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If you have ever resigned from a company, you know that a letter of resignation is necessary to formalize your departure.
But if you’ve never resigned, and still don’t know about it, it’s important to understand that the letter of resignation is also part of all the legal documentation that must be handed in by employees when they leave a company.
The problem is that writing this letter isn’t always easy.
Therefore, to help you out, we’ve selected the 7 most used letter of resignation templates. Feel free to choose the one that best suits your situation and copy it!
What is a letter of resignation and what is it used for?
The letter of resignation is a document that formalizes your desire to resign from a company.
It will help the personnel department understand the reasons that have led their employees to make this decision.
Of course, people don’t always include the reason why they are leaving.
But, if you choose to do so, the resignation letter will be important so the company can understand what can be done differently to keep future employees.
Also, the reasons for the resignation might also be affecting other employees. So, by understanding them, the personnel department can think of strategies to maintain a good organizational environment.
And finally, being able to communicate with the managers and the company, and leaving while maintaining a good relationship with everyone, is essential so you can always leave the door open for networking even after you leave the company.
Important tips when writing your resignation letter
Regardless of the resignation letter template you use, there are a few general tips for all of them. Check them out below:
- Be objective when you write your letter
- Handwrite it yourself, i.e., typed letters are unacceptable
- Include your full name
- Write the name of the company
- Inform the position you hold in the company
- Provide details about the prior notice period (or that you will not be working during the notice period and that this has been informed beforehand)
- Specify the place and date where the letter will be delivered
- Sign the letter at the bottom
- Make a copy of the letter for your files (it can be a photocopy or another handwritten letter).
A common question is regarding the filling out of the employee’s information.
You don’t need to fill out personal information since the company already has them, including your bank details.
Therefore, the letter of resignation must be used exclusively to inform of your departure.
Now that you understand why you should write a letter of resignation when you leave a company, and which information must be included in this letter, check out 7 templates you can use.
1. Simple letter of resignation
Overall, every letter of resignation must be as objective as possible, but you can write an even simpler one.
If you wish to provide brief and more informal explanations, you can use the template below:
To _____________________ (company name)
Dear ____________________ (manager’s name),
Due to personal/professional reasons, I hereby formally communicate my resignation from the position of _______ (position you hold).
I request my immediate dismissal with exemption from working during the notice period.
____________________, month day, 20__. (place and date)
(Your signature)
(Write your name in full)
2. Detailed letter of resignation
Some people prefer to explain in more detail why they are resigning.
As we said in our previous tips, it’s important that your letter be objective. However, if you really want to write a more detailed resignation, you can follow the template below:
____________________, month day, 20__. (place and date)
To _____________________ (company name)
Dear ___________,
I hereby formally communicate my resignation from _______ (position you hold) that I have held in this company since mm/dd/yyyy (date of admission).
The reasons that have led to this request are strictly professional. I have been offered a new challenge at _________ (name of the new company), which has led me to make this decision.
I am grateful for the learning experience, projects developed, and staff I worked with, and for the confidence in my work during this time.
I affirm that I will work during the notice period between mm/dd/yyyy (start of notice date) and mm/dd/yyyy (end of notice date), which will be my last day of work.
I am also available to fill my replacement in regarding all the projects under my responsibility and that will not be completed before my last day of work.
If necessary, I am available to train the new employee who will be replacing me.
I would like to thank __________ (name of the company you are leaving) for this opportunity.
(Your signature)
(Write your name in full)
3. Letter of resignation with notice
One of the most used templates is the letter of resignation with notice.
If you decide to work during the notice period, it’s important that you make this clear in your letter.
This letter doesn’t have to be long. You can even use the simple letter of resignation in the first template above, but change the ending and add the notice.
But if you decide to be more formal in your letter, you can use the template below:
____________________, month day, 20__. (place and date)
To _____________________ (company name)
Dear ________,
I hereby formally communicate my resignation from my position as _______ (position you hold), which I have held in this company since mm/dd/yyyy (date of admission).
I hereby inform that the reasons that have led to this resignation are professional/personal.
I hereby affirm that I will work during the notice period between mm/dd/yyyy (start of notice date) and mm/dd/yyyy (end of notice date), with this being my last day of work.
(Your signature)
(Write your name in full)
4. Letter of resignation without notice
If you don’t want to, or for any reason, cannot work during the notice period, you must inform this decision in your letter.
It is important to remember that by not complying with the notice period, an amount will be deducted from the amount you will receive regarding your dismissal.
____________________, month day, 20__. (place and date)
TO _____________________ (company name)
Dear ____________,
I hereby formally inform you of my resignation from my position as _______ (position you hold), which I have held in this company since mm/dd/yyyy (date of admission), due to personal/professional reasons.
I request immediate dismissal, with the exemption of the notice period.
(Your signature)
(Write your name in full)
5. Letter of resignation in order to study
If the reason that has led you to resign is so you can study and you need to leave the company, but still want to leave the door open for a possible return, you might want to add in your letter that you need to focus on your studies for the time being.
Check out our suggestion:
____________________, month day, 20__. (place and date)
To _____________________ (company name)
Dear __________,
I hereby formally inform my resignation from my position as _______ (position you hold), which I have held at this company since mm/dd/yyyy (date of admission).
The reason for my resignation is personal. I have enrolled in a _________ course (name of course) and for the time being, I need to focus on my studies.
I affirm that I will work during the notice period between mm/dd/yyyy (start of notice date) and mm/dd/yyyy (end of notice date), with this being my last day of work. (Or request immediate dismissal, with the exemption of the notice period).
If possible, I request the exemption of the notice period.
(Your signature)
(Write your name in full)
6. Regretful letter of resignation
Another letter of resignation template is the one you show that you are sorry about leaving the company.
It is used when the reason for the resignation is personal, such as, having to move to another state or country.
____________________, month day, 20__. (place and date)
TO _____________________ (company name)
Dear ________,
It is with regret that I formally inform my resignation from my position as _______ (position you hold), which I have held in this company, strictly due to personal reasons.
I am grateful for having worked in this company and for the learning experience. I am also grateful for the fantastic staff and all the leaders with whom I worked.
I am available to work during the notice period between mm/dd/yyyy (start of notice date) and mm/dd/yyyy (end of notice date), which will be my last day of work.
If possible, I request the exemption of the notice.
(Your signature)
(Write your name in full)
7. Letter of resignation with appreciation
Finally, you can also be thankful for everything that happened while you worked at the company. This can be good for the personnel department, which will understand the positive points of the company.
____________________, month day, 20__. (place and date)
TO _____________________ (company name)
Dear _________,
I hereby formally inform my resignation from my position as _______ (position you hold) which I have held at this company since mm/dd/yyyy (date of admission), due to personal/professional reasons.
I would like to thank my manager ____________ (name of your manager/coordinator) who has followed my trajectory in the company. I learned a lot and developed professionally under your supervision.
To the _____________ team (name of the team of which you were part), I thank you for your trust, the learning experience and being able to work together. You have been key in my professional growth.
To the entire company, I am thankful for the exchange of knowledge, opportunities, guidance, support and encouragement.
I am available to work during the notice period between mm/dd/yyyy (start of notice date) and mm/dd/yyyy (end of notice date), which will be my last day of work.
Sincerely,
(Your signature)
(Write your name in full)
How to resign
If you have read all of this post, you are probably thinking about resigning.
We are aware that this isn’t an easy decision and that only you can decide whether to resign from your current job.
If you have already made this decision, we hope that the 7 resignation letters presented here can help you when it comes to resigning from your company.
If you’re still in doubt about what your next step should be, make sure you check out our post on how to find another job.
