A simple resignation letter is a formal notice of resignation without much writing on behalf of the employee. A resignation letter does not need to be a long letter with a particular word count. A short letter will still serve as a proper notice letter informing the employer of the impending resignation and beginning the notice period of resignation.
Before submitting a resignation letter that is short in writing, it’s important to speak with a direct report, manager, supervisor, or boss about the upcoming resignation. If the formal resignation letter is short, it relies heavily on the employee to practice strong communication skills with the supervisor and clarify any misunderstandings that may take place during the resignation.
When the resigning employee and supervisor speak, they’ll determine the appropriate notice period (amount of time remaining with the company), goals for the notice period, or transition period (like transitioning job duties and responsibilities to a colleague or new hire), and the official end of employment date which will be included on the formal resignation letter.
If the resignation letter does not contain the reason for resignation, the employee may want to directly inform the supervisor of these reasons. Good reasons might include:
- A career change.
- A new job.
- Personal reasons (like family issues).
Since these reasons are not going to be included in the shorter formal letter (since it will be a simple letter of resignation), it is important that the employee speaks clearly about the reasons to the supervisor so they can inform the human resources department of the departure and why.
Tip: Once an employee provides formal notification to an employer, it’s important to set goals for the transition period so the employee can leave on a “good note” with the employer. This ensures that the employee can ask the manager to write a recommendation letter or be a reference after leaving the current employer. When possible, try to depart the company on “good terms” with the employer and manager. Once you leave the company, you may want to come back to the supervisor for career advice later.
Resignation Process
Here’s what an employee should expect when resigning from a position with their current employer:
- Provide verbal, formal notice and reason for resignation to the direct supervisor.
- Write a simple resignation letter with the end of the employment date as part of the letter.
- Write a resignation email, including the formal letter and send it to human resources, informing them of resigning the employee’s current position.
- Start the transition or notice period with the supervisor.
- Toward the end of the notice period, an exit interview may be performed, asking the resigning employee to provide feedback on the role, duties/responsibilities, and company.
- The employee leaving on a positive note should ask the supervisor for a letter of recommendation, be a reference, and more.
- On the final day of employment, the resigning employee should write a goodbye email to their coworkers, thanking them for their efforts.
Writing a Simple Resignation Letter
A simple or short resignation letter isn’t different from a standard resignation letter. It simply relies on more communication to be had verbally with the supervisor. A good resignation letter should show appreciation for the job opportunity, formal notice of resignation from the current job, and an end of employment date within the letter.
Tip: If you’re a senior executive and resigning from a position, you may want to refer to the employment contract that was signed with the employer. It has details regarding the notice period, transition period, and other severance information on the executive employment contract.
Simple Resignation Letter Sample
Below is a sample resignation letter when writing a “simple letter.”
[email protected]
888-888-8888
123 Road, St., New York NY 11121
June 1st, 2019
Company Inc.
Sarah Doe
[email protected]
Senior Management
123 Business Road, New York NY 11121
Dear Ms. Doe — With a heavy heart, I must submit my resignation, alleviating me of the job duties of Product Designer. As discussed in our meeting on June 1st, 2019, I will be resigning from my position, and my end date of employment will be June 14th, 2019. I want to thank everyone for the opportunity to work with this great company. Thank you so much,
John Smith
Simple Resignation Letter Template
Below is a simple resignation letter template.
[Your Email]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Address]
[Current Date]
[Company Name]
[Supervisor’s Name]
[Supervisor’s Email]
[Supervisor’s Title]
[Company Address]
Dear [Manager’s Name] —
With a heavy heart, I must submit my resignation, alleviating me of the job duties of [Job Title]. As discussed in our meeting on [Supervisor Meeting Date], I will be resigning from my position, and my end date of employment will be [Agreed Upon End of Employment Date].
I want to thank everyone for the opportunity to work with this great company.
Thank you so much,
[Your Name]
Resignation Letters
Below are resignation letters and free templates.
By Job Title
By Format
By Reason
By Time
Additional Resources
Favorite Resources
Our favorite resources are included below.
Job interview resources
Resume and cover letter resources
Job search resources
Interview Question and Answer Guide (PDF)
Download our full interview preparation guide. Complete with common interview questions and example answers. Free download. No email required.
About the author
Patrick Algrim is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), NCDA Certified Career Counselor (CCC), and general career expert. Patrick has completed the NACE Coaching Certification Program (CCP). And has been published as a career expert on Forbes, Glassdoor, American Express, Reader’s Digest, LiveCareer, Zety, Yahoo, Recruiter.com, SparkHire, SHRM.org, Process.st, FairyGodBoss, HRCI.org, St. Edwards University, NC State University, IBTimes.com, Thrive Global, TMCnet.com, Work It Daily, Workology, Career Guide, MyPerfectResume, College Career Life, The HR Digest, WorkWise, Career Cast, Elite Staffing, Women in HR, All About Careers, Upstart HR, The Street, Monster, The Ladders, Introvert Whisperer, and many more. Find him on LinkedIn.