A sample resignation letter to an employer (8 examples)

In this guide, we will discuss How to write a resignation letter to an employer, what not to include in your letter, sample resignation letters to employer examples you can use and modify according to your own personal circumstances. 

A sample resignation letter to an employer

A sample resignation letter to an employer should include:

• Your intention to resign from your job. When writing a formal resignation letter, state your intention to let your employer know you would like to quit your current job.
• Reason for leaving. This is optional, just mention briefly the reason for quitting such as personal reasons, having a new job opportunity, retirement, etc.
• Your last day of employment according to the notice period (e.g. 2 weeks, 1 month, etc.)
• An offer to assist with the transition. Offering help in the transition period whether be by helping recruit a replacement or training that replacement.
• Thank your employer for the opportunity. Make sure you keep a positive tone when thanking your employer for the opportunity.
• Include your contact information. Include your personal contact information where they can reach you.

Before considering sitting down and writing your resignation letter, consider talking directly to your boss or having a conversation, and then officially hand in your resignation letter.

Your employer may want to keep you so they will try to make you an offer so you stay, make sure you are completely certain you want to leave and there is nothing your employer can do to change the work conditions that can actually make you stay. 

Note: sometimes it is necessary to hand in an immediate resignation letter or without notice, where you can’t really honor the notice period established by a company (make sure there are no penalties involved).

Normally it is 1 month but try to give them at least two weeks’ notice so they have time to find a replacement.

What not to include

Needless to say, this is not the appropriate occasion to include any negative comments or complaints about your employer, your boss, or your colleagues even if they are the real reason why you want to resign.

If you need to address any uncomfortable situations or any feedback, make sure you do it either with your HR department or directly with your boss, always keeping a professional and assertive type of communication.

1. A sample resignation letter to an employer

“Kathy Leonard

802 Brockton Avenue

Bakersfield, CA 93306

(000) 123-1234

kleonard@email.com

March 4, 2020

Mr. James O’Leary

Manager

Acme Corp.

7803 Main Street

Bakersfield, CA 93306

Dear Mr. O’Leary:

Please accept this letter as notice that I will be resigning from my job here at Acme Corp. two weeks from today’s date.

Thank you for the support and the opportunities you have provided me over the course of the last six years. You and our team have created a climate that makes it a pleasure to come to work each morning, and I will miss you all.

If I can do anything to help with your transition in finding and training my replacement, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Kathy Leonard”

2. A sample resignation letter to an employer

“[Date]

Ms. Joyce Michaels

CEO

ABC Company

15 Main St.

Sometown, MA 55555

Dear Joyce,

Please accept this letter as notice of my resignation from my position as a staff accountant. My last day of employment will be [date].

I received an offer to serve as a senior accountant of a Fortune 500 company, and after careful consideration, I realize that this opportunity is too exciting for me to decline.

It has been a pleasure working with you and your team over the last three years. One of the highlights of my career was collaborating with you to automate ABC Company’s accounting, financial, and balance systems and setting up your accounting infrastructure. Your company is poised for continued growth and I wish you much success with your upcoming acquisition of XYZ Company.

I would like to help with the transition of my accounting duties so that systems continue to function smoothly after my departure. I am available to help recruit and train my replacement, and I will make certain that all reporting and records are updated before my last day of work.

Joyce, thank you again for the opportunity to work for ABC Company. I wish you and your staff all the best and I look forward to staying in touch with you. You can email me anytime at jones@somedomain.com or call me at 555-555-5555.

Sincerely,

Roberta Jones”

Example from Monster.com.

3. A sample resignation letter to an employer

“Dear Mr. Don Cohen,

Please accept this letter as formal notification that I am resigning from my position as Account Executive with Marketing Media. My last day will be Thursday, March 2.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to work in this position for the past six years. I’ve greatly enjoyed and appreciated the opportunities I’ve had to grow our sales team and pipeline, be a part of creating a great product, and work with my fellow colleagues, and I’ve learned so much about marketing strategy and the digital media space, which I will certainly take with me throughout my career.

I’ll do everything possible to wrap up my duties and train other team members over the next two weeks. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help during this transition.

I wish the company continued success, and I hope to stay in touch in the future.

Sincerely,

Anne Acharya”

Example from Themuse.com.

4. A sample resignation letter to an employer

“Dear Ms. Fran Braden,

I’m writing to give my formal notice that I’ll be leaving my role as Office Manager for Larry and Keets Financial Partners on July 31.

I’ve recently received an offer to serve as an executive assistant at a small startup, and after careful consideration, I’m excited to explore this new path in my career journey.

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve been provided working on the Operations team for the past four years. It’s been a wonderful experience to work for such a great company and help in solving Larry and Keets’ mission to provide better financial support for older employees.

Please let me know if I can be of any assistance during this transition. Thank you for all your guidance. I wish you all the best and I look forward to keeping in touch.

Sincerely,

George Lin”

Example from Themuse.com.

5. A sample resignation letter to an employer (Professional Resignation Letter)

“[Your Name]

[1234 Street Address]

[City, State, Zip]

[Today’s Date]

[Company Name]

[1234 Street Address]

[City, State, Zip]

Dear [Supervisor’s Name],

Please accept the letter as my formal resignation from [Position Name] at [Company Name], effective two weeks from today, [Current Date]. 

During my time at [Company Name], I have been fortunate for the opportunity to grow and learn more about [Industry Name]. Your guidance and support have prepared me well for the future.

I hope that we will have opportunities to collaborate in the future.         

Please let me know how I can be of help during the transition period. I wish you and the company the very best going forward. 

Sincerely,  

[Your Signature]

[Your Name]”

Your Name

Current Job Title

Current Organization

Address

City, State, Zip Code

Your Email

Date of Resignation

6.  A sample resignation letter to an employer (Professional Resignation Letter)

Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. [Last Name]:

I would like to inform you that I am resigning from my position as X for Company A, effective December 21.

I appreciate the opportunities for professional development that you have provided me over the past two years. I have enjoyed my tenure at Company A, and in particular, feel honored to have been apart of such a supportive team.

If I can be of any help during this transition, please let me know. I am available to help train my replacement and will ensure all my reports are updated before my last day of work.

Thank you again for the opportunity to work at Company A. I wish you all the best and look forward to staying in touch. You can email me at X.

Sincerely,

Your Signature [hard copy letter]

[Your Typed Name]”

7. A sample resignation letter to an employer (Professional Resignation Letter)

“Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

I would like to inform you that I am resigning from my position as Data Analyst for Company A, effective January 3.

I appreciate the opportunities for professional development that you have provided me over the past four years. I have enjoyed my tenure at Company A, and feel grateful to have started my career alongside such a dedicated team.

I have accepted a teaching position in Virginia. While my experience at Company A was rewarding, I’m excited to pursue my passion for teaching.

If I can be of any help during this transition, please let me know. I am willing to help out with freelance work until you find a replacement.

Thank you again for the opportunity to work at Company A. I wish you all the best and look forward to staying in touch. You can email me at X.

Sincerely,

Caroline”

8. A sample resignation letter to an employer (Professional Resignation Letter)

“(Current date)

Manager’s name

Company Name

Address

Dear (Manager’s name)

Please accept this letter as formal notification of my resignation from (Company name). My last day with the company will be (date).

Before I leave, I will ensure that all my projects are completed as far as possible, and I am happy to assist in any way to ensure a smooth handover to my replacement.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work at (company) for (years of service). During this time I have thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere within the team and I will miss our interactions.

While I am excited by the new opportunities that I will be pursuing, I will always remember my time at (company name) with affection. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further information after I leave, and I would be delighted if you stay in touch.

Kind regards,

(Your signature)

(Your printed name)”

Example from Roberthalf.com.au.

Recommended reading

• Everyday Letters for Busy People, Rev Ed: Hundreds of Samples You Can Adapt at a Moment’s Notice
• Resignation Letters: Tips and Samples for a Smooth Transition from This Job to the Next
• How to Write a Resignation Letter
• THE PERFECT RESIGNATION LETTER: I FIRED MY BOSS

Other sample resignation or leave letters

Below are some of the other resignation or leave letters we curated.

If you are looking for a job, you should also ideally start your job research on job websites such as Indeed.

Sample resignation letter new job

Sample resignation letter new opportunity

Sample resignation letter NHS

References 

Doyle, A. (2020, Mar.) Best Resignation Letter Examples. Retrieved from Thebalancecareers.com

Doyle, A. (2020, Mar.) How to Write a Resignation Letter With Samples. Retrieved from Thebalancecareers.com.

Monster.com: “Sample resignation letter”

Greenawald, E. (n.d.) How to Write a Resignation Letter (With Samples!). Retrieved from Themuse.com.

Forsey, C. (n.d.) Resignation Letter (Samples + Templates). Retrieved Blog.huspot.com.