A UK resignation letter only has to do three things: say plainly that you're resigning, say how much notice you're giving, and name the date you expect to be your last day. If your contract says nothing about notice, the law asks for one week once you've worked there a month, and that week usually starts the day after you hand the letter in.
So here is a resignation letter example to copy, the rule for the date that goes in it, and what you're owed on the way out. If you're resigning because of how you've been treated, skip the first template and go to the section on exactly that. It needs a different letter.
On this page
- A resignation letter you can copy
- How much notice you have to give
- Can your employer refuse it, and can you take it back?
- Leaving before your notice runs out
- Resigning because of how you've been treated
- Resigning while you're off sick or on family leave
- What you're owed when you go
- Five things to check before you hand it in
- Free help, and when a solicitor is worth it
- Questions people ask about resigning
A resignation letter you can copy
This letter of resignation template works for most resignations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It follows the shape Acas uses for its own. The square brackets are the only parts you change.
[Your name]
[Your address or personal email]
[Date you send it]Dear [manager's name],
I am writing to resign from my job as [job title] at [organisation].
My contract asks for [X weeks / X months] notice, so I understand my last day of employment will be [date]. Please let me know if you have worked it out differently.
Could you also confirm how much holiday I have built up and not taken, and whether it will be paid with my final salary.
I will do what I can to hand over my work properly before I go. Thank you for the support I have had here.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
What goes in it, and what to leave out
How to write a resignation letter comes down to three paragraphs that do the work, and a fourth that's simply polite.
The first has to be definite: "I am writing to resign", never "I'm thinking of leaving". The second states your notice and the last day you've worked out, then asks your employer to say so if they count it differently. Acas's own template does exactly this. That question flushes out any disagreement about dates while there's still time to settle it. The third asks what holiday you've built up, because untaken holiday is money.
What stays out is the reason. Citizens Advice is clear that you don't have to give one. Leave out the complaints too, and anything you wouldn't want read aloud at a tribunal. There's one exception. If you're resigning because of how you've been treated, the reason belongs in the letter.
Sending it, and proving it arrived
You don't legally have to write your resignation down at all, unless your contract says notice must be in writing. Write it anyway. A letter or an email gives you a dated record, and GOV.UK's advice is to give written notice if you might need to refer to it later, at an employment tribunal for example.
Send it to your manager or HR, unless your contract or your employer names someone else. Then get proof it landed. Acas suggests asking them to confirm in writing that they've received it, or sending the letter by recorded delivery.
Telling your manager face to face first is good manners. It isn't the law.
How much notice you have to give
Your contract first, and one week if it says nothing
Start with your contract or your written statement of terms, which should say how much notice you give. If it asks for more than the legal minimum, the contract wins.
If it says nothing, or you've never had anything in writing, the minimum is one week once you've worked there a month. Under a month, you owe none unless your contract sets some. Probation changes nothing: you give the contract's notice or the legal minimum.
Some template pages will tell you that your notice grows by a week for every year you've worked, up to twelve. That scale is real, but it's what your employer owes you, never what you owe them. Twenty years in, your own legal minimum is still one week.
Northern Ireland has its own legislation, with the same one week. The other rules here are the law in England, Scotland and Wales, and in Northern Ireland the Labour Relations Agency is the place to check them. They're also rules for employees, so check your status first if you're agency or casual staff.
| How long you've worked there | Notice you must give | Notice your employer must give you |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | None, unless your contract sets some | None, unless your contract sets some |
| 1 month to under 2 years | 1 week | 1 week |
| 2 years to under 12 years | 1 week | 1 week for each year you've worked there |
| 12 years or more | 1 week | 12 weeks |
Your contract can ask for more notice from either of you, never less than this.
When your notice starts, and how to find your last day
Unless your contract says otherwise, your notice usually starts the day after you hand it in. From there the counting is simple.
Weeks run to the same weekday. Hand in a week's notice on Monday 5 October 2026 and your last day is Monday 12 October 2026.
Months run to the same date in the next month. Hand in one month's notice on Thursday 15 October 2026 and your last day is Sunday 15 November 2026. If the next month has no such date, your notice ends on that month's last day. So a month's notice given on 31 January 2027 ends on 28 February 2027. The courts count a month's notice this way, and call it the corresponding date rule.
