The letter is the easy part. The notice period is contractual and frequently longer than the convention people assume.
Check the notice period first
The two-week convention comes from US at-will employment, where in most cases neither party is legally required to give notice at all. It is a professional courtesy that became a norm.
That norm does not travel. In the UK, statutory minimum notice from an employee is one week after a month's service, and contracts routinely specify a month or three for senior roles. Much of Europe requires longer still, and some contracts specify notice in months regardless of seniority.
- Read the contract. The notice clause is usually near the termination provisions.
- Check whether it differs by length of service, which many do.
- Look for garden leave provisions, which let the employer send you home for the period.
- Check any restrictive covenants before agreeing a start date elsewhere.
- Note how notice must be given — some contracts require it in writing to a named person.
Giving less notice than the contract requires is a breach, and while employers rarely pursue it, it can affect a reference and occasionally final pay. If you need to leave sooner, ask rather than assume — a shorter period agreed in writing is common and costs nothing to request.
What the letter needs
Four things, and nothing else. This is a formality that goes on file, not a place to explain yourself.
State that you are resigning, give your final working day, offer to help with the handover, and thank them. That is the complete letter, and it can be five lines.
A resignation letter is read once and filed. It may be looked at again years later by someone deciding a reference, which is the only real argument for keeping it warm and brief.
A template
Adapt the wording; the structure is what matters.
- Date and addressee. Your manager, by name.
- "I am writing to give notice of my resignation from my role as [title]."
- "My last working day will be [date], in line with my [notice period] notice." Calculate the date; do not write "in two weeks".
- "I am happy to help with the handover and to document my current work before I leave."
- "Thank you for the opportunities I have had here." One sentence, sincere or neutral.
- Sign off and keep a copy.
Give the actual date rather than an interval. "Two weeks from today" is ambiguous about whether the last day is a Friday or the following Monday, and that ambiguity affects final pay and holiday accrual.
What to leave out
- Grievances. The letter is permanent and this is not the forum. Raise concerns in an exit interview if you want to raise them.
- Where you are going, unless you want to say. You are not obliged to.
- Detailed reasons. "To pursue a new opportunity" is a complete explanation.
- Criticism of colleagues. It reads badly and helps nobody.
- Conditions or negotiating positions. If you want to negotiate, do it before resigning.
On counter-offers: decide in advance how you will respond, because being asked in the moment is when people agree to things they regret. Whatever you decide, deciding beforehand is better than deciding in the room.
Delivering it
Tell your manager in person or on a call first, then send the letter. Finding out from a forwarded email is a poor way for a manager to learn, and it costs nothing to avoid.
Send the written version the same day so the date on file is correct, and copy HR if the contract requires it.
Keep a copy for yourself, along with any acknowledgement. Disputes about the final working day, accrued holiday and final pay are not rare, and the letter is the record that settles them. Sending a PDF rather than an editable document is the small habit that keeps it a record rather than a draft — and nothing here is legal advice; for anything contested, take proper advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is two weeks notice legally required?
Not in the United States, where at-will employment generally requires no notice from either party — it is a professional custom. Elsewhere notice is usually contractual and often longer: the UK statutory minimum from an employee is one week after a month's service, with contracts commonly specifying a month or more.
What if I need to leave sooner than my notice period?
Ask rather than assume. A shorter period agreed in writing is common and costs nothing to request. Simply giving less notice than the contract requires is a breach, which is rarely pursued but can affect a reference.
What should a resignation letter say?
Four things: that you are resigning, your final working day as an actual date, an offer to help with the handover, and a brief thank you. Five lines is enough — it is a formality that goes on file.
Should I give a date or say "two weeks"?
A date. "Two weeks from today" is ambiguous about whether the last day is a Friday or the following Monday, and that affects final pay and holiday accrual.
Should I explain why I am leaving?
Not in the letter. "To pursue a new opportunity" is a complete explanation. The letter is permanent and may be read years later by someone deciding a reference, so grievances and criticism belong in an exit interview if anywhere.
Do I have to say where I am going?
No. You are not obliged to disclose your next employer, and the letter is not the place for it unless you want to mention it.
How should I deliver the letter?
Tell your manager in person or by call first, then send the written version the same day so the date on file is right, copying HR if the contract requires it. Send a PDF and keep a copy with any acknowledgement.