How to Write a Resignation Email in 2026: 7 Clear Examples

A resignation email says clearly that you're resigning, names your role, gives your last working day, and offers help with the handoff. Send it to your manager, copy HR if your company asks for that, and use a subject like “Resignation: [Your name].” In the US, two weeks' notice is the custom. Tell your manager first, then put it in writing.

Deciding to leave and writing the email are two different kinds of hard. You might feel relieved, sad, excited or all three, and still be stuck on the first sentence. The email doesn't need to carry any of that. Its job is to make the decision clear and set up the next steps. I'd add one more thing: how you leave is what your manager remembers when someone calls for a reference in three years. Below I'll cover what to check first, how much notice to give, what to include, a before and after, and seven examples.

I'll use one person throughout. Say Derek is a senior engineer at a software company in Seattle. He's accepted an offer from another Seattle company, starting Monday, November 16, and he wants to leave well.

Before you write it

• Get the new offer in writing first. If you're leaving for another job, I'd wait until you have the signed offer and any conditions, like a background check, are cleared. Derek waits until his background check clears on a Friday before he says anything.
• Check your notice period. Look at your offer letter, any employment contract and the employee handbook. More on how much notice below.
• Find out who should get it. Usually your direct manager. Some companies want HR copied, or a form in the HR system as well.
• Tell your manager first if you can. A short call or one-on-one, then the email straight after. Nobody likes finding out from their inbox.
• Know what you're owed. Final paycheck, unused PTO and health insurance all have rules, and they vary by state. There's a short section on this below.
• Save your personal things, not the company's. Your own photos, your benefits paperwork, contacts you'll need. Leave company code, files and customer data where they are.

How much notice should you give?

In the US, two weeks is the usual courtesy, not a legal rule in most cases. Most states follow at-will employment, which means either side can end the job at any time, with or without notice. SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, explains that two weeks is the standard notice period, and that executives and people with specialized roles are often asked for four. Missouri's labor department, for example, says plainly that state law requires no notice from employees.

Your own paperwork can change that. A contract with a notice clause, or a company policy that ties payout of unused vacation to giving notice, matters here. SHRM notes that some states let employers do exactly that. So check your contract and handbook before picking a date.

My rule of thumb: give two weeks as the floor, and more if you're senior or own something nobody else understands, as long as your new start date allows it. Derek tells his manager on Monday, October 26, and makes Friday, November 6, his last day. That's two full working weeks, plus a week off before he starts on November 16. I'd always protect a gap like that if you can. You'll need it.

What if they tell you to leave today?

It happens, more often in roles with access to customers or sensitive systems. Some companies thank you and end your access the same afternoon. SHRM's article advises employers that do this to be prepared to pay for the notice period, notes that it can make the departure look more like a termination for unemployment purposes, and says it's never acceptable to dock someone's pay for not giving notice. Rules vary by state, so if it happens to you, ask HR in writing whether you'll be paid through your notice period.

What you're owed when you leave

This is the part that's easy to forget until you're calling HR about it later. Three things to check before you send anything:

• Your final paycheck. The US Department of Labor notes that federal law doesn't require immediate payment, but some states do. In Washington, where Derek works, the state's Department of Labor & Industries says a final paycheck is due on or before the next regularly scheduled payday. California is stricter: its labor commissioner says someone who gives at least 72 hours' notice must be paid all wages, including accrued vacation, at the time of quitting, and within 72 hours if they give less notice.
• Unused PTO. This varies the most. Washington's L&I calls vacation time a voluntary benefit, so payout depends on your employer's policy. California treats accrued vacation as wages owed at the end. Read your handbook, and check your state labor department if it's unclear.
• Health insurance. Ask HR the exact date your coverage ends. If your employer had 20 or more employees, federal COBRA rules generally let you keep the same group coverage for a limited time, though you may have to pay up to 102% of the cost. If your new job's insurance starts after a waiting period, plan for the gap.

