How to Write a Resignation Letter
A resignation letter is a short business letter. Put the date at the top and address your manager. State that you are resigning and give your last working day. Add a brief thank you and an offer to help with the handover, then close with your signature and typed name. Keep it to one page.
That is the whole job. The rest of this guide explains each part, shows a labelled example, and covers the format for paper, PDF, email and HR portals, so the letter does its work wherever it ends up.
The seven parts of a resignation letter
Every resignation letter, from a one-line email to a formal letter on company paper, is built from the same seven parts. Only the reason is optional.
| Part | What to write | Example wording |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Date | The day you deliver it | October 13, 2026 |
| 2. Greeting | Your manager, by name | Dear Sam, |
| 3. Resignation sentence | That you are resigning, and from which role | I am writing to let you know that I am resigning from my position as office manager. |
| 4. Last day | The exact date | My last day of work will be Friday, October 30, 2026. |
| 5. Reason (optional) | One neutral line, or none | I have decided to move into a different line of work. |
| 6. Thanks and handover | A true thank you and a realistic offer | Thank you for your support. I will leave notes on all my open work. |
| 7. Closing and name | A kind last line, a sign-off and your name | I wish the team well. Best regards, followed by your name. |
Most letters fit the seven parts into three or four short paragraphs. If yours is longer than a page, something in it is not doing a job, and it is usually the reason.
If you do give a reason, keep it to a fact that will still be true next year: a new role, a move, study, family. How you feel about the job belongs in a conversation, not in the letter.
Address it to your direct manager, by the name you use in person. If you report to two people, address the one who runs your day-to-day work and copy the other. Close with a plain sign-off such as "Sincerely" or "Best regards", and save "Cheers" for everyday email.
Resignation letter format
Use block format: every line starts at the left margin, paragraphs are separated by a blank line rather than an indent, and the whole letter fits on one page. Set it in a plain font such as Calibri or Arial at 11 to 12 point with 1 inch margins. Here is a complete letter with each part labelled:
[Date]
Dear [Manager's name],
I am writing to let you know that I am resigning from my position as [Job title] at [Company]. My last day of work will be [Last day]. I have decided to move into a different line of work.
Thank you for the support and the chance to learn so much here. I am grateful for my time on this team.
I am happy to help with the handover in any way I can before I leave.
It has been a good experience working here, and I wish the team well.
Best regards,
[Your name]
- DateThe day you hand it over, at the top. On paper it sits above the greeting; an email shows it in the header instead.
[Date]
- Greeting"Dear" and your manager's name, followed by a comma, or a colon in a formal letter.
Dear [Manager's name],
- Resignation sentenceState that you are resigning and name the role.
I am writing to let you know that I am resigning from my position as [Job title] at [Company].
- Last dayThe exact date, with the weekday and the year.
My last day of work will be [Last day].
- Reason (optional)One neutral line, or nothing.
I have decided to move into a different line of work.
- Thanks and handoverA sincere thank you, then what you will do before you go.
Thank you for the support and the chance to learn so much here. I am grateful for my time on this team. I am happy to help with the handover in any way I can before I leave.
- Closing and nameA last kind line, a sign-off and your typed name, with room to sign on paper.
It has been a good experience working here, and I wish the team well. Best regards, [Your name]
The words in brackets are the blanks you fill in. For twenty finished letters to start from, organized by reason and job, see the resignation letter examples.
Not legal advice. Check your contract and local law for notice rules.
Format by how you deliver it
The seven parts stay the same. What changes is the frame around them:
- Printed and signed. Date at the top, then the greeting and body, a sign-off, three or four blank lines for your signature in ink, and your typed name. A formal resignation letter adds your address and the company's above the greeting.
- Signed PDF by email. Sign the printed letter, scan it or export it as a PDF, and attach it to a short email that says the letter is attached. Name the file with your name and the word resignation.
- Email body. Drop the date line and the address block. Put "Resignation" and your name in the subject line, keep the parts in the body, and end with your typed name.
- HR portal upload. Some companies collect resignations in an HR system. Upload the signed PDF if there is a file field, or paste the body text if there is only a text box, and save a screenshot of the confirmation.
Whichever frame you use, send it on the day you tell your manager, so the date on the letter matches the conversation. On paper, sign in blue or black ink in the space between the sign-off and your typed name.
What to leave out
A resignation letter goes into your file and may be read years from now by someone who does not know you. Leave out:
- Complaints about the job, the pay, the workload or your manager, even when they are fair. Raise those separately, if at all.
- Pay details of your new job, or what it would take to keep you.
- The name of your new employer. You can share it in conversation if you like; the letter does not need it.
- Other people, whether to praise or to blame them by name.
- Long reasons. One line is enough, and none is fine.
- Anything you would not want kept in your file or read aloud in a reference call.
If something does need raising, such as a safety problem or a payroll error, put it in a separate message to HR. Tucked into a resignation letter it is easy to miss and harder to act on, and the letter stops being a clean record of the date you resigned.
After you hand it in
The letter starts the process; a few follow-ups finish it well:
- Confirm your last day in writing, especially if your manager suggested a different date.
- Ask HR when your final pay arrives, when benefits end and how to return company property.
- Plan the handover with your manager, and write notes on your open work.
- Tell your team once your manager knows, in the way your manager prefers.
- Save your personal files before your access ends.
Sometimes an employer accepts a resignation and asks you to finish sooner than the date in your letter. If that happens, ask HR to confirm the new last day in writing and when your final pay will arrive, and make sure your personal files are saved before your access ends.
Save proof of when you resigned: the sent email, or a scan of the signed letter with its date. And be sure before you hand it in, because once your employer has accepted a resignation, taking it back usually needs their agreement.
If your letter is a two weeks' notice, the guide to how to write a 2 week notice has a day-by-day timeline from the day you resign to your last day.
Questions
What are the parts of a resignation letter?
A resignation letter has seven parts: the date, a greeting, the sentence that says you are resigning, your last day, an optional reason, a thank you with an offer to help, and a closing with your name. Most letters fit all seven into three or four short paragraphs on a single page.
What is the correct resignation letter format?
Use a one-page business letter in block format: everything left aligned, in a plain font such as Calibri or Arial at 11 to 12 point, with 1 inch margins and a blank line between paragraphs. An email keeps the same parts but drops the date line and the addresses.
How do I format a resignation letter as an email instead of on paper?
Drop the address block and the date line, and put Resignation and your name in the subject line. Start with a greeting, keep the same parts in the body, and end with your typed name. Send it from the account your company expects, which is usually your work email.
How much notice should a resignation letter give?
Two weeks is the usual custom in the US. Contracts, union agreements, teaching jobs and many nursing jobs can ask for more, so check yours before you set the date. If you cannot give two weeks, state your last day plainly and keep the rest of the letter calm and short.
What should I do after I hand in my resignation letter?
Confirm your last day in writing, then ask HR about your final pay, benefits and the return of company property. Plan the handover with your manager, write notes on your open work, and tell your team once your manager knows. Save your personal files before your access ends.
How do I start a resignation letter?
Start with a direct first sentence that says you are resigning and from which job, for example: Please accept this letter as my resignation from my position as office manager. Put your last day in the second sentence. Skip any warm-up paragraph, so the reader knows what the letter is about from the first line.