Four weeks isn't a month. Four weeks from that same Thursday ends on Thursday 12 November 2026, three days earlier, so check which one your contract asks for.
Weekends and bank holidays inside the period count like any other day. Put the date you've worked out in the letter, and ask them to confirm it.
Can your employer refuse it, and can you take it back?
Your employer can't refuse. Acas is blunt about it: "An employer cannot reject your resignation." Nobody has to "accept" the letter for it to count.
The mirror image is less comfortable. Once you've given notice, you can only take it back if your employer agrees. If they say no, you leave on your last day.
You can give more notice than your contract asks for, if that suits you, and your employer can't then make you go sooner. If they do, Citizens Advice says "this counts as sacking you", and that you should check whether you can claim unfair dismissal.
Then there's the resignation nobody planned.
Red flag: resigned in the middle of a row? If you quit in the heat of the moment and regret it, tell your employer straight away, and put it in writing. They don't have to let you take it back. But Acas says they should think seriously about it, especially if you changed your mind quickly or were under strain, such as illness or a bereavement.
Leaving before your notice runs out
Asking to go early
Your employer doesn't have to agree to an earlier date, so make it easy to say yes. Ask in the resignation letter itself. Offer something concrete: the urgent work finished, a proper handover, a colleague trained. Citizens Advice suggests reminding them that letting you go early means they don't pay you for as long.
If they agree, get the new date in writing.
If you owe no notice, say in your letter that today is your last day. If you do owe notice, a resignation letter with immediate effect is really a request to leave early: use today's date as the last day you're asking for.
Dear [manager's name],
I am writing to resign from my job as [job title] at [organisation]. My contract asks for [X weeks / X months] notice, which would make my last day [date].
I would like to ask whether I could leave earlier, on [date]. Before then I will [finish, hand over or train someone on the work that matters most]. If you agree, please could you confirm the new date in writing. If an earlier date is not possible, I will work my full notice.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
If your employer wants you gone sooner
Sometimes it's the employer who wants the notice cut short. Three things can happen.
They can pay you in lieu of notice, often shortened to PILON. You stop work now and your notice period is paid in full, but only if your contract allows it or you agree.
They can put you on garden leave. You stay away, but you're still employed, on your usual pay and benefits. Some contracts bar you from starting a new job until it ends.
Or they can simply tell you to go. With no payment in lieu clause and no agreement from you, Acas treats that as dismissing you early, and you could claim for breach of contract.
Check your contract for restrictive covenants too. These are terms that limit what you do after you leave, such as working for a competitor, and your employer can take you to court over them.
If you just walk out
Leaving without agreement is usually a breach of contract. You're paid only for the time you worked, plus holiday you've built up and not taken. Deductions need legal authority, a contract term or your prior written agreement. Your employer can also sue for extra costs your going caused, such as agency cover.
Another risk is the reference. Outside some regulated financial services jobs, your employer only has to give one if they've promised to, and Acas warns that leaving without working your notice can affect yours.
There's one exception, a serious breach of contract by your employer, and it leads to a different letter.
| How you leave | A breach of your contract? | What you're paid | Get this in writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your employer agrees an earlier date | No | Pay to your new last day, plus holiday you've built up | The agreed last day |
| Your employer pays you in lieu or puts you on garden leave | No | Full pay for your notice period | Which one it is, and your last day |
| You leave without agreement | Usually yes | Pay for days worked, plus holiday you've built up | Nothing to agree. Keep a copy of your letter |
| You leave because your employer seriously breached your contract | Not if the breach was serious enough | Pay to the day you leave, plus holiday you've built up | Your reasons, in your resignation letter |
Resigning because of how you've been treated
Try this before you resign
This part is unfair, and you're right to be angry about it. The steps still matter, because a tribunal will usually expect you to have tried to sort it out first.
Raise the problem informally first, then as a formal grievance, and keep a diary of what happens. If it's bullying, harassment solicitors can tell you where you stand before you do anything final. If it's discrimination, the people to ask are discrimination solicitors. One trap: raising a grievance doesn't pause the clock for a tribunal claim.
If the problem is a pay cut you never agreed to, you don't have to resign to fight it. You can keep working, tell your employer in writing that you don't accept it, and claim the shortfall as an unlawful deduction from your wages.
