resignation from [company name]
• Formal resignation notice
• Giving my 2 weeks’ notice
• Resignation announcement: leaving on [date]

To stay amicable with your boss, it would be best to speak to them directly before sending your email resignation letter.

What to avoid when writing a letter of resignation

Things that you should not include in a resignation letter include:

• A detailed account of your reasons for leaving
• Complaints about the company or its employees
• Details of your new job
• Instructions for how to do your job
• Any kind of apology (unless you are leaving abruptly and want to professionally apologize for not working your full notice period)

If you do wish to discuss any of these things, it’s probably best to do it in a face-to-face meeting with your boss and/or an HR representative. Some companies conduct a formal exit interview to give employees the opportunity to raise any complaints or concerns from their time working there.

Conclusion

Writing a letter of resignation needn’t be difficult if you remember to keep it short and simple, focusing on the key information you need to communicate.

We hope that the phrases and examples included here have helped you draft a satisfactory letter of resignation for your job. Keep browsing other business English articles for more help with the language you might need at work.

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