Two Weeks Notice Letter: Template, Examples and How to Deliver It

It is a resignation letter that gives your employer two weeks of warning before your last day. Two weeks is the common courtesy in the U.S. because it gives a manager time to reassign work and start hiring, and many employer policies write it down. The University of Colorado Boulder's College of Arts and Sciences, for example, calls a two-week notice "the standard minimum" for its staff.

In most private-sector jobs, giving notice is not a legal requirement. The Department of Labor's overview of terminations explains that, outside discrimination, whistleblower and other protected situations, ending employment is subject only to any private contract between employer and employee or a labor contract. So if your contract, union agreement or handbook sets a notice period, follow it, because it can affect payouts and whether you are eligible for rehire.

The letter itself is a record. It confirms the date you resigned and your last day, which HR uses to process your separation, so send one even when you have already told your manager in person.

Keep it to one page and three short paragraphs. Employer policies ask for the same core facts: a clear intention to resign, the planned last day, and how your work will be handled. Carteret Community College's resignation policy, for instance, asks for exactly those three points and allows a request to use available leave.

• The date you send it
• Your manager's name (and HR, if your policy says to copy them)
• One sentence saying you are resigning, with your job title
• Your last working day as a full date
• A short thank-you, one or two sentences
• An offer to help with the transition: documentation, training a colleague, finishing a project
• A personal email or phone number for after you leave
• Your name, and a signature on a printed copy

Wait until you have a written offer and any background check has cleared. Then tell your manager before anyone else, in a private meeting or on a video call if you work remotely. Say it in the first minute ("I have accepted another position, and my last day will be Friday, June 12"), and send the letter right after the conversation.

Email is fine for the letter itself. Use a subject line such as "Resignation: Jordan Blake", paste the letter into the body or attach a PDF, and copy HR if your handbook asks you to. Some employers also need a form or an entry in their HR system; University of Colorado Boulder Arts and Sciences staff, for example, submit a resignation letter along with a notice-of-resignation request.

Before the meeting, save copies of your own pay stubs, performance reviews and personal files, and nothing that belongs to the company. Some employers end system access the day you resign.

Give more notice when your contract or handbook requires it, when you hold a senior or hard-to-replace role, or when your work runs on long schedules, such as a teacher mid-semester or a nurse on a published shift schedule. Some employers set longer notice periods for salaried or faculty staff, so read the policy before you pick a date.

Giving less than two weeks can be reasonable if you face harassment, unsafe conditions or unpaid wages, or if your new employer cannot wait and your current one has no notice requirement. State your last day plainly in the letter and offer what handover you can, without a long explanation.

Know the difference between your last day worked and your separation date. The University of Colorado Boulder's policy gives the example of a June 30 last day with a July 1 separation date in the HR system. Ask HR which date controls your final pay and benefits.

Federal law does not require employers to give former employees their final paycheck immediately, but some states do. California is a common example: an employee without a fixed-term contract who gives at least 72 hours' notice must be paid all wages, including accrued vacation, at the time of quitting, and one who quits without that notice must be paid within 72 hours.

Whether unused vacation or PTO is paid out depends on your state and your employer's policy. Ask HR in writing what you will receive and when, and whether you can use leave during your notice period, because some employers do not let vacation days replace notice days.

If you have group health insurance, ask when coverage ends. Under COBRA, many workers and their families can choose to continue group health coverage for a limited period after leaving, often at full cost. Also check 401(k) vesting, any signing bonus or tuition repayment clause, and how to return company equipment.

Leave out complaints, criticism of colleagues, your new salary and anything emotional. The letter goes into your personnel file and may be read later by someone deciding whether to rehire you or confirm your employment.

You do not have to name your new employer or give a reason. "I have accepted a position elsewhere" or "for personal reasons" is enough. If you have feedback, save it for the exit interview and keep it specific and calm.

Do not promise more than you can deliver in two weeks. Offer a handover document and training for whoever takes over, then follow through.

1. 1

   Confirm your new job in writing

   Wait for a signed offer and a cleared background check before you resign.

2. 2

   Check your contract and handbook

   Look for a required notice period, PTO payout rules, and repayment clauses for bonuses or tuition.

3. 3

   Choose your last day

   Count 14 calendar days from the day you resign, or longer if policy requires, and write it as a full date.

4. 4

   Write the letter

   Three short paragraphs: resignation and last day, thanks, handover. Proofread names and dates.

5. 5

   Tell your manager, then send it

   Meet privately, give the news in the first minute, then email or hand over the letter and copy HR if required.

6. 6

   Hand over well

   Write a handover document, finish or reassign open work, return equipment, and say goodbye to your colleagues.

Copy this and replace the bracketed parts.

Samples for common situations. The people and employers are fictional.

• References on a Resume: Where They Go and How to List Them
• Cover Letter Template
• How to write a resume
• Strengths and Weaknesses: How to Answer in an Interview and Show Them on a Resume
• How to Explain an Employment Gap on a Resume, With Examples

We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.

1. U.S. Department of Labor: Termination (termination governed by private or labor contracts outside protected cases; COBRA continuation)
2. U.S. Department of Labor: Last Paycheck (no federal requirement for immediate final pay; some states require it)
3. California Department of Industrial Relations, Labor Commissioner's Office: Paydays, Pay Periods, and the Payment of Final Wages FAQ (72-hour notice rule; accrued vacation paid at separation)
4. Carteret Community College: Resignation Policy (two weeks written notice; letter states intent, last day, handover, leave request)
5. University of Colorado Boulder, College of Arts and Sciences: Separation (Staff) (two weeks as the standard minimum; last day vs. separation date)