Resignation email: templates to copy for a UK job

Example letter

Copy the letter

Example

From: aisha.rahman@example.com

To: gareth.holt@example.com

Cc: hr@example.com

Subject: Resignation, Aisha Rahman, Customer Success Manager

Dear Gareth,

Following our conversation this morning, please accept this email as formal notice of my resignation from my position as Customer Success Manager at Northgate Software Ltd.

My contract sets a notice period of one month, so I believe my last working day will be Wednesday 16 December 2026. Please let me know if that date is incorrect.

Could you also confirm how much accrued holiday I have left, and whether I should take it during my notice period or have it paid with my final salary?

Thank you for the past four years. Before I leave, I will hand over my client accounts to the team and write up the renewal calendar for 2027.

Kind regards,

Aisha Rahman

Copy this resignation email template, then change the names, job title, employer and dates. The notice period is the one in your contract or written statement; if you're not sure how long yours is or when it ends, see our guide to the notice period.

Send it to your line manager and copy HR if your employer has an HR team. In an email, "Kind regards" or "Best wishes" is the usual sign-off; keep "Yours sincerely" for a printed resignation letter.

Usually, yes. GOV.UK says your contract will tell you whether notice has to be given in writing, and otherwise you can even resign verbally. It advises written notice whenever you might need to refer to it later, for example at an employment tribunal. A resignation email gives you that written record, with the date and time it was sent.

Read your contract first: if it asks for a signed letter, attach one to your email. GOV.UK warns that giving notice in the wrong form can put you in breach of contract.

1. A clear subject line: "Resignation", your name and your job title.
2. Your manager's name: "Dear Gareth" if you use first names at work, "Dear Mr Holt" if not.
3. One sentence of resignation: "Please accept this email as formal notice of my resignation from my position as [job title] at [employer]."
4. Your notice period and last working day, worked out from your contract, with a request to confirm the date.
5. A question about holiday and final pay, if you have leave left.
6. A short thank-you and a handover offer, if the relationship allows it.
7. "Kind regards", then your full name.

That's all a resignation email needs. You don't have to give a reason for leaving, and the email may be kept on your personnel file: leave out complaints about colleagues, salary or management.

Your subject line should say what the email is before anyone opens it. Pick one of these:

Avoid vague subjects such as "Quick chat" or "Update": an HR team that receives your email has to find it again when it prepares your final pay.

Each resignation email example below replaces the body of the template. The subject line, greeting and sign-off stay the same.

• Complaints: about pay, your manager or colleagues. If something needs raising, use the grievance procedure, not your resignation email.
• A long explanation: one line is enough, and none is required.
• Details of your new job: the employer and salary are your business.
• A last day you haven't checked: work it out from your contract before you write it.
• Emotion: write it when you are calm. GOV.UK notes that if you resign in the heat of the moment, your employer can choose whether to accept your change of mind.

1. Make sure your new job offer is unconditional: references and checks cleared, start date agreed in writing.
2. Check your contract for the notice period and whether notice must be in writing.
3. Work out your last day: your notice usually starts the day after you resign, unless your contract says otherwise.
4. Tell your manager first, then send the email the same day.
5. Keep a copy you can reach after you leave, such as a printout of the sent email and the reply, in case your work account is closed.

Acas warns against using a standard resignation template if you believe you have no choice but to resign because of something your employer has done, for example a serious breach of your contract. That can change your notice period and is the area of constructive dismissal. Get advice from the Acas helpline before you send anything.

Wait for a reply confirming your last working day, and keep it with your sent email. Ask when you'll receive your P45, and whether your manager will act as a referee. If you need someone outside work to vouch for you, our character reference template shows what they can write.