Derek's handbook says unused PTO isn't paid out, so he takes his last two PTO days before his notice, not after. That's the kind of thing worth knowing before the conversation, not after.

What to include in a resignation email

1. A clear subject line: “Resignation: Derek Walsh.” Easy to find later.
2. A greeting using the name you normally call your manager.
3. The decision in the first sentence: “I'm writing to resign from my position as Senior Software Engineer.”
4. Your last working day, as a date, not “two weeks from today.”
5. A handoff offer you can actually deliver.
6. A short thank-you, if it's true. One specific line is enough.
7. A personal email or phone number for after you leave, since your work account will likely be switched off.
8. A sign-off and your full name.

What you can leave out: why you're leaving, where you're going, how much they're paying you, and any grievances. None of it is required, and all of it can make a simple email harder to answer. A resignation email can end up in your personnel file. Write it like someone you don't know will read it in five years.

A resignation email, before and after

Here's the kind of email people write at 11 p.m. the night before they tell their manager. Every sentence is sincere. It's also hard to act on.

Subject: Some news

Hi Nicole,

This is really hard to write. As you know, the last few months have been a lot, with the reorg and the on-call changes, and I've been thinking for a while about what I want next. I've been talking to a few companies and I've decided to take an opportunity that I think is a better fit for where I am right now. I'm really sorry about the timing with the migration. I'll be around for a couple more weeks and I'll try to wrap things up as best I can.

Derek

The subject line says nothing. The resignation is buried in the middle, there's no last day, the reorg complaint will be the line HR remembers, and “a couple more weeks” starts a negotiation. Here's the version Derek sends right after his Monday one-on-one.

Subject: Resignation: Derek Walsh

Hi Nicole,

Thanks for making time to talk this morning. As discussed, I'm resigning from my position as Senior Software Engineer. My last day will be Friday, November 6.

Before I go, I'll get the billing service migration to a clean stopping point and write a handoff doc for the payments on-call runbook. I'll have a draft to you by Friday, October 30.

After I leave, you can reach me on my cell at (206) 555-0163.

Best regards,
Derek Walsh

Same news. But it's a record anyone can act on: the decision, the date, the plan and a way to reach him.

7 resignation email examples

Most of these are written as Derek would send them. Swap in your own names and dates, and remove any line that doesn't feel true.

1. Simple resignation email (two weeks' notice)

Subject: Resignation: Derek Walsh

Dear Nicole,

I'm writing to resign from my position as Senior Software Engineer on the payments team. My last working day will be Friday, November 6.

Over the next two weeks I'll finish the billing service migration and write up a handoff of my other work. Please let me know what you'd like me to focus on.

After I leave, you can reach me on my cell at (206) 555-0163.

Best regards,
Derek Walsh

This is all most resignations need. If you only use one example, use this one.

2. After you've told your manager

The “after” email above is this one. Here's the reusable shape.

Subject: Resignation: [your full name]

Hi [manager's name],

Thanks for making time to talk today. As discussed, I'm resigning from my role as [job title], and my last day will be [day, date].

I'll send a handoff outline by [day] covering active projects, upcoming deadlines and where the key documents live.

Best regards,
[Full name]

Only write “as we agreed” if you actually agreed on the date. If your manager still needs to confirm it, say “I'd like my last day to be [date]. Could you confirm that works?”

3. A warmer version for a team you'll miss

Subject: Resignation: Derek Walsh

Dear Nicole,

I've decided to move on, and I'm writing to resign from my role as Senior Software Engineer. My last working day will be Friday, November 6.

I'm grateful you trusted me to lead the payments rewrite two years in. Working with you and the team on it taught me more than any job I've had, and I'll miss it.

I want to leave things in good shape, so I'll put together a full handoff and help however I can before I go.

Thank you for everything,
Derek Walsh

One true detail does more than a paragraph of praise. If your manager gave you your first project to lead, that's the line to keep. If the job wasn't great, skip the gratitude section rather than making it up.

