How to Write a Resignation Letter (With Examples)

What a resignation letter must say, how much notice to give in the UK, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, how to hand it in, and examples in English and Arabic.

Resigning is a conversation first and a letter second. The letter is short, but it is the formal record of your decision: that you are leaving, which job you are leaving, and the date of your last working day. Get it right and it protects you; get the tone wrong and it stays on your file.

This guide covers what to settle before you write, how much notice the law asks for in the UK, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, how to tell your manager, what the letter must say, how to keep it positive, how to hand it in and keep a record, and what usually happens next. It ends with examples in English and Arabic. The people in the examples are hypothetical; your letter must use only your own details.

Before you write it: make sure the new job is confirmed

Do not resign on a promise. jobs.ac.uk, the careers site of the academic jobs board, advises sending your letter only once you have a formal offer from your new employer. The University of Virginia’s Darden School alumni career services go further: make sure you have a legally binding, signed agreement with your next employer before you resign. San José State University’s Writing Center suggests the same, with a written acknowledgement of the new job offer as an example.

Check your contract and your notice period

Your notice period decides your last working day, so find it before you write. The UK government’s guide to handing in your notice starts there: check your employment contract for your employer’s policy. The European Commission’s jobs portal, EURES, gives the same first step: re-read your current contract.

The law sets a floor, and your contract can ask for more. Here is what official sources say in four countries. This is a summary, not legal advice: the rules depend on your type of contract and can change, so check your own contract, your HR department or your country’s labour ministry before you hand in notice.

A few details from the same sources matter in practice. In the UAE, the notice period can be reduced or waived by mutual agreement without affecting either party’s rights. In Saudi Arabia, the amended law defines resignation (for a fixed-term contract), treats a resignation request as accepted if thirty days pass without a reply from the employer (who may postpone acceptance by up to sixty days, with written reasons, if the work requires it), and lets the worker withdraw it within seven days unless the employer has already accepted. In Oman, the Ministry of Labour’s resignation service (in Arabic) lets a worker register a resignation online with a resignation date up to 30 days from the day of the request.

Tell your manager first, in person

Your manager should not learn about your resignation from an email they did not expect, or from a colleague. A professor in the University of Southern California’s human resource management master’s program, quoted by USC Online, says to always make the announcement in person first. Darden advises telling your manager first and scheduling a face-to-face appointment if possible, and EURES suggests a meeting in person or a face-to-face video call. The University of Maryland’s engineering career services adds: inform your manager before telling any other colleagues. San José State describes the letter as following the verbal notice you give your supervisor.

Use the meeting to agree on the practical points. Acas, the UK’s workplace advisory service, suggests talking to your employer about how and when other people are told about your resignation.

What to put in the letter

Careers services agree on the essentials. jobs.ac.uk lists three: state your resignation, give your expected final date, and offer support in the transition. The British Council advises including the exact date of your last working day after your notice period, because it helps your employer plan for your departure, and EURES says the letter must state your final day clearly, in line with your notice period. The American University in Cairo’s career center describes the resignation letter as your official notice, formally indicating the date your employment with the company ends.

It can be very short. Darden says two sentences, one with the resignation statement and one with an end date, can be enough, and a guide on Sharjah24, the Sharjah Government Media Bureau’s news site (in Arabic), says a resignation letter should not run to more than one page. Acas publishes a resignation letter template whose first line is a model of clarity: please accept this as notice of my resignation from your position at your organisation.

Keep it short and positive

Write as if the letter will be read again in five years, because it may be: jobs.ac.uk notes that your resignation letter should be kept on file by your department. USC Online’s advice is to keep the tone cordial and professional, with no grievances about your employer or co-workers, and jobs.ac.uk says not to refer to any challenges or frustrations you have faced. The British Council says to keep the letter positive even if you are leaving because of a bad experience, and the University of Wyoming’s career services say to avoid venting frustrations even if you are unhappy. Maryland adds: avoid emotional language.

There is a practical reason too. Sharjah24’s guide advises against raising grievances at all, so that they do not affect your employer’s opinion if you later want them as a referee.

If you do have concerns to raise, the letter is not the place. Many employers hold an exit interview: EURES explains that organisations use these interviews to understand your reasons for leaving, and Darden points out that taking part, and answering each question, is voluntary.

Offer a proper handover

A short line offering to help with the handover is one of the most valued parts of the letter. USC Online suggests explaining that you are willing to help your team prepare for your last day, and Wyoming gives examples: training a replacement, attending important meetings and wrapping up key tasks. Maryland suggests finishing projects or documenting your progress and leaving organised files for the next person. The British Council notes that this shows your commitment to making sure your responsibilities are fully explained to the person replacing you. And if you offer, follow through: jobs.ac.uk asks that if you have promised to train your replacement, you do it to the best of your abilities.