Constructive dismissal, the claim that you were forced out, is hard to win. You have to show you resigned in response to your employer's breach, and delay works against you. The Court of Appeal describes the employee who doesn't resign promptly as one who "soldiers on", and that employee can be held to have accepted what happened. So get advice before you send the letter.
The letter to use instead
Acas tells people in this position not to use its standard resignation letter template. Its advice is to explain your reasons for leaving clearly in the letter, and Citizens Advice says to put them in writing so you have evidence later. Keep those reasons factual and dated.
You can leave straight away or work your notice. The law counts it as a dismissal either way, "with or without notice", when your employer's conduct entitles you to go. Whether it does is a judgement to test with wrongful dismissal solicitors first.
If your employer answers with a settlement agreement, signing it ends a constructive dismissal claim.
Get advice before you send this one.
Dear [manager's name],
I am resigning from my job as [job title] at [organisation].
I am doing this because [what happened, with dates: for example, my pay was cut from [date] without my agreement, or the grievance I raised on [date] about [issue] has not been dealt with]. I consider this a serious breach of my contract, and it has left me with no choice but to resign.
[Choose one.] My employment ends today, [date]. OR I will work my notice, and my last day will be [date].
Please send my final pay, including pay for holiday I have built up and not taken, and my P45 to [address].
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
The dates that decide whether you can claim
Your job ends on the day your notice runs out, or on the day you leave if you don't work notice. In England, Scotland and Wales, that date sets two things.
The first is your time limit. The basic limit is six months less a day from that date. You must usually notify Acas within it for early conciliation before going to tribunal. This pauses the clock until early conciliation ends. If you've read three months somewhere, that was the limit for jobs that ended before 1 October 2026.
The second is how long you need to have worked there. It's two years if your effective termination date is before 1 January 2027. It's six months if it is on or after that date, even if you resigned in 2026. For this test, the statutory notice your employer owed you can count even if you left sooner. Some reasons need no service at all, such as pregnancy or maternity, health and safety, and whistleblowing.
Northern Ireland's rules are separate. Ordinary unfair dismissal usually needs one year's service and has a basic tribunal deadline of three months less a day. You must normally notify the Labour Relations Agency first. This holds the deadline for up to one calendar month.
The unfair dismissal guide takes both dates in full.
Resigning while you're off sick or on family leave
You're off, you want out, and you've no idea what the notice weeks will pay. The answer turns on a clause you might not think to read: the notice your employer would have to give you if they were ending the job.
If that's the legal minimum, or less than a week more than it, you get one week at your full normal pay, and after that it's whatever you'd normally get for being off, such as statutory sick pay. If it's at least a week longer than the minimum, you get only the sick or family pay. The full-pay week needs a month's service, and you're owed it only once you've left.
Take four years' service. The legal minimum your employer owes you is four weeks. A contract that gives you one month from them is less than a week more, so you get the protected week. A contract that gives you three months is well past it, so it's sick pay only.
Citizens Advice adds one thing. If you resign and claim benefits, you won't get more money than sick pay would. Staying keeps your holiday building up.
| The notice your employer would have to give you under your contract | What you're paid while you're off during your notice |
|---|---|
| The legal minimum, or less than a week more than it | One week at your full normal pay, then what you'd normally get for being off, such as statutory sick pay |
| At least a week more than the legal minimum | Only what you'd normally get for being off, such as statutory sick pay or maternity pay |
What you're owed when you go
Holiday you haven't taken
Your employer must pay you for statutory holiday you've built up and not taken. That's 5.6 weeks a year, or 28 days if you work a five-day week. Extra days your contract gives you on top follow the contract.
Here's how it works out. Your leave year starts on 1 January, you get 28 days, your last day is 30 June and you've taken 10. About half the year has gone, so you've built up about 14 days, and you're owed about four days' pay. GOV.UK's holiday entitlement calculator does the exact figure. If you work irregular hours, or only part of the year, holiday builds up as 12.07% of the hours you work.
Taken more than you'd built up? They can take it back from your final pay only if that was agreed in writing beforehand.
Your employer can also make you use holiday during your notice. They have to give you notice twice as long as the holiday, unless your contract says otherwise.