4. Resigning for a new job

Subject: Resignation: [your full name]

Dear [manager's name],

I'm writing to let you know I've accepted a position at another company, and I'm resigning from my role as [job title]. My last day will be [day, date].

Thank you for the support over the past [time period]. I'll make sure the handoff is complete before I leave.

Best regards,
[Full name]

Naming the new company is up to you. It's fine to keep it to yourself until you've started. If you've signed anything that limits where you can work next, read it again before you share details.

5. Asking to leave earlier than your notice period

Say Derek's new employer asks whether he could start a week earlier. He asks. He doesn't announce.

Subject: Resignation and request to discuss my last day

Dear Nicole,

I'm writing to resign from my role as Senior Software Engineer. With two weeks' notice, my last day would be Friday, November 6.

Would you be open to an earlier last day of Wednesday, November 4? I'd still make sure the billing service migration and the on-call runbook are handed off properly. If that doesn't work for the team, I understand, and November 6 stands.

Best regards,
Derek Walsh

Until your employer agrees, the date you originally gave still applies. And keep the original date workable. Never quit a job on the assumption that a request will be approved.

6. Resignation effective immediately

Subject: Resignation effective immediately: [your full name]

Dear [manager's name],

I'm writing to resign from my position as [job title], effective today, [date]. I'm sorry for the short notice. [Optional: Due to personal circumstances, I'm not able to continue.]

I've left notes on [current work] in [location], and I can answer questions by email at [personal email] this week.

Please let me know how to return [laptop, badge or other equipment] and anything I need to sign.

Sincerely,
[Full name]

Sometimes leaving right away is the right call, and you don't owe anyone a detailed reason. Before you send it, check your contract and handbook, since leaving without notice can affect things like a PTO payout. Then check your state's final-pay rule in the section above, so you know when your last paycheck is due.

7. Goodbye email to coworkers

Subject: Moving on from the payments team

Hi everyone,

Friday is my last day. I've really enjoyed working with you, especially the week we shipped the new checkout flow and nobody got paged.

Starting Monday, Ana will own the billing service, and the on-call runbook is in the team wiki under Payments.

I'd love to stay in touch. You can find me on LinkedIn, or text me at (206) 555-0163.

All the best,
Derek

Send this one after your manager knows, and ideally after they've told the team. Your last day or the day before is a common time. Keep it warm and short, and name who owns your work now. That one line saves your teammates a week of guessing.

What to say in the conversation

The email is easier once you've said it out loud. Keep the conversation short and lead with the news. Derek's version, in his 10 a.m. PT one-on-one, takes about a minute:

“I wanted to tell you first: I've accepted another offer, and I'm resigning. My last day would be Friday, November 6.

I want to leave the migration in good shape, so I'll put together a handoff plan this week.

I'll send you an email after this so you have it in writing.”

If your manager makes a counteroffer, you don't have to answer on the spot. My advice: decide before the meeting what, if anything, would change your mind. If the honest answer is nothing, say thank you and that your decision is made. If money was the only reason you looked, that's a different conversation, and worth having before you sign anywhere else.

Leave a handoff someone can pick up

A good handoff means the next person doesn't have to rebuild your memory. Start with whatever needs attention soonest.

“Billing migration” on its own isn't much of a handoff. “Half the merchants are on the new billing service. The rest move on November 18, and Finance needs to sign off on the reconciliation report first” tells someone where to start.

Mistakes to avoid

• Burying the resignation. It should be in the first sentence, not after two paragraphs of reflection.
• A vague last day. “In a couple of weeks” causes back-and-forth. Give a date.
• Venting. If you want to give honest feedback, an exit interview or a separate conversation is a better place for it, and even there I'd keep it to what would help the next person.
• Copying the whole team. Your resignation goes to your manager, and HR if needed. The team hears about it after.
• Telling coworkers before your manager. It travels faster than you think.
• Promising too much. Offer what you can finish before you go, not unlimited help afterward.

On your last day, set an out-of-office reply that says who to contact instead. Our guide to Gmail out-of-office replies walks through it. For the sign-off itself, see how to end an email.