XobaWrite How to write a resignation letter
A resignation letter is a short, formal record that you are leaving and when. It is not the place to explain why, settle scores, or negotiate.
A resignation letter goes in your personnel file and may be read years later by people who were not there. It has one job: to record, unambiguously, that you are leaving and when. Everything beyond that is risk.
The three things it must contain
- A clear statement that you are resigning
- Your last working day, as an actual date
- The date you are writing
That is the whole requirement. A resignation letter can be four sentences and be completely correct.
20 September 2026
Dear Ruth,
I am writing to give notice of my resignation from my position as Operations Analyst. In line with my one month notice period, my last working day will be 20 October 2026.
Thank you for the opportunities I have had here. I am glad to help hand over my work in whatever way is most useful.
Yours sincerely,
Amara Okafor
Work out the date before you write
Your notice period is in your contract. Count from the day the employer receives the letter, not the day you wrote it, and state the resulting date explicitly. “I am giving one month's notice” invites a disagreement about which day that lands on; “my last working day will be 20 October” does not.
If you want to leave sooner, ask — do not assume. Write the correct date, then add that you would be glad to discuss an earlier release if it suits them. Leaving before your notice period ends without agreement is a breach of contract, and in some jobs that has real consequences.
What to leave out, however tempting
- Why you are leaving. You are not required to say, and anything you write is permanent. If you want to explain, do it in conversation.
- Complaints. A letter listing grievances reads as bitter to anyone reading it later, and rarely changes anything. Genuine problems belong in an exit interview or a formal grievance process, which exist for that purpose.
- Where you are going. Optional, and occasionally awkward if it is a competitor. Say it in person if you want to.
- Conditions or negotiations. A resignation is not a bargaining position. If you want to negotiate, do that first, separately, and resign only if it fails.
- Excessive gratitude. One line. More reads as insincere or nervous.
The test: would you be comfortable if this were read aloud, by someone who disliked you, at a meeting in three years? If not, take it out.
If you genuinely liked the job
It costs nothing to be warm, and references are real. One specific sentence beats three generic ones.
I've learned a great deal here, particularly from running the supplier review last year, and I'm grateful for the trust that involved.
Mechanics
- Tell your manager first, in person or on a call. Nobody should learn you are leaving from a letter. The letter is the record of a conversation that already happened.
- Address it to your line manager, and copy HR if that is your organisation's process.
- Email is normally fine, with the letter in the body or attached as a PDF. Some employers want a signed copy — check.
- Keep a copy with proof of when you sent it. If a notice period is ever disputed, that is the evidence.
- Greeting and sign-off match: Dear Ruth pairs with Yours sincerely; Dear Sir or Madam with Yours faithfully.
Being asked to leave immediately
In some roles an employer will walk you out the same day or put you on garden leave. That is normal and not a judgement on you. You are generally still paid for the notice period — check your contract, and take it up with HR if the pay does not follow.
A checklist before you send it
- You have told your manager first
- The letter states you are resigning, without ambiguity
- The last working day is an actual date, and matches your contractual notice
- No grievances, no conditions, no explanation you might regret
- Names and job title spelled correctly
- Sign-off matches the greeting
- You have kept a copy and know when it was sent