Your final pay, your P45, and money they try to take back
Final pay usually arrives on your normal payday, and it often looks different from a usual month. You're entitled to bonus and commission during your notice unless your contract says otherwise. Your employer must give you a P45, and if the new job starts before it turns up, here's what happens to your tax code at a new job.
Apart from deductions required or allowed by law, nothing comes off your final pay unless your contract allows it or you agreed in writing beforehand. A training clawback only counts if you agreed to it in writing before the course started. For training you had to do, it can't take your pay below the minimum wage. For voluntary training you agreed to repay, it can when you resign.
Read any repayment clause before you pick your leaving date. Some apply when you choose to leave.
If the pay is short, raise it with your employer first. After that the route is Acas early conciliation, then a tribunal claim for an unauthorised deduction. The basic limit is six months less a day from the payday that came up short, or three months less a day if that payday fell before 1 October 2026.
Five things to check before you hand it in
These are the five situations where the timing of a resignation letter costs people money. Each takes minutes to rule out now, and each is far harder to fix once the letter has gone.
- Is redundancy in the air? If your job is only at risk, resigning can cost you your redundancy pay. With two years' service, it usually pays to wait. Already have redundancy notice? Written early notice in the final period equal to your employer's minimum notice can preserve payment. If they object in writing, a tribunal can award all, part or none. See how redundancy pay is worked out.
- Are you in a disciplinary process? Your employer can carry on without you and can mention it in a reference.
- Will you need Universal Credit? If the DWP decides you left without a good reason, it can cut your payments for up to 91 days the first time, if you're 18 or over. The days between leaving and claiming come off that. Citizens Advice explains what counts as a good reason.
- Does your contract claw anything back? Training costs only count if you agreed in writing before the course. Read any other repayment clause, such as relocation or enhanced maternity pay, before you choose your date.
- Has your employer offered a settlement agreement? Signing one ends any constructive dismissal claim. Read our settlement agreement guide on advice and fees before you sign anything.
Free help, and when a solicitor is worth it
For an ordinary resignation, your contract and a letter like the first one are enough. We'd say that to anyone, and we run a directory of solicitors.
For everything else, start with the free routes: the Acas helpline, Citizens Advice, and your union if you're a member. Check your home or car insurance too. Citizens Advice points out that some policies come with free legal advice.
We're not your lawyer. If your resignation is tangled up with a dispute, a short payslip or a settlement offer, get advice before you send it. That's the point where employment solicitors earn their fee.
Otherwise, how to resign from a job comes down to three moves: check the notice clause in your contract, work out the date, and send the letter.
Questions people ask about resigning
Do I have to give a reason for resigning?
No. Your letter only needs to say that you're resigning, how much notice you're giving and when your last day is. The exception is resigning because of something your employer did. Then say so, factually and with dates. Acas says to explain your reasons clearly, and Citizens Advice says the letter gives you evidence if you take legal action later.
Can I resign by email?
Yes. You don't legally have to resign in writing at all unless your contract says so, and an email gives you the same dated record as a letter. If your contract names a method or a person, use it. Then ask for written confirmation that it arrived.
Can my employer refuse to accept my resignation?
No. Acas is plain that an employer can't reject a resignation. What they can do is hold you to your notice period, pay you in lieu of notice if your contract allows it or you agree, or put you on garden leave on full pay.
Can I take my resignation back?
Only if your employer agrees. If you resigned in the heat of the moment, tell them at once and put it in writing. They can still say no, but Acas says they should give it serious consideration, especially if you changed your mind quickly or were unwell or bereaved at the time.
Do I have to work my notice if I've got a new job?
Yes, unless your employer agrees to let you go early. Ask in your resignation letter and offer a proper handover. If you leave without agreement, that's usually a breach of contract, and Acas warns it can affect your final pay or your references.
Can I resign with immediate effect?
Yes, if you owe no notice. Otherwise, you need your employer's agreement or a serious breach of your contract. The second is constructive dismissal territory, so take advice first. In any other situation, leaving on the spot is usually a breach of contract. You're paid only to the day you leave, plus holiday you've built up.
Can I take holiday during my notice period?
You can ask, but your employer decides. They can also tell you to use up holiday you have left, as long as they give you notice twice as long as the holiday itself, unless your contract says otherwise. Unused holiday is paid with your final pay.