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With people changing careers—let alone jobs—more frequently than in the past, knowing how to write a resignation letter is well on the way to becoming a must-have skill. There are many reasons to leave a job, from getting a better offer to workplace conflicts or simply having outgrown a given role.
It’s rarely easy to let your employer know that you’ve made the decision to leave. The best approach? Resign in a way that doesn’t burn any bridges or provoke ill will. Make your exit a professional and confidence-inspiring one. A good resignation letter will set the tone for your notice period.
In this article, you’ll see a formal resignation letter sample that does all it needs to do and does it well. You’ll find UK-specific resignation letter examples that’ll steer you in the right direction and help you make a clean break. Read on, and you’ll be able to focus on your next career move in no time.
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Had a different letter in mind? See:
Jo Johnson
42 Warren St
West Burton
RH20 0ST
077 2754 5113
jo.johnson@lcmail.co.uk
4th February 2022
David Davis
Senior Manager
ABC Company
91 South Street
West Burton
RH18 0ST
Dear David,
Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my position as Production Manager at ABC Company. With 30 days’ notice, my final day in this role will be 4th March 2022. I am leaving ABC Company to pursue career opportunities in the electronics industry. I will do all I can to make this process as smooth as possible.
During the remainder of my time here, I intend to complete the Berrington project and prepare the Connor account for handover. I will brief my team of the upcoming changes after consultation with senior management staff. I am happy to assist with the hiring and training of my replacement during this time. Please do not hesitate to contact me via phone or email should you have any questions or require any additional assistance.
Working at ABC Company has been an invaluable experience and a real pleasure. Thank you for your support over the years; I wish everyone at ABC Company all the best for the future.
Yours Sincerely,
Jo Johnson
Now you know what a resignation letter looks like, it’s time to go over how to write a letter of resignation of your own, step by step:
A resignation letter is a formal document, which means you should use the business letter format. Start with the header: align to the right your name, postal address, email, and phone number. Leave a line and add the date of writing, always in the full form (e.g. ‘2nd May 2022’). Leave another line.
Then align to the left your superior’s name, their job title, the company name, and the company’s postal address. Type out both your and your superior’s postal addresses just as though you were addressing an envelope. Use your personal email and phone number, not your work contact details.
Jo Johnson
42 Warren St
West Burton
RH20 0ST
077 2754 5113
jo.johnson@lcmail.co.uk
4th February 2022
David Davis
Senior Manager
ABC Company
91 South Street
West Burton
RH18 0ST
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You might not always know who to address your letter of resignation to. Resigning can be a delicate subject, so asking around might not be the best policy. If in doubt, address your resignation letter to your immediate superior: they’ll know who to pass your letter to. Go one full level above your position.
Are you on a first-name basis with your reader? Is your company’s corporate culture such that everyone is on a first-name basis by default? Use ‘Dear’ plus your reader’s first name in either of these cases. Otherwise, go with ‘Dear’ plus your reader’s surname. Follow this by a comma and leave a line.
Dear David,
Being a formal document, your letter of resignation has a particular, well-defined job to do. First and foremost, it has to clearly state that you’re resigning and indicate when you intend to stop acting in your current role. Do this first of all. Everything else, important as it is, is ultimately unnecessary.
You can then very briefly state the reason for your resignation. You don’t have to, but, depending on what that reason is, it might be a nice gesture. If you’re concerned about contractual or legal ramifications, consider seeking legal counsel before submitting your resignation letter.
Finally, in a single sentence, let your reader know that you intend to make your transition out of the organisation as smooth as possible. This should bring your resignation letter opening paragraph up to 3–5 short sentences.
Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my position as Production Manager at ABC Company. With 30 days’ notice, my final day in this role will be 4th March 2022. I am leaving ABC Company to pursue career opportunities in the electronics industry. I will do all I can to make this process as smooth as possible.
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The main paragraph of your resignation letter is where you can put your employer’s mind at ease and begin to set clear boundaries for your notice period. Let them know what you intend to wrap up before you leave, what you can do to make the handover of your duties easier, and how you can be contacted.
Responsible for one or two larger projects? Describe briefly what you’ll do with them during your notice period. If you have many smaller duties, group and summarise them rather than listing everything individually. The person you’re writing to might not be up-to-speed with your day-to-day duties, so keep it brief.
Be careful not to over-commit in your letter of resignation. Stick to that which you know you can do in the time you have remaining. You’ll have other opportunities to hammer out the details. It’s better to be vague or just leave things out if you’re unsure. This paragraph is more about showing your good intentions.
Make it clear that you're available to answer any questions your reader might have. If you’re resigning with little or no notice and you feel comfortable doing so, give your personal email and phone number. Remember, you won’t have access to your work email or phone once your notice period is up.
During the remainder of my time here, I intend to complete the Berrington project and prepare the Connor account for handover. I will brief my team of the upcoming changes after consultation with senior management staff. I am happy to assist with the hiring and training of my replacement during this time. Please do not hesitate to contact me via phone or email should you have any questions or require any additional assistance.
Not sure how to end a resignation letter? You’re not alone. It all seems so final, the temptation to waffle can be strong. It’s important to remember that this isn’t a farewell speech and it won’t (usually) be the last word on the matter. Luckily, there’s a way to be professional without being cold.
Find something positive to say about your time with the company you’re leaving. This can be difficult at first if you’re leaving under less than ideal circumstances, but there’s always something. Maybe your colleagues were supportive and a lot of fun to be around, or perhaps you learned a lot while with the company.
This is also the time to thank your reader for any support or mentorship they’ve given you in your time with the company. Wish your reader and/or colleagues well if you feel that’s appropriate. Whatever you write here, be genuine and avoid backhanded compliments. A sentence or two is all you need.
Working at ABC Company has been an invaluable experience and a real pleasure. Thank you for your support over the years; I wish everyone at ABC Company all the best for the future.
Given that you’re writing to a named person, the only correct way to sign off from your letter of resignation is with ‘Yours Sincerely’. This is not the time for the usual ‘Cheers’ or ‘Kind Regards’. Leave a few lines blank for your handwritten signature (or a digital image of the same) and type out your full name.
Yours Sincerely,
Jo Johnson
Your resignation letter has to be as professional as any formal document produced by your employer. No matter what position you hold, you’re writing this letter as an independent person, not a subordinate or employee. You’re on equal footing with your employer in this moment, and the onus is on you to act like it.
Spelling and grammatical errors are unacceptable in a formal document, so check and triple check your resignation letter. Keep the length down to a one, single-sided A4 page, no exceptions. Use a professional-looking font like a Arial, Calibri, or Noto in 11–12 pt and set line spacing to 1.15. Leave the margins at one inch.
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Has this article helped you with writing your resignation letter? Still not sure what to put in a resignation letter? Writing a letter of resignation is never easy: maybe you have some advice to share with your fellow readers? Leave your comments down below—we’ll be sure to reply.
Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.
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