How to hand it in, and keep a record

Email or paper. EURES says that today it is most common to email your manager with the resignation letter attached, though you can also print it or write it by hand and give it in person. USC Online notes that it will usually be an email or a printed letter delivered by hand, and should include the relevant people, such as your manager and human resources. Acas advises writing to your manager or HR department unless you have been told to write to someone else.

In writing, with a receipt. In the UK, Acas notes that you do not have to put your resignation in writing, but that a written record can help avoid disputes, for example about notice periods, and suggests asking your employer to confirm in writing that they have received it. GOV.UK advises giving written notice if you think you will need to refer to it later. Maryland recommends resigning in writing, by email or printed letter, to avoid miscommunication. In the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the sources above make written notice part of the rule.

The date counts. Your notice period is counted from when you hand in notice: GOV.UK says it usually runs from the start of the day after you handed your notice in, and Egypt’s Labour Law says the notice period runs from the date it is received. Keep a copy of what you sent and of the confirmation you receive, with their dates.

After you resign: counter-offers, exit interviews and references

• A counter-offer. Darden advises being prepared for one and deciding in advance whether you would consider it, so that it does not catch you off guard.
• References. EURES points out that there is no legal requirement for your employer to give you a reference. jobs.ac.uk suggests asking your line manager’s permission to use them as a referee before you leave, and Maryland suggests requesting a letter of referral as long as everything has gone smoothly. In Saudi Arabia, the Labour Law requires the employer, at the end of the contract, to give the worker a certificate of service on request, free of charge.
• Working your notice. Acas warns that if you do not reach an agreement and do not work the appropriate notice, it might affect your final pay or references for future jobs.
• Leaving well. Another professor quoted by USC Online explains why leaving on good terms matters: you never know when you will meet someone you have worked with again at another job.

Examples

All three are hypothetical. Replace every name, title and date with your own, and check the last day against your own notice period.

In English: a short resignation email

Subject: Resignation, Omar Haddad

Dear Ms Collins,

Please accept this email as notice of my resignation from my position as Marketing Coordinator. In line with the one-month notice period in my contract, my last working day will be 30 November.

Thank you for the support and the opportunities I have had in the team. I will make sure my campaigns are handed over properly before I leave.

Kind regards,

Omar Haddad

In English: a fuller letter with a handover plan

Dear Mr Patel,

I am writing to confirm my resignation from the position of Senior Accountant, as we discussed this morning. As my contract requires two months’ notice, my last working day will be 31 January.

I have valued the four years I have spent in the finance team, and I am grateful for your support, particularly during the move to our new accounting system.

Before I leave, I will complete the year-end reconciliations, document the monthly closing steps, and train whoever takes over my accounts. Please let me know if there is anything else you need from me.

Yours sincerely,

Layla Mansour

In Arabic: a formal resignation letter

التاريخ: 1 نوفمبر

السيد مدير إدارة الموارد البشرية المحترم،

تحية طيبة، وبعد،

أتقدم إليكم باستقالتي من وظيفة أخصائي مشتريات، على أن يكون آخر يوم عمل لي 30 نوفمبر، وفق مدة الإشعار المنصوص عليها في عقد العمل.

وأشكركم على الفرصة التي أتحتموها لي خلال السنوات الثلاث الماضية، وعلى ما تعلمته من الزملاء. وسأحرص قبل مغادرتي على إنهاء طلبات الشراء المفتوحة، وتوثيق إجراءات العمل، وتدريب من سيتولى مهامي.

وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام والتقدير،

سالم الزهراني

التوقيع: ..............

Notice what all three do: the first sentence says you are resigning and from which job, the last day is a date, not “in a month”, and nothing in them would read badly in your file years from now.

How Tabhar can help

Tabhar does not write resignation letters; this one is yours to write, and it should be short. Where we can help is the step after it. Before your last day, bring your CV up to date while the details of the job are fresh: Tabhar’s CV builder lets you add the role’s achievements on the page as it will be printed, and you can download your CV as a PDF or a Word file on every plan, with no watermark. Our guide to building a LinkedIn profile that supports your CV covers the profile side.

When you apply for your next role, Tabhar’s cover letter builder writes a first draft from the job and your CV, on the Starter, Pro and Elite plans. Read every draft and correct anything that is not true before you send it.

Related reading

• How to write a job application email (with examples)
• How to write a cover letter
• How to build a LinkedIn profile that supports your CV

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