A resignation letter does one job: it dates your notice, states your last day, and leaves the store clean. It is not the place for grievances. Every example below is short enough to read once and send twice - first to your manager, then to HR - and none of them say anything you'd regret in a reference call.
Notice periods are set by your employment agreement, not by templates. If your contract says four weeks, that's your number - not two. Dates fill the [brackets].
1. Standard two weeks notice
Situation: you accepted an offer, your last day is [date]
Dear [Manager],
I'm writing to formally resign from my role as [title] at [company]. My last day will be [date], two weeks from today.
Thank you for the [number] years here. I'll finish the current [project] handover schedule and leave my documentation and a summary for wherever [project] lands next.
I'm glad to help train whoever takes over, and to make the last two weeks count.
Sincerely,
[Name]
2. Warm, small team
Situation: you actually like the people, keep it human
Dear [Manager],
After a lot of thought, I've accepted a role elsewhere and am resigning. My last day will be [date].
This is a hard one to write, because the honest part of the letter is this: I'm not leaving to get away from anything. The team here taught me [skill], trusted me with [responsibility], and made the last [number] years better than they had to be. I hope to be somewhere I can return the favor.
Between now and [date], you have whatever part of my calendar you need.
Thank you, truly.
[Name]
3. Formal, for HR files
Situation: the letter policy requires, use when relations are merely professional
Dear [Manager],
Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from my position as [title], effective [date].
Per my employment agreement, I will work the [number]-week notice period ending [date]. During that time I will complete outstanding deliverables and assist in the transfer of my responsibilities.
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to [company].
Respectfully,
[Name]
4. Remote role, no farewell tour
Situation: distributed team, async norms, keep it crisp
Dear [Manager],
I'm resigning from my role as [title]. My last day will be [date].
Since we're async: everything I own is either documented, in the team drive, or handed over by [date]. I've marked the three open items on the tracker and proposed owners next to each. Handover calls I'm available all of tomorrow and Friday afternoons.
Working remotely with this team has been a good chapter. Thanks for the autonomy.
Sincerely,
[Name]
5. Contract ending, clean wrap
Situation: contractor rolling off - stay rehireable
Dear [Manager],
This letter confirms that my contract as [title] ends on [date], per the statement of work.
Deliverables status: [deliverable] is complete and signed off; [deliverable two] is at [percent], and my final invoice reflects the remaining hours. Repository access notes and the runbook live at [location], updated through today.
I'd be glad to quote on follow-on work if [company] extends the project. Being rehired for the next phase is exactly what I'd hope for.
Respectfully,
[Name]
6. Retirement
Situation: you planned it, say it with dignity
Dear [Manager],
After [number] years with [company], I'm writing to announce my retirement. My final day will be [date].
It has been a long run, and a good one. I've watched this place grow from [memory detail] to what it is now, and I leave with nothing unfinished: [project] wraps [date], and my files pass an audit I'd wish on anyone's successor.
HR can expect my completed paperwork within the week. My contact after [date] is [personal email] - the door stays open if someone needs the story behind an old process.
With thanks for every year,
[Name]
7. Declining after a counteroffer
Situation: you already said yes elsewhere - don't reopen
Dear [Manager],
Following our conversation about the counteroffer: I appreciate it, and my answer is no. I've committed to [new company] with a start date of [date], and my resignation stands as of that date.
Saying it plainly because I respect you too much to leave it hanging: the offer was generous, and the decision wasn't about money. I'm ready for the next chapter, and I'd like to spend my remaining [number] weeks here helping rather than renegotiating.
Thank you for the time we put into it. If plans change, I'll call you first.
Sincerely,
[Name]
8. Leaving without notice - the honest version
Situation: rare and serious. Read the note below the letter.
Dear [Manager],
Effective today I am resigning my position as [title]. I understand this leaves the team short-handed and I take that seriously.
The reasons are personal to this workplace and I have shared them with [HR contact] in detail on [date]. I remain available for a documented remote handover in the next two weeks and will comply with all policy requirements on equipment return and eligibility.
I wish the team well, and I'm sorry to depart this way.
[Name]
Use example 8 only if staying would cost you more - health, safety, or a legal matter. It forfeits some references and sometimes pay. When in doubt, example 3's format buys you more options.
Method
What every good resignation letter has
Five parts: the resignation sentence, the exact last day, one thank-you line, one handover line, and nothing else. No reasons, no salary talk, no alternative offers. The builder generates this in one shot - it's a template, so it's free, no AI